Watermarking your photos using Photoshop (brush method)

[ricktas]

It often gets raised on AP. "How do I add a custom watermark to my photos"

Well here is a tutorial to show you the way.

1. Open Photoshop
2. Create a NEW blank document (File>New). You will need to set it a few hundred pixels wide by a couple of hundred high (minimum)

3. Using the Text tool, find a font and size that is suitable, then type out what you want your watermark/signature to say, using black as the font colour.

4. You can 'funky' it up by using a different font for the first letters, change font size, bold, underline etc. Add some lines under it, draw a box around it. Really it is up to you.

5. Now to turn your text into a brush so you can use it as a watermark. Using the selection tool draw a selection around your text.

6. Click on EDIT > Define Brush Preset.
7. Give your new brush a name and click OK

You now have your watermark set as a brush so using it is as easy as

1. Open you photo in Photoshop
2. Click on the brush tool
3. Select your watermark brush from the brush selection menu (it is usually right down the bottom of the selections)
4. Set the size opacity and flow
5. Resize your watermark using the [ key to decrease, or the ] key to increase its size.
6. Locate where you want your watermark to appear on your photo and click your left mouse button.

Examples:

Notes:
Don't try and make your watermark to complex, it will just look odd when stamped on a photo.
You can change the colour of your watermark by selecting a different colour just before you select your watermark brush
You can use the eye-dropper to select a colour that exists in your photo, so that your watermark is in that colour

[mongo]

thanks Rick. Mongo tried this by using a downloaded "action" recently. Worked fine but noticed it changed the contrast of the original photo when applied so Mongo immediately stopped using it.

Your tutorial has come just at the right time.

[ricktas]

You can also do a 'hand-written' one. Sign your name or what ever you want as your watermark onto a clean piece of A4 white paper. Scan it, open in photoshop and then use the selection method at step 5, and continue on from there.

[pgbphotographytas]

This is something I have wanted to do for ages, thanks for the guide Rick

Paul

[Avalon]

Thanks for that great tutorial Rick, I'll give that a go.
Until now I've been using the "Add Text" function in Picasa, as I'm one of those people who is Photoshop Challenged.

[matilda]

this is a brilliant tutorial. I have already made 3 water marks out of it

thanks again.

[mcdesign]

Good tutorial Rick, thankyou.

[Nicalum]

Just on time, thanks!

[Nic076]

Thanks Rick - been meaning to do this for some time, now there is no excuse.

[mongo]

Great tut. Rick but unfortunately for Mongo, he can not get this method to work after trying many times. MOngo uses CS3. He thinks the it all goes wrong at the stage where the text is supposed to be recognised. for some reason it will not do that and only recognises the black colour of the text but not the text. It also fails to establish a new watermark brush in the new brushes. So Mongo has given up on getting this to work.

[ricktas]

Great tut. Rick but unfortunately for Mongo, he can not get this method to work after trying many times. MOngo uses CS3. He thinks the it all goes wrong at the stage where the text is supposed to be recognised. for some reason it will not do that and only recognises the black colour of the text but not the text. It also fails to establish a new watermark brush in the new brushes. So Mongo has given up on getting this to work.

You are using the Selection tool, not the crop tool to select your text? If you are inadvertently using the crop tool, it will not work

[mikew09]

Works pretty much the same in PS Elements 7 - thanks again Rick

[Jasmar]

Thankyou so much Rick. I have always wanted to do this. The tutorial is so easy. Fantastic.

[Clubmanmc]

hmmmm

i use an action and use the "place" command in PS3 / 4 to put my water mark on the photo in the top left hand corner, and i have now given it 85% opacity so its not as powerful

i do like this idea though if you were doing a few pics only... and wanted to place it in different spots...

M

[Amy R]

Thanks Rick, I'm going to give this a go right now!

[Amy R]

And the results were great!! So easy to follow your instructions.
Thanks again

[Ruthie72]

your tutorial was exactly what I have been looking for ... so easy, simple and amazingly effective.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge ... sincerely appreciated.

Kind regards
Ruth

[Captured Exposure]

Good stuff, I have always wanted an easy way to do it...thanks

[melmo78]

Rick i think im in love with you now, thanks heaps for this, have been looking everywhere on the net for easy to follow instructions

[nudge2325]

Thanks Rick. awesome tutorial