How to Add a Watermark to a Photo

By Daniel · Updated July 2026

A watermark is a name, logo or line of text laid over a photo so that copies can be traced back to you and are less useful to anyone who takes them without asking. It is the simplest deterrent for images you share publicly.

How to add one

  1. Open the photo watermark tool and drop in your image.
  2. Type your text (or add a logo), and set its size, position and opacity.
  3. Download the watermarked photo.

Make the watermark actually work

A tiny mark tucked in a corner is trivial to crop off. If the point is protection, a watermark that sits across the middle of the image, at a moderate opacity so the photo still reads underneath, is much harder to remove cleanly. There is always a trade-off between how protected the image is and how much the mark distracts — tune the opacity until it feels right for where you are posting.

Keep an unmarked original

Always keep the original, unwatermarked file safely. Watermarking creates a new copy; you never want the marked version to be the only one you have, in case you later need a clean image for printing or licensing.

The photo is watermarked entirely in your browser, so it is never uploaded to a server — which matters for images you have not published yet.

Add Watermark to Photo
Add a text or image watermark to your photo, then download it. Everything happens in your browser.
Open the tool →

Common questions

How do I add a watermark to a photo?

Drop your image into the tool, add your text or logo, set the position and opacity, and download the result. Nothing is uploaded.

Where should I place the watermark?

For real protection, across the middle at a moderate opacity, so it cannot simply be cropped off while the photo underneath is still visible.

Will it ruin my original photo?

No. It creates a new, watermarked copy and leaves your original file untouched — keep that original safe.

Is my photo uploaded anywhere?

No. The watermark is applied in your browser, so the image stays on your device.

Keep reading

How to Add a Watermark to a PDF · How to Reduce Image File Size (Without It Looking Bad)