Creating A Watermark In Adobe Photoshop Elements - Part 2

Written by:  • Edited by: Rhonda Callow
Updated Sep 10, 2009

This is the continuation of the Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 tutorial on how to create a watermark.

Adding The 3-D Effect To Your Watermark

From the Effects panel select the Bevel option. Double click on Simple Inner (highlighted in red below) and the effect will be added to your text. Alternatively, you can drag and drop the Simple Inner Bevel onto your canvas. Now, click the “FX” within your layers palette to bring up the options menu. Set the size of the Bevel to 0 pixels (the default is usually 5 pixels) and then click OK. To make the watermark transparent, change the mode of your layer from “Normal” to “Hard Light” by clicking on the drop-down menu in your layers palette (shown in the photo below.) Once the watermark is finished to your liking, go to the File menu and choose save giving the watermark a title such as “Joe’s watermark” or just simply “watermark.”

Creating A Watermark Help

Simple Inner BevelHard Light

Adding Your Watermark To A Photo

Once you’ve created your watermark you can add it to your photo. Go to your File menu and choose “Open.” Choose a photo that you’d like to add the watermark to and open that file. Go back to your watermark document and click on the Move tool (the icon that looks like an arrow with a compass next to it). Drag your watermark to your photo in the Bin at the bottom of your screen. This will bring up your photo and allow you to drag and re-size your watermark. Once you’re happy with the placing, click the green checkmark.

Saving For The Web

To save your file, go to the File menu and click on “Save for web.” Give the photo a specified height and width (500 pixels or so is fine for the web) make sure the photo is set to JPEG high quality from the drop down menu shown in the photo below, and click OK. Give your file a name such as “flowers with watermark” or anything else describing the photo, and click Save.

Creating A Watermark Help

JPEG High Quality

Why Use A Watermark?

People use watermarks for many reasons. The most common reason is to stop thieves on the web from using your photograph and either marketing it as their own, or using it for monetary gain. With a watermark, people can still use your photo, but it will have a mark stating that it’s yours, rather than allowing them to claim it as their own work.

Watermarks can also be used to mark your photo as a “sample” on a webpage so that people know that is not the actual size, color, or photograph that they will be ordering. This is common when people have a lot of products they offer. It’s much easier to mark one photo as a sample than to watermark each photo of each product individually.

For more information on watermarks, what information you should include in your watermark and where within your image you should place your watermark, please read Visible Watermarks and Your Photos – The Benefits of Watermarking Your Images and What You Should Include


Comments

Showing all 25 comments
 
Jessica (Chasing Rainbows Photography) Jan 24, 2011 10:07 PM
Thank you!
I was halfway there with doing this. Not sure what key element i was missing, but I never could get it to work. My version of Photoshop is an older version but I was familiar enough with where everything is to pull this off. you're wonderful!
John Aug 29, 2010 1:27 AM
Watermark Tutuorial
Nice work on this!
I had created a psd watermark template and used it for a while now. I recently upgraded my box and when creating an image of my new system I inadvertantly wiped out some of my data losing my watermark template.
Again, thanks - great work on the tutorial.
Beverly Reed Aug 2, 2010 10:01 AM
Adding watermark to multiple photos
Thank you so very much for explaining how to create a watermark in PhotoShop Elements 6. I was able to follow your directions and create just what I needed.

MY QUESTION... Please, please, please tell me there is a way to add a watermark to MULTIPLE PHOTOS at once, rather than having to pull up each and every picture, then having to click and drag the watermark onto the pic in the project bin, then resize with handles, etc. This is too amazingly time-consuming when you have 500-600 pix taken at an event that you need to watermark!!!

Thanks very much for answering ASAP.
Beverly Jul 30, 2010 2:53 PM
How to add watermark to multiple photos?
Is there a way to add my PhotoShop Elements 6 watermark (thank you for helping me to create it!!!) to a GROUP of photos, rather than having to use the move tool and drag it and resiize it on each and every individual photo in the Project Bin?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER!
m shark Jul 6, 2010 2:12 AM
RE: Creating A Watermark In Adobe Photoshop Elements - Part 2
hello! I tried the instructions step by step for a couple of hours already but I still get the same results. The background square still shows up with the letters. I just want the letters to show up. I've erased the background countless times to no avail. Help needed. thanks!
Marcelino May 24, 2010 4:47 PM
Watermark
Can watermarks made using Photoshop Elements 6 be removed ?
Cajuntauno May 7, 2010 10:55 PM
Getting rid of the background
For those, like I, who are Photoshop novices, a key missing "step" in these instructions is getting rid of the unwanted background: just click on the background layer & drag & drop it into the Trash Can '-)
carolyn Apr 4, 2010 4:23 PM
Works great for me
I have PSE6 and this worked really well and took no time at all. As one other commenter said, when you want to use the watermark, you open the watermark file you saved, and just drag the watermark text you created onto your photo. Thanks for the instructions!
Erica Mar 1, 2010 8:20 AM
Wonderful
Thanks so much- this was the most helpful Watermark Tutorial that I've found!
Maegan Feb 9, 2010 10:12 PM
Watermark
I found this very helpful! As long as you follow the directions as stated, you should be good to go. Thank you for the article.
Dan Locurcio Jan 26, 2010 3:21 PM
How to save?
Is the trick to save the watermark as a .psd file so you can just drag the watermark layer onto a photo? Is there a way to save a watermark with a transparent background as a jpeg?
Susie Jan 19, 2010 10:01 AM
RE: Creating A Watermark In Adobe Photoshop Elements - Part 2
Big Holes....sorry disagree...I've tried several times with other internet instructions to apply a watermark to my photographs and drawn a blank.
These instructions even I could follow and i use an old version of PS elements.
Very clear and simple, thank you.
Maggie Jan 18, 2010 10:55 AM
having background troubles, still...
I did what the others recommended and erased the background, change opacity and all. I am still getting a box around my text when I add my watermark to my pictures. I just want the text only, what am I doing wrong? Everything else went perfectly!!
Heather Nov 19, 2009 11:32 PM
Watermark
If you want the background out, then just use the background eraser tool and then erase the background. Then you can save it. This tuturial was simple for me.
RossS Nov 1, 2009 1:54 PM
Watermarks
Thank-you for taking the time to teach me how to create a watermark and insert it into a picture. Your instructions are clear, concise, and easy to follow.
Two things additonal I did at the end of creating my watermark was to remove the background color and to set the opacity to 41%.
It's perfect! Exactly what I wanted. Thanks again.
xanadu324 Oct 1, 2009 6:47 AM
Re: Effects Panel
The effects panel is a tab located right under where it says "create, edit, share" if you look at the photo above titled "Creating a Watermark Help" The first picture will show the effects panel on the far right-hand side. Hope that helps!
Mike Dearden Oct 1, 2009 5:06 AM
Effects Panel?
In Watermarks part 2 you mention the "effects panel" in Elements 6. I can't find it anywhere in my el6???
Where is it located please as I am trying to watermark my pics before posting on the net.
Thank you
PHP Sep 29, 2009 12:59 AM
Watermarks
Wow, it worked perfectly for me on the first time, Thanks for the help, you just saved me alot of time.
Glenn Sep 22, 2009 2:02 PM
Adding watermarks
I can't add watermarks using PSE7. I've tried for a couple of hrs. to do what should take a couple of minutes, and it isn't happening.
xanadu324 Sep 10, 2009 2:49 PM
Article
I'm not sure what is going on. I've run through the article myself step-by-step and have a perfect and use-able watermark.
rich Sep 8, 2009 5:49 PM
Big Holes
There are some serious holes in these instructions. I agree, Ive spent 4 hours trying to do this and I have been using PSE6 for over a year. Very pooor article.
J Sep 3, 2009 8:08 AM
Watermarks
I have 300 photos from a friends wedding that I need to watermark and I cant even work out how to do one HELP
DJ Aug 30, 2009 4:10 PM
Watermarks
Well obviously several of us are having problems with these directions. I've spent hours on this and feel like such a dunce!
David Ames Aug 16, 2009 12:11 PM
Watermarks
I have the watermark created but how do I save it without the background. I can save this file to my website so it can automaticlly add it to my photos when they are uploaded, but the background is still there which covers my photo.
Larry Aug 9, 2009 7:10 PM
Watermarks
Interesting article - it showed me how to add a big black square to my photo. Are we talking about the same Photoshop here?? Why does the text completely disappear when you select another tool? And why does it just add a big black square when you drag it onto your photo?

Interesting...
 
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