Watermark Photos: How to Add a Watermark to Photos

Thanks to all things 'the internet,' it has become increasingly easy for people to share photos all over the world. Unfortunately, this makes it just as easy for people to snatch your photos and use them as their own without acknowledging the creator. And given the time it takes to capture, edit and upload high-quality photos, this can be frustrating for any photographer.

However, you can prevent all this by simply putting a watermark on your image before uploading. Your typical watermark will usually incorporate the creator's name or logo as part of the image, and it can be placed anywhere on the image depending on the creator's preference.  This way, viewers will always know who took the photo.

What is a watermark, and why do I need one?

A watermark is basically a piece of text, logo, or signature embedded in a picture used to identify the photographer or creator of the image. Through the watermark, a photographer can claim a photo and protect the copyright. This way, anyone who wants to use the image has to get the owner's permission first, possibly at a fee.

Apart from copyright, adding a watermark to photos can serve as a good marketing tool for the creator. If every image on a photographer's portfolio has a watermark, it can help boost the creator's profile and brand, especially if the photo goes viral or becomes famous.

Simply put, a watermark puts your brand out there and makes it easy for people to trace you if they need your services.

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Table of Contents

  1. What is a watermark and why I need one?
  2. How to add a watermark to photos
  3. Adding a watermark to single and batches
  4. Takeaway

How to add a watermark to your photos

So, the question remains, how then do you watermark photos without ruining your picture? Let's take a look.

We'll also explain how to put a watermark on multiple photos at once, which batch photo watermark software is adequate, and the best watermark photos app for mobile platforms.

Adding a watermark to single and multiple photos

For creators working with large amounts of photos, it is possible to add a single watermark to multiple photos simultaneously. You need batch photo watermark software that automates simple repetitive tasks into an easy and automatic process to achieve this.

As it stands, there are quite a few batch software designed for this work, with Photoshop leading the charge.

Here is how you go about adding a watermark on multiple images using Photoshop CS6:

  1. Start by downloading and installing Photoshop software on your PC.
  2. Launch the software and open the image by going to File, then Open on the menu.
  3. Use the Actions panel to begin recording a new action. To access the panel, go to Windows and choose Actions, then click on the "Create new Action" button. Give it a proper name, then click on "Record."
  4. Start creating or choosing the watermark you intend to use and where to place it on the photo, but ensure it's not obtrusive.
  5. To make the watermark stand out, you need to add special effects. Click on "fx" on the lower right panel and then click on blending options which add highlights and shadows to the image. This step is crucial since it ensures that the watermark applied to the initial image will maintain its position on all processed photos you selected.
  6. Once you are done, go back to the Action panel and click on the "Stop Recording" button. At this point, you can close the initial photo since it's not required anymore.
  7. Finally, what is left is automating the process for the entire image folder. Navigate to File and choose Scripts, then under Image processor, select the folder you want to process and the folder where the processed images will be stored. Ensure that "Run Action" is ticked in the Preference section, select the action to perform, and hit "Run."

And that's all there is to it!

However, due to Photoshop's complex software, this process can be a little hard to grasp. If you are looking to make a simple text watermark, you'd be better off going for more straightforward software like WinZip.

The good thing about WinZip is that it is compatible with a variety of files, including BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG, PDF, and TIF. Not to mention, you can control where and how the watermark appears.

Here's how to watermark your files with WinZip

  1. Download and install your WinZip on your PC.
  2. Open it and select the file you want to edit.
  3. Navigate to the Action pane to the right-hand screen and choose Watermark.
  4. Under Watermark, click Options and Select Watermark Settings.
  5. Create your watermark. Here, you can choose the text you want to be displayed and its placement, direction, transparency on the photo. You can also choose its color and font.
  6. Click Save.

Takeaway

To protect your photos from copyright infringement, it is important that you add a watermark to all images before uploading them on the internet. As we saw, apart from security, watermarks are a good way to market your brand or profile, making sure you are credited for your work.

Hopefully, by following this guide, you can now watermark your photos through an automated process that makes the process less tedious.

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