Text or logo
A text watermark is the quickest: your name, @handle or website, often with a © in front. Keep it short so it can be small and still readable. Your handle is a good choice, because anyone who sees the photo elsewhere can find you.
A logo watermark looks more polished and matches your brand. Use a PNG with a see-through background, so only the logo shows and not a white box around it. A white or light version of your logo usually works on the widest range of photos.
Where to put it
Where the mark goes is a balance between protecting the photo and letting people enjoy it:
- A corner is the least distracting and suits portfolios and social posts. It's also the easiest to crop out.
- The middle is harder to remove but covers the subject. Keep the opacity low.
- Tiled across the photo is the hardest to remove, because there's no clean area to crop to. It's the usual choice for proofs and previews you send before payment.
Size and opacity
For a corner mark, 15 to 25% of the photo's width and 50 to 80% opacity is readable without shouting. For a tiled or centred mark, go lower, around 20 to 40% opacity, so the photo can still be judged.
The soft shadow helps a light mark stay readable on bright skies or white walls. Check the result on the busiest part of the photo, since that's where a mark gets lost.
What a watermark does and doesn't do
A watermark tells people who made the photo and makes reusing it without credit more awkward. It doesn't give you copyright: in most countries you own the copyright in your photos the moment you take them, watermark or not.
No watermark is impossible to remove, especially with today's editing tools. For work you're selling, share watermarked previews at a smaller size, and only send the full-size, clean file once it's paid for. Your original photo is never changed by this tool, and nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a watermark to a photo for free?
Choose your photo above, type your name or add a logo, pick where it goes and how see-through it is, then download. It runs in your browser with no sign-up.
What should my watermark say?
Something short that leads back to you: your @handle, website or name, often with ©. Short text can stay small and still be read.
Where is the best place for a watermark?
A corner for social posts and portfolios, since it's the least distracting. Tiled across the image for proofs, because it's much harder to crop out.
What opacity should a watermark be?
About 50 to 80% for a small corner mark, and 20 to 40% for a large, centred or tiled one, so the photo can still be seen clearly.
Can I use my logo as a watermark?
Yes. Switch to Logo and pick an image. A PNG with a transparent background looks best, since only the logo shows.
Does a watermark protect my copyright?
It helps people see who owns the photo, but you usually own the copyright anyway. A watermark is a deterrent, not legal protection, and can be removed.