How to add a watermark to an image
Adding a watermark online takes less than a minute: drop your image in the tool above, type your text (for example © 2026 Your Name) or upload your logo, adjust size, opacity and position in the live preview, and click Add watermark. The watermarked image downloads in the same format — JPG, PNG or WebP — or in the format you choose. You can watermark many images at once and download them as a ZIP.
Prefer software you already use? We have step-by-step guides on how to add a watermark in Photoshop, Canva, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and more.
Why add a watermark to your images and PDFs?
A watermark is a visible mark — usually your name, brand or logo — placed over an image or document. It does two jobs at once: it discourages unauthorised reuse and it gives you credit whenever your work is shared. Photographers watermark previews before a client pays, designers watermark drafts, real-estate agents brand listing photos, and businesses stamp “DRAFT” or “CONFIDENTIAL” on PDFs before sending them out.
Text or logo: which watermark should you use?
A text watermark (for example © 2026 Jane Doe Photography) is quick to create and easy to read. A logo watermark looks more professional and reinforces your brand. For logos, use a PNG with a transparent background; if you only have a JPG on a white background, enable “Make white background transparent” and the tool will remove it for you.
Where should you place a watermark?
It depends on what you want to protect against:
- Corner (bottom-right) — subtle branding for portfolios and social media. Easy to crop, so best for credit rather than protection.
- Centre — a larger, semi-transparent mark over the subject makes the image unusable without your permission. Ideal for client proofs.
- Tiled / repeated — the strongest protection. The pattern covers the entire image or every PDF page, so it cannot be cropped out.
Our tool lets you position the watermark with presets, with a percentage (so it lands in the same relative spot on photos of different sizes and orientations), or with an exact pixel distance from any corner when you need pixel-perfect consistency.
What opacity is best for a watermark?
For portfolio images, 30–50% opacity keeps the watermark visible without distracting from the photo. For proofs and confidential documents, 50–70% makes removal much harder. Adding a thin outline or soft shadow keeps white text readable on bright areas.
How to create a watermark that looks professional
Keep it simple: your name or brand plus a © symbol in a clean font, or your logo as a transparent PNG. White with a soft shadow is readable on almost any photo. Want to reuse it elsewhere? Our watermark maker exports it as a transparent PNG.