The Importance of Watermarking and a Tutorial

You may have noticed over the past couple of weeks that my photos have began to include "The O.C.D. Life" on them.

The reason is because I am trying to avoid others copying my photos and using them as their own. Let me start by saying that I haven't had anyone actually do this, but I am trying to get in the habit of watermarking my photos just in case. With the popularity of Websites like Pinterest, anyone and everyone can get ahold of your photos and act like they created them. I don't know about you, but I really do not want anyone
receiving money (yes, that can happen) or attention based on something that was originally mine.

Now, I want to show you how I watermark my photos. I use Adobe Photoshop CS5.

Step 1: Open the program.

Step 2: Open the photo.

(File, Open)

I chose a photo that I had not watermarked yet.

Step 3: Click on the Text Tool.

(The one that has the "T" on the tools panel on the left)

I always use the Horizontal Text Tool. You will know you have the correct

tool because your mouse will be shaped like a crosshair.

Step 4: Click where you want your text to start & choose text color.

(You can always change the location if it isn't exactly correct)

I always choose white for darker backgrounds & black for lighter backgrounds.

Step 5: Type text, reposition it, & resize as needed.

Step 6: Saving.

(File, Save As)

When saving, I always save 2 copies: one as a psd (photoshop) file 

and one as a jpeg file. 

The after



I hope this information and tutorial has helped you with watermarking your photos. If you have never thought about taking the extra time to watermark your photos, I hope this has helped you rethink that decision. : )

Happy Creating,