Protect your Image. Watermark It!

If you have an photograph that you are posting on the web, it is a good idea to watermark it, particularly if you think that people would like to use the image. There are several different ways to watermark an image (ie. a watermark brush).

This tutorial will walk you through the steps of creating a watermark.  I will be walking through how to do this watermark in Photoshop.  However, the principles can apply to other programs.

Step 1:  Open a new file in Photoshop.

Step 2:  Click on the text tool and type the text that you want on your picture.

Step 3:  With your the layer selected.  choose Window, Character from the top menu. Format to your font, and size preference.  Then make the text color white.

Step 4:  Right click on the Layer in the Layer Menu.  Choose Blinding Options.  Click and Choose Drop Shadow.  A drop shadow will appear on your text.  The drop shadow is very hard to edit out of a picture when someone is attempting to remove text.

Step 5:  Choose Bevel and Emboss from the same window.  The bevel makes the text itself really hard to remove because it creates a gradation of colors.  Choose the softness, depth and size that you want on the bevel.

Step 6:  Change the opacity in the Layer Menu so that it looks more transparent.

Step 7:  Save.  When you want to insert the watermark on a photograph, you can open the watermark and drag and drop the layer onto the photograph you would like to protect.

Now you have a protected image that you can share worry free of pirating.

Note: While this tutorial steps through the process in Photoshop, the same principles can be applied to other programs.  If your program of choice has effects such as drop shadow and bevel for text, apply them to your watermark text and you should have a secure watermark.


Corina is a former science teacher staying home to raise her two imaginative, active and wicked smart children.  Contrary to what the last line suggests, she is not from Boston or Canada.  She is a mom, photographer, teacher, outdoor enthusiast, sarcastic, and down to earth woman.  You can find her weaving her tall and small tales at Down to Earth Mama.