Vener's Tutorials: How to watermark an image for on line posting

Open the master version of the photo you would like to post.

Duplicate (Image > Duplicate). Close the original.

Resize (Image > image Size) the duplicate to the size you want to post. 600 pixels on the longest dimension is

a reasonably safe size: It will be large enough for someone to see it but not so large that someone nefarious,

oblivious or unknowing can do too much with it beyond maybe reposting it in their blog. You don't have to change

resolution, just change the number of pixels in the longest dimension.

Select the Type Tool (T in the Photoshop tool bar). This makes a new layer over your background for the type.

Decide on the font and size you want the watermark to be. Start at 72 and if you want it to be larger or smaller

you can change that later.

If you are working on a Mac, make a copyright icon --the c in the circle - with the following two keys:

option/alt + g . For Windows/Vista users use Alt + 0169 as your key combination

Alternately you might use the copyright symbol in conjunction with you name or business name

Switch to the Move tool (the two crossed arrows) and move the watermark to where ever you want to place it.

To make the watermark transparent, in the type layer you created, change the opacity. In the sample attached, I

used Adobe Caslon Pro as the typeface, 72pt as the size, white as the color for the type and reduced opacity to

27%. The reason to reduce opacity is to let a viewer be able to look through the watermark but to make work for

others who want to use it without your express permission.

If you want to take the idea of watermarking one step further, repeat the steps above but this time use the

watermark to let people know where the photo came from. That way legitimate users have an easy way to find you.

Once you are satisfied, flatten the layers and save the watermarked version with a slightly different name than

the original. If you are going to post the photo on line I recommend you save it as a moderately compressed

(level 5-7 or 50-70%) JPEG.

Until human nature changes, short of simply not posting photos online, watermarking is the easiest way to

ensure your photo is not used in ways or places you would rather they not end up, or at least in ways that you

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