How To Watermark a Picture and Why You Should
If you have a blog you'll need to learn how to watermark a picture. Find out how using Lightroom, Photoshop and PicMonkey.
If you have a blog you're going to want to learn how to watermark a picture. It's essential. Here's why:
Your image is going to be shared far and wide around the web. As long as everything and everyone works as they should when someone clicks on your image it will lead them directly to your site. Hooray!
But … things don't always work as they should. Sometimes your image will get posted to a site without the link. Other times a link gets broken along the way. Occasionally some not-so-awesome person will try to pretend that the picture you took belongs to them. → See the post Find Your Stolen Content for more about this.
This can be a huge headache for both you and your potential readers.
Have you ever clicked on a delicious-looking picture on Pinterest, only to be taken to Tumblr where there is no mention of who took the photo or where to find the recipe? I have, too. It's frustrating.
By adding a watermark to your photos, you save your readers a TON of hassle by making it easy for them to find you.
Just to be clear …
I'm not talking about adding a giant watermark straight through the middle of your picture. You want people to connect with your image, not feel turned off by it. The best watermarks are the ones that are subtle and allow the readers to enjoy the image without being distracting.
Here's how I like my watermark to look …
And btw those cookies you see there.?? Ya, those. You want to make them. They're called Sea Salt and Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Or The Best Damn Cookies Ever.
**will share the recipe super soon!** Here's the recipe!
Having that small, out-of-the-way watermark on them ensures that everybody who wants to make the cookies will be able to find the recipe.
How to watermark a picture using Lightroom
- Open Lightroom and choose the picture you want to watermark.
- Click the “Export” button in the bottom, left-hand corner.
- In the popup window, scroll to the bottom and click the “Watermark” button.
- Click the box beside the watermark button and choose “Edit Watermarks.” Here you can either add a text watermark or upload your logo. Play around with the settings until you're happy with the location of the watermark.
- Save the watermark so you can use it every time you save a picture.
How to watermark a picture using Photoshop
- Open Photoshop and choose the photo you want to watermark.
- Use the Horizontal Type Tool (T) and add a new layer.
- Type your watermark and edit the placement, size, font and colour.
How to watermark a picture using PicMonkey
Using PicMoney you have two options for adding a watermark to your pictures. The first option is to add an overlay and the second is to add a text-only watermark.
Adding a watermark to a picture using an overlay:
- Open your photo then click the “Overlay” tab.
- Click “Your Own” to upload your logo.
- Drag your logo to where you want it in your photo and then save your image.
Adding a text-only watermark:
- Open your photo then click the “Add Text” tab.
- Choose the font you'd like to use then type your watermark.
- Edit the colour, size and location of your watermark until you are happy with it then save the image.
Great tutorial and reminder that I need to start watermarking!
Thank you!!!
I’ve been hearing so many different opinions on this. I add my watermark on my “pinterest” images, but not the others. People say not to bother since it’s so easy to simply crop our a watermark (depending on where it is :/
I agree that it’s definitely easy for people to crop them off, but I think most don’t bother. I’ve had so many people write me to tell me that they’ve seen my images used without permission (and I think they know they’re mine from the watermark) that I think it’s really helpful.
Definitely depends where it is! The big ones and those across the middle of pictures drive me crazy!
I know people can remove watermarks easily, but I still choose to add them. If someone goes through the process of deletion and editing my pohotos, to me that usually marks a different way of dealing with the person — i.e. there’s an intentional effort to take me out of the picture (literally!). It’s a different story when someone just feels inspired to share a pic (in which case that watermark helps in all the ways you’ve outlined).
I actually had a case just a few days ago where someone took my recipe title and my photo, edited out my watermark and then posted it to their pinterest saying this recipe was coming soon to their cafe in another country o.O
Anyways… I’ve been debating the watermarking on a different level — in a way it often gets in the way of my photos and kind of bothers me. I’d much rather look at a clean photo than a watermarked one. But sadly because of all the stealing of photos, like in the example above, which is a regular occurrence these days, I opt to watermark mine anyways.
It always amazes me that some people don’t understand the concept of stealing. I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you. Frustrating!
Luckily most people are just excited to share a picture and do it without thinking it through.
BTW I think your watermark is great. Totally unintrusive!