Do you want to add a watermark to your photo and with an easy solution? Then this blog is for you. In this blog, I will be using free software called “darktable“.
What is watermark?
To identify the author of an image and assert ownership, you can add a watermark to it in the form of a design, mark, logo, or text.
Why is it important?
By adding a watermark to your photos, you can claim ownership of the images and prevent their unapproved use.
As photographs can be altered in a number of ways, it should be made clear that putting a watermark would not stop someone from using your contents inappropriately. Nevertheless, it is recommended to do so to protect your valuable pictures.
Also, placing a watermark in the earlier stage will make it easier to oversee the content of your managed images than realize it after many of your images have already been published without your attribution.
What is darktable?
On Windows, Mac, and Linux, we can run the free and open-source photographic programme and raw developer known as darktable. We can quickly add watermarks to your photographs with this software.
How to add watermarks
I’ll be using a logo as a watermark in the process below, but if you only want a text-based watermark and don’t have a logo prepared, you may select that option from the marker drop-down box by selecting “simple-text” (you will see this drop-down option in Step 7).
Steps 2 to 3 can be skipped because adding a logo to the folder is not necessary.
Please read Steps 4 through 7 and select “simple-text” as your marker. Then, in the text column beneath watermark, input the word you wish to use as your watermark.
- Step1Download & install free software – darktable
Please visit (https://www.darktable.org) and install the software called darktable from the menu available on the top of the page.
- Step2Access to darktable file under .config
We need to gain access to the .config file, which is hidden by default, and make a new folder inside darktable folder so that we can save our icon to be used as a watermark.
Linux – GNOME
1. Go to your home directory
2. Right-click in the directory
3. Click “Show Hidden Files”
Click to View
Windows
1. Go to Control Panel
2. Open File Explorer Options
3. Click the tab where it says “View”
4. Check “Show hidden files, folders, and drivers” under Hidden files and folders
Click to View
Mac
Press 3 keys together [Command + Shift + Dot (.)]
*To hide hidden files again, you just need to press the same 3 keys again. - Step3Make a folder called “watermarks”
Once you gain access to your .config file, you will need to look for a folder named “darktable” inside the .config file.
Double click “darktable” and make a new folder called “watermarks”. This folder needs to be spelled as exactly as is, with all the text in lowercase letters.
Click to View - Step4Save your logo inside the watermarks folder
It’s crucial to remember to format your logo as SVG and save it before adding it to the folder. If necessary, you can have your logo converted to SVG using one of the many free online conversion services that are offered on the Internet. Save your logo in the “watermarks” folder after converting it to SVG.
Click to View - Step5Open your photos in darktable
This image will appear in the upper-left corner of your screen when you first launch the software. You can then import images by choosing an image, or folder, or even just dragging them to the screen.
Click to View - Step6Select an image and move to darkroom
We will be in the lighttable when you launch the software for the first time. Choose an image and then choose “darkroom” to apply a watermark on it. You only need to double-click your photo if you don’t even see the lighttable/darkroom option on your screen.
- lighttable: Manage images and collections. Once you’ve added a watermark, you’ll need to return to this lighttable to save your photographs.
- darkroom: Develop a single image. This is where you add your watermark to your images.
Click to View - Step7Search “watermark”
A “search module” box can be found on the right side of the screen.
Type “watermark” into the box. The option for a watermark as shown in the below image will display once you start typing “watermark” in the search module box, and you can then begin adding a watermark.
Click to View - Step8Choose saved marker (your logo)
Your saved logo will show up in the drop-down list once you save it to the watermarks folder. As I gave my logo the name SacchannLogo, it is listed under the marker as SacchannLogo in my case. As was already mentioned, you must select “simple-text” if you plan to use a text-based watermark rather than a logo.
Click to View - Step9Adjust properties and position
Your chosen logo or text-based watermark will be applied to your image after Step 8. Positions and properties can be changed to your preference.
Click to View - Step10Choose the target storage in lighttable
When you are satisfied with your watermark’s alterations, select the top option to change your screen to lighttable. To choose where to save your photographs, click the disc icon after selecting the target storage as a file on disc.
Click to View - Step11Click export and done!
Once target storage is chosen, select the image you just added watermark. Choose the appropriate format (PNG, JPEG, etc.), then click Export.
Click to View Open the folder where you saved your images. Your watermarked images are saved and available for use.
Apply watermarks to multiple photos all at once
Most likely, you wish to save time by applying watermarks to several photographs at once rather than one at a time. If so, kindly carry out the following:
- Go to lighttable. Click the photo you just added a watermark.
- Click copy under history stack and keep the check on only with watermark (uncheck other options), and click ok.
- Select images you want to apply the same watermark then click paste under history stack. Again, only keep the checkbox on with a watermark.
Once performed above, selected photographs will have the same watermark added.
By accessing the darkroom, you can see how the watermark was placed to those pictures.
Please go to the darkroom and make the necessary adjustments to the applied watermark there if you want to change the watermark’s attributes, position, etc.
My final thought
While this software includes many features to modify photographs, you could be a bit puzzled in the beginning but it is quite easy to use after we understand how to play with it by simply focusing on the feature of adding a watermark. All we need to know is how to save photographs, change the watermark, and upload logos. I love using this software, and I have been using it frequently to add watermarks to my images. We can quickly add watermarks to numerous photographs at once, and it is quite simple to use!
Update (Mar 25, 2023)
Do you need a simpler solution to watermark images? Then there is a quicker method of using a browser extension rather than installing the software.
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