Identity Graphics in Photoshop - How to Watermark Images

Let's just face a simple fact from the start: If your images are on the Internet, they can be stolen. It's really that simple. There's the group of people who are sincerely copyright-dumb enough to not understand that the second you create an image it's technically yours (and copyright to you!). There's also the group who just don't care. These are probably the most frustrating of all, because they know that the image they're stealing is a protected piece that took a lot of time to create - but it doesn't matter to them.

There's only one surefire way of making sure that your images can't be stolen. You watermark them.

Now, before you panic, let me say this - it only takes a couple of steps to create and use a watermark. What do you need? Don't fall for all the fancy software that people try to sell you. You don't need it. All that you need to have is Photoshop ... that's it.

The basic steps can be performed in any graphic program that can handle layers, but the shortcuts like creating a pattern or brush aren't available in other programs. So, I've split this into two pieces. First, creating an identity graphic and/or a watermark pattern. The second piece is how you turn that watermark into a pattern or brush that you can use with the click of a button.

One: How to Make a Watermark

Watermarks, just for the sake of explanation, are those lines of text that are barely visible over an image. These lines make it virtually impossible for an image thief to steal your image and claim it as their own work - your fingerprints are literally all over it.

There are two types of watermark. The first is the most simple, nothing more than a slanted line of text that repeats over the image. The second is more of a brand, which can be used to "sign" your graphics. We'll do both, starting with the text.

One - Type Your Text: Super easy. Open a new canvas (File, New) sized about 300 x 300 pixels and type your words in black. The words could be "Sample", "Low Quality", or your name. Just make sure it's in a clean, easy-to-read font. There should be plenty of room for you to angle the font in the next step. Reference Illustration 01.