How to add a watermark to your photos without ruining them

What a watermark does (and doesn't)

A watermark puts your name, handle or logo on a photo so people know where it came from. It discourages casual copying and keeps credit attached when the photo is shared without you.

It isn't a lock. A small mark in a corner can be cropped off, and determined people can remove marks with editing tools. Treat a watermark as a label and a deterrent, and keep your original, unmarked files for yourself.

Text or logo?

• Text is quickest: your name, shop name, website or social handle, or a note like "Sample" or "For rental listing only".
• A logo looks more finished. Use a PNG with a transparent background so only the logo shows, not a white box around it. If your logo has a background, Remove background can cut it out first.

One mark or repeated across the photo?

One mark in a corner is discreet and suits portfolios and social posts. A mark repeated across the whole photo is much harder to crop or paint out, which suits proofs sent to clients, product photos that get copied, and copies of ID documents you're asked to submit.

! When you send a copy of an ID or certificate, a repeated note such as "For [purpose] only, [date]" makes it far less useful to anyone who misuses it.

Settings that look good

• Opacity: 20 to 40% for a repeated mark, 50 to 80% for a single mark. Visible, but the photo stays the focus.
• Size: for a single mark, about 15 to 25% of the photo's width reads clearly on a phone without dominating.
• Color: white with a little transparency works on most photos; dark text on light, bright scenes.
• Position: keep a single mark out of the subject but not right at the edge, where a slight crop removes it.
• Check: look at the result on a phone screen at the size people will see it. A mark that looks right on a large monitor is often too small or too faint on a phone.

Watermark many photos at once with MoaMoa

1. Open Add a watermark and choose your photos, up to 50 at a time.
2. Choose Text and type it, or choose a logo image.
3. Choose One mark and pick a position (or drag it), or Repeat across the photo and set the spacing and angle.
4. Set size, opacity, color and rotation while watching the preview.
5. Save each photo, or save them all as a ZIP.

Position and size are set as a share of each photo, so a mark lands in the same place on a large camera photo and a small screenshot in the same batch. Photos keep their format (JPEG stays JPEG), location data is removed, and nothing is uploaded.