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If you have ever purchased stock photography or been on a website where they don’t want you to steal their pictures, you have seen photo watermarks. These are very easy to create and you can use your new watermark to protect your own photos as well when posting them on the web.
Begin by opening the photo that you want to protect with a watermark. Select the Type Tool in the toolbox and type your text across the photo. In the Text Options Bar or in the Character Palette, you can choose a different font and size. You don’t have to worry about text color just yet. Your new text layer will be placed in the Layers palette.
Next, you will select the text layer in the Layers palette and set the Fill opacity to 0%. Now it will appear as though the text has disappeared. With the layer still selected, you will want to select Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss. Set the following options:

• Style = Outer Bevel

• Depth = 100%

• Direction = Up

• Size = 4px

• Soften = 0px

• Angle = 120

• Altitude = 45

• Highlight Opacity = 60%

• Shadow Opacity = 50%

Once you have done this, click OK and you’re done! If you don’t like the way it appears, you can play around with the different bevels and emboss options. The text should appear as a watermark that allows people to see your photo, but clearly has your name or website printed across the front. By printing it across the front, you make it harder for people to change and crop out. If you put it near the bottom, the watermark can easily be cropped out and they can still use your photo. Typing across the middle of the photo helps to keep our name prominent and makes it harder for them to steal your photos and use them.

You can also use Photoshop to apply copyright information to your photos. To do this you will simply go to File > File Info. In the dialog box you have several options to choose from. To add copyright information select “Copyright & URL” from the drop down box. Check “Mark as Copyrighted.” Type your name or business in the Copyright Notice box as well as the year. You can also enter an image URL and information about the photo in the box below the URL. This allows you a place to add keywords, which will make your image searchable through the search engines. Finally, click OK and you will see a copyright © sign show up next to the Photoshop icon on your photo. Watermarks and copyright information are a great way to ensure that nobody uses your photos and that you have the appropriate information attached to the file as well.

About the author: Valerie Mellma is a freelance writer and the owner of Words You Want.