Want to watermark your photos and graphics?
Here you’ll learn how to create a watermark in Canva.
Or check out the Ultimate List of websites where you can watermark photos free!
Identify your work as your own, and protect your images from content theft, with a visual watermark.
Let’s go!
How to Watermark in Canva – Logo or Not!
If you’re a Canva user, you can easily create a transparent watermark to add to your images.
Import your photo to Canva and create it into the size you require. If you’re not sure how, learn how to crop an image in Canva.
Next, you’ll add a logo, text, or icon to it.
Have a logo? Use the Upload tab to add it to Canva. From there, simply drag it onto your photo or graphic.
No logo? Go to the Text tab and click “Add a subheading.” Type your name, business name, or website – however you’d like people to identify your work.
Then pick a Canva font you can commit to for the long haul. You’ll want to be consistent across all your images.
If you have a Pro account, you can upload your own fonts to Canva.
Alternatively, you can go to the Elements tab and search for something like “camera icon.”
Without added text though, an icon won’t truly identify your work as yours. It’s a bit generic.
Once you’ve added whatever you want to be the watermark, you can use the transparency setting to make it less obvious.
In this example, we used the quill and books icon. We’ve showed it at full opacity above, as well as at 50% in the image below.
Adjust your watermark until you’re happy with how it looks, then download your photo for use.
You can also move the watermark as needed if it works better in different places in different photos.
Plus if you use a logo or icon that can have colors changed, you can alter this so the watermark shows up on different backgrounds.
Adjust the opacity. On a dark image, you may prefer it more transparent. On a light background, you may need it 100% white, or change it to a transparent black.
Your favorite design tool or app to add text to photos will work to add a watermark as well.
Why Watermark Your Photos?
Before we dive into free watermarking options, let’s think about why you should add a watermark to images.
The process of watermarking is a bit like an artist signing a painting, but for the digital age.
Watermarks help photographers, graphic designers, bloggers, and other online creators, to make sure their work is credited to them properly.
The easiest way to do this is to ‘sign’ your digital art with a watermark.
While content thieves abound and we can’t completely stop them, watermarking is a deterrent, since it stakes your claim on your creations.
In short, watermarks help protect your images from content theft.
Is There a Case Against Watermarking?
In recent times, there’s been a bit of a move against watermarking.
Not so much for photographers or digital artists, but for others who take photos and use them in their business.
The main reason for this is social media marketing.
Sure, watermarked images do work on social media. But if the watermark obscures the photo or impacts it by being too obvious, people might not engage with the image as enthusiastically.
The answer? Keep it subtle and simple.
I recommend you add basic branding, such as your website name, when you create Pinterest Pins. Or add a faded logo in the corner of an Instagram post.
Test to see what works for your eye and your audience.
How to Watermark Photos FREE!
Here are 10 sites to choose from!
Each listing first specifies whether you’ll watermark online or download software, then you’ll see the website address.
Whether you’d like to download free watermark software to your computer, or prefer to watermark online, you’re covered here.
Each site works a bit differently, so check out a couple. Click on each heading to visit the site.
If you try any, please give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down!
You can vote for your favorites right on the list! And Save this post to Pinterest so you can refer back for more options.
Easy Watermark Options
These free tools offer easy ways to watermark your designs and photos.
Plus you can use a graphic design tool like Canva to easily create a custom watermark or add unobtrusive branding.
That way people know an image is yours – but you still get the full benefits of using it online.
Share with your friends and followers so they can learn how to watermark photos free.
