Make the watermark your own
Start with a photo, then choose Text or Image or logo. For a logo with a clear background, use a transparent PNG or WebP. The logo keeps its proportions when you resize it.
- Move a single mark by dragging its outline, tapping the preview, or choosing Custom and entering horizontal and vertical positions. Arrow keys make fine adjustments; Shift makes larger moves.
- Text offers six font styles, five thickness choices, italic, colour and a soft shadow. Both text and logos support opacity, size and rotation.
- Tiled mode repeats either text or a logo across the image. Adjust the spacing and rotation to get the coverage you want.
- PNG preserves transparency; JPG and WebP offer adjustable quality. The download keeps the original dimensions unless you select a smaller output size.
Why watermark at all
A watermark does two jobs. It deters casual theft — most people won't bother reposting an image with someone else's name across it — and it advertises you, because when your watermarked image does get shared, your handle travels with it. For photographers, artists, designers and creators, it's the simplest form of self-promotion and protection combined.
It isn't foolproof: a determined thief can crop or edit a mark out. That's why placement matters — a small watermark in a corner is easily cropped, while a subtle tiled watermark across the whole image is far harder to remove without ruining the picture.
Getting the balance right
A good watermark protects without wrecking the image:
- Opacity is the key dial. Around 40–60% is usually enough to be visible without dominating the photo. Fully opaque text ruins the image; too faint and it's pointless.
- For maximum protection on work you really want to guard, use the tiled mode — a repeating mark across the whole image can't be cropped out.
- For subtle branding, a single mark in a lower corner at low opacity keeps the focus on the image while still tagging it.
- Match the colour to the photo — white on a dark image, dark on a light one — so the mark stays legible everywhere it sits.
Private by design
There's an irony in uploading a photo you want to protect to an unknown watermarking server. This tool avoids it entirely: the watermark is drawn in your browser, and the image never leaves your device. Load the page, disconnect from the internet, and it still works.
Batch tip: watermark your key images before you ever post them, and keep the originals safe. Once an unwatermarked image is public, you can't put that back — the protection has to go on before it goes out.
Frequently asked questions
›How do I add a watermark to a photo for free?
Choose your photo, add text or upload your logo, and place the watermark in the preview. Adjust its font, thickness, size, opacity and rotation, or choose a tiled pattern. Download a PNG, JPG or WebP. Processing happens on your device; nothing is uploaded.
›Can I place a watermark anywhere on the photo?
Yes. Drag its outline or tap the preview to place a single watermark. Custom placement also has horizontal and vertical controls, and arrow keys let you make small moves. The whole watermark stays inside the photo, including when rotated.
›Can I use my logo instead of text?
Yes. Choose Image or logo and select a file from your device. A transparent PNG or WebP is useful for logos without a rectangular background. JPG logos work too, but retain their existing background. Logos support single placement, tiling, size, opacity and rotation.
›Will the download reduce my photo's resolution?
Original photo size is the default and preserves the image dimensions. You can choose a 4,096px or 2,048px long-edge limit for smaller files. PNG is lossless; JPG and WebP use your chosen quality. Extremely large exports can exceed a device's browser limits; a smaller output size can help.
›What opacity should a watermark be?
Around 40–60% is the sweet spot — visible enough to deter theft and advertise you, but not so heavy it ruins the image. Fully opaque text overwhelms the photo; too faint and it's easy to ignore or remove.
›How do I stop people cropping out my watermark?
Use the tiled mode, which repeats your mark across the entire image — it can't be cropped away without destroying the picture. A single corner mark, by contrast, is easy to crop off, so use tiling for work you really want to protect.
›Is my photo uploaded to a server?
No. The watermark is applied entirely in your browser, so your photo never leaves your device — which matters especially for work you're trying to protect. You can verify by disconnecting from the internet after the page loads.
›Does a watermark fully prevent image theft?
No tool can — a determined person can crop or edit a mark out. But a watermark deters casual reposting and ensures your handle travels with the image when it's shared. Tiled, low-opacity marks are the hardest to remove cleanly.