This is a really simple tutorial and well worth the small effort required, because you’ll have something to put on your photographs/artworks without making it look too ugly while making sure you get enough credit in case your work is copied or used.
How to make a simple watermark in GIMP
1.
- Firstly open up GIMP with a blank transparent page (1600 x 1200, 300dpi)
- Now Select the Text Tool, type in your name, or initials if too long
- Use any font you like, I used ‘Vladimir Script’
2.
- Use another text box and copy in the copyright symbol: © (copy it, Ctrl C -> Ctrl V)
- Again, use any font you like, I used ‘Vladimir Script’
3.
- Use another text box and type in your website or whatever URL you have (Flickr, DeviantArt, etc)
- Use any font you like, I used ‘Tw Cen MT‘
4.
- You can add a line in between the text:
- Add a new Layer
- Just grab the Brush Tool, with the settings shown below:
- Use Shift and Ctrl to get the line straight
5.
- Merge all layers go, ‘Right Click’ on layer –> Merge Visible Layers
- Now go, Image –> Autocrop Image
- Then, File –> Save As
- Name it ‘My-Watermark.gbr‘, the .gbr means it will be a brush (you can easily add it to images in one click)
- You may need to scale it down or the file size might be too large!
- Spacing: 25
- Description: Your Brush name – so you can find it in your toolbar!
1. The file(.gbr) must be put into your GIMP folder (!may not be the same!): GIMP–>2.0–>brushes (C:\Program Files\gimp\2.0\brushes). 2. Refresh Brushes window, otherwise it should be there on start-up. 6.
- This is what it looks like:
- Add a new layer so you can adjust opacity
- The watermark might need to be scaled
- With 25% Opacity to blend better
That’s it! You can download the .XCF file here: My-Watermark.zip If you’d like to use these photographs please Contact Me! 
. Please comment below if you have any questions and I’ll answer them ASAP! All images on this site are copyrighted© – All Rights Reserved.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by domaci-tutoriali.com. domaci-tutoriali.com said: How to make a simple watermark in GIMP http://www.scottphotographics.com/how-to-make-a-simple-watermark-in-gimp/ [...]
…How did you add the picture in? Sorry I’m new at Gimp >_<
I got everything else but the last part if you can explain it step by step that would be great!
~Bre
Hi Bre,
for the last part I have opened up a photo(.jpg file)in GIMP. (File –> Open (Ctrl + O) or Open as Layers)
Then I have added a New Layer(transparency) at ~25% Opacity.
And then used the Brush Tool (with your watermark-check settings) and placed it in the corner on top of my photo layer!
(Click the screen-shot to view it larger)
If you have any other questions just comment/reply
thank you so much!! this was SO much simpler than anything else i have found online!! took me all of 5 minutes! thanks again!
Thanks! ^_^ It worked
I am having a little problem getting my brush file to actually become a brush, how exactly do I get it to become one?
Hi,
You need to save your watermark file as a .gbr file.
Then you must save it in your ‘brushes’ folder in your GIMP folder:
C:\Program Files\GIMP-2.0\share\gimp\2.0\brushes (could be different)
Then reboot GIMP and your brush will be there!
(If it isn’t: recheck, or reduce the file size (most brushes are no more than ~100kb))
I hope this helped, if you need any more clarification just comment below
Excellent site
Really good post. Good to know for anyone who’s into Twitter, old or new.
hi Michael…thanks for your post, and if you could help me, how do I resize my bgr file, it has 726K …?
And how do I move it or place it exactly were i want… i couldn´t find how to move layers
thanks once again and keep on the good work
To resize the .gbr file you need to open up the original in GIMP and then go, Image –> Scale Image, and reduce the size (mine is around ~200 pixels wide – for photos 1200 pixels wide) of your watermark (preferable good resolution to fit nicely in the corner of your photo).
That should reduce the size of your .gbr file and should work well as a brush.
To move your layers around – on the sidebar, press M , or click the Move Tool (Click – Move the active Layer, moves the layer you click on)
Just comment below if you need any other help or email me!
Thanks,
Michael
Hi Micheal
Thank you for being so fast helping us……
in fact i really need more help because i´m really newby..but first i will try to do it myself…
i´m facing some minor dificulties but it´s ok for now
Nice one, great tip. One thing I don’t get (yet): why use separate layers and then merge them?
Thanks!
Hi Mark,
The reason for using separate layers is so you can go back and change/move only one layer, without disturbing the other layer and gives you the room to experiment while keeping that layer isolated from other layers.
If you need any other help just comment/reply or email
Thanks,
Michael
How do you open a transparent layer?
Hi Amanda,
I’m guessing, you would like to open an image in an existing document in GIMP? To do that you need to go, File –> Open as Layers (Ctrl + Alt + O). If you want to create a transparent layer (Shift + Ctrl + N) you select the Layer Fill Type to TRANSPARENT, and if you’d like to open a new document in GIMP that is transparent (Ctrl + N) then you click on Advanced Options and select Fill Type to TRANSPARENT.
If you need any other help just comment/reply or email
Thanks,
Michael
Thanks Michael I am very to new to Gimp and photo Editing! LOve this tutorial!
Thanks for the post Michael! For some reason the saved image is not showing up in the brushes list when I open Gimp. I tried manually placing the brush file in the brushes folder, resizing the file to 170 pixels wide(20 kb), rebooted gimp, rebooted computer but no use. I don’t know where the problem is.
Never mind Michael! I found it with a different name than the one I saved with.
Ah yeah, I sometimes do that
Hi!
I created and saved the watermark and I reduced the size, but I still don’t know where to find it. Where is my brush tool? All I find is the paintbrush, but I believe that’s not it, lol. I have GIMP 2.6 if that matters…
Thanks
Hi Manuela,
The Paint Brush/Brush Tool is the right one, check if you placed your brush in the right folder:
C:\Program Files\GIMP-2.0\share\gimp\2.0\brushes (could be different)
Make sure it is a .gbr, refresh your brushes toolbar and look at each brush carefully – it may not look right in the brushes toolbar (look at the names).
Try a restart of GIMP if those don’t work.
Reply back or email me if its not working.
Thanks,
Michael
Manuela I guess you have the same problem as mine. I saved my brush as “PK-WM.gbr” in the brushes folder but I couldn’t find it in the brushes toolbar but later I realized its showing up as “Gump Brush #1″ in the list even though its still with PK-WM in the brushes folder. So checkout all the brushes you have in the toolbar, you may find with a different name.
oops, meant “Gimp Brush #1?
Hi Everyone,
When you save the Brush it gives you the option of Spacing and Description – The description is the name of the brush (in toolbar) so if you don’t change the default name it will be ‘Gimp Brush #1′!
Thanks,
Michael
[...] your audience yet ugly enough to stop takers. If you are using GIMP checkout the tutorial here: scottphotographics.com/how-to-make-a-simple-watermark-in-gimp! How to make a basic watermark in [...]
Hello Michael , i
just wanted to say a quick THANK YOU for this easy tutorial ! I have tried numerous times to master the art of watermarking my photos but always failed until i came across your site ! After some fiddling around with i managed to figure it ! YAY
I think your tutorials are all great and very easy to understand ! I love the “Lomo Effect” one and this one and the “Grungy Photo” one !! Very nice !
So , a big THANK YOU to you for your great work !!!!
Mandy
Hi Mandy,
Thanks for the kind feedback:)
Cheers,
Mike