In this article, we will teach you how to watermark images in Photoshop in a very simple step-by-step. This method is not only very simple to add a watermark and logo to the image, but you can use it for any photo and image. In this article, we will address the following issues.
- Create watermarks in Photoshop using text or add special symbols such as ©
- Add a logo to a photo in Photoshop (as a watermark)
- Adjust the location and size of the watermark
- Add special effects to the watermark using Photoshop
In the following, we will take a look at how to save the original images in Photoshop so that you can quickly delete or duplicate watermarks.
Why should we watermark images?
There are many reasons to watermark your pictures and photos. In the past, photographers used to watermark their photos on their websites so that someone could steal them in their own name.
If this is your opinion of watermarking something like this, we highly recommend that you reconsider. Because a small logo or watermark will not help you at all, and if someone intends to abuse your work, they can easily crop that part of the photo. On the other hand, new Photoshop tools allow users to remove watermarks easily and without damaging the image. Unless the watermark contains a large portion of the image and is on the most important parts of your image. In this case, you will damage your beauty and art and the photo will not look good naturally.
In today’s digital world, it is no longer possible to take care of digital work by adding a logo and watermark. But instead, we recommend that you use these elements to promote your personal brand. Today, many photographers and content creators post their logo or contact information on images and content on social media. This will help them to become more visible and famous.
So before you watermark images in Photoshop, think about what your goal is. Once you know your purpose, you can make a much better decision about the shape, size, placement, and design of your logo and watermark. We will start our tutorial with the simplest method, which is just adding a simple text to copyright, and then we will teach you more complex and attractive methods for doing so.
Set up text tools in Photoshop
In this step, you must select the text insertion tool from the tools section, which is located on the left side of the Photoshop user interface. This tool is displayed in the form of a letter T. In the image below, you can see the location of the text insertion tool in Photoshop.
Make sure you select the exact same tool and do not mistakenly select one of the sub-tools. To select a subset of a tool, you must right-click on it.
When this tool is selected, the menu at the top of the page will change and you will see the settings for the text insertion tool. In this section of the settings, you can select the font type, color, and size of the text, the type of layout, and some other settings. Of course, do not worry too much about this section, because you can change these items later.
Add watermark text
After selecting the text insertion tool, hover your mouse over the image and click where you want the text to be inserted. Depending on the software version of your software, you will either see the text insertion mark or the default Lorem Ipsum text will be inserted there. Now you can write the text you want for copyright here. Like the photo below.
If you look closely at the Photoshop Layers section (usually at the bottom right of the image), you will see that a text layer with the text of your choice has been added to the photo.
At this point, there are several ways to convert text to a watermark.
- Decrease the amount of transparency of the copyright layer (in the image above, the part marked with the number 2 corresponds to the transparency of the layer). The lower the amount of transparency, the more volume of the underlying layer we will see on the text. Just like a glass with a clear back.
- Change the Blending Mode settings of the layer and select the Soft Light value. This section is marked with the number 1 in the photo above. The effect is the same as Solution 1 (ie changing the transparency of the layer).
Now your image watermark is much more natural, better, and better.
Add a copyright symbol to the image
Many people prefer to use the Copyright © symbol when watermarking images in Photoshop, which is also very easy. The first method is to copy the © icon and paste it into another new text layer (create a new layer just like the previous step, but insert the copied text instead of writing text). However, there is an easier way to do this. In the same toolbar on the left, select Custom Shape. You can see this option in the picture below
Note that this tool allows you to draw a set of special shapes on your image. When you select the Custom Shape tool, you will see that the top menu of the image changes. In the top menu, you will see a list of ready-made shapes, including the copyright symbol. Select the desired icon and then drag it on your photo using the mouse. Note that to do this you have to hold the mouse click, that is, when the click starts, the starting point of the shape is selected and the size of the shape changes when the mouse is moved. But release the click, your desired shape will be inserted in the form of a new layer on the image.
Now, just like the previous method, you can select the transparency value of this layer or change its Blending Mode settings to make your copyright watermark look more natural.
Once we have placed our watermarks on the image, it is time to select their size and specify their exact location.
Select the size and location of the watermark using Photoshop
In this step of watermarking images in Photoshop, it’s time to sort out the watermark and the copyright mark. The size and location of these elements are very important. As we said at the beginning of this article, this is exactly what you need to do. Your goal is very important in this area.
The easiest way to move or resize layers in Photoshop is to use the Move Tool. You can also find this tool in the toolbar on the right side of the page (usually the first option from the top). You can see the shape of the Move Tool in the image below (a + that has an arrow in all 4 directions).
After selecting this tool, click on the watermark layer from the Layers section. You will notice that a circle is drawn around your watermark entries and there are squares at the corners and in the middle of each side. We use these areas to resize the layer. Click on any of them and you will notice that you can make the layer smaller or larger from the same area.
If you move the mouse outside the box and near one of its angles, you will notice that the shape of the mouse changes. If you click in this mode, you can rotate the shape and change its angle.
All of these explanations will be much easier if you practice them yourself because writing makes them seem complicated and difficult.
Add a watermark image using Photoshop
Using graphic and photo shapes to watermark images in Photoshop is also very simple. Next, we try to use a logo to watermark the photo.
We start by opening the photo as well as the logo in Photoshop. Select the watermark image (logo) using the Control + A keys. Copy the selected section. Use the control combination + C to copy or select Copy from the Edit menu at the top of the page.
Now select the original photo (which you want to watermark) and paste the copied watermark. Do this by pressing Control + V or via the Edit> Paste menu.
You will now see that the logo has been added to your photo. According to the previous steps of the tutorial, manipulate the transparency or Blending Mode of this new layer to make your watermark look more natural, beautiful, and beautiful. The choice between the two is not much different from each other. We recommend that you choose both options and see in which mode your photo becomes more natural and beautiful. In some cases, it may even be necessary to use a combination of Opacity and Blending Mode.
Create special effects on the watermark
Now that we have added our watermark in the form of text, copyright, or logo to the photo, it is time to make it a little more beautiful and add special effects and effects to it. For example, in the following, we want to teach you how to add a little shadow to the watermark layer.
We start by selecting the watermark layer. Now from the bottom of the same layer panel, find the ” fx ” option and click on it. You will see something like the image below.
In this menu, you will see the types of effects you can add to the layer. As we said, we are going to add some shadow to this layer. Therefore, select the Drop Shadow option. After selecting this option, a page will open for you where you can select the settings and the number of shadows. Any change you make to these values will have an effect on the image.
Now that we have added the shadow effect to the watermark, it’s time to save the image.
Save watermarked images in Photoshop
How to save watermarked images correctly is very important. You should note that you have at least 2 copies of the photo. Of course, you do not want your original photocopy to be watermarked either! On one version you can not delete the watermark, and on the other version, you can control whether the watermark is on or off. The first version is the same version that you publish in different places. The second version is called Master Copy because it is editable and allows you to create other watermarked images.
In this article, we have taught you how to create a layer for watermarking images. When we have separate layers for this, we will have more access to add effects or manipulate the watermark. To maintain this access and layer structure, you must save your Master Copy in PSD format. The PSD format is the same as the Photoshop format in which all the settings and layers are preserved and you can change the watermark whenever you want.
The second, editable version must be in JPEG format. In this format, all layers are merged and your photo will have only one non-editable layer. In other words, the watermark will be on the photo forever.
Watermark a new photo using the previous settings
Imagine creating your own watermark on a photo and you want to watermark another photo in the same way. There are many different ways to do this. But since this tutorial is completely beginner, we will teach you the easiest one.
To do this, open the new photo in a new window in Photoshop. Using the Move Tool, select the watermark layer that we prepared earlier. Now press (hold) the Alt key on the keyboard and drag the watermark layer by clicking the mouse (Drag) and dropping it on the new photo window. The Alt key must be taken throughout the drag and drop process. You will notice that this Watermark layer has been added to the new photo. If you have created more than one layer for the watermark, you can add other layers to the new photo in the same way.
Source: Lenscraft
