Placing a watermark on images that you plan to post on the Web will identify them as your own work and discourage people from copying them or claiming them as their own. Here's a simple way to add a watermark in PhotoImpact where the text remains editable. (Written for UPI version 8 but this should work in 6 or 7 too.)
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 2 minutes
Here's How:
- Open an image.
- Select the text tool and type the copyright symbol or any other text you want to use for a watermark. Works best with a fairly heavy typeface.
- In the text panel or the property bar, click the color swatch, and set the color to 50% gray. (Use HSB values 0-0-50 or RGB values 128-128-128; both will produce the same result).
- Set the text mode in the property bar to 3D Round. In the Text Panel, adjust the 3D properties as desired. (Note: You can perform steps 2 & 3 easily by clicking Dark Gray in the Material Attribute Gallery.)
- In the AccessPanel, display the Layer Manager.
- Select the text layer, and set the merge mode to Hard Light in the pull-down menu.
- Resize and position your text as desired.
Tips:
- If you'd like the watermark a little more visible, try a color value of 60% gray for the type (HSB value 0-0-60).
- You are not restricted to using only text for this effect. Try importing a logo or symbol to use as a watermark.
- The Windows keyboard shortcut for the copyright (©) symbol is Alt+0169 (use the numeric keypad to type the numbers).
- If you use watermarks often, save the effect to The EasyPalette Object Library. You can still customize the text after adding it from the EasyPalette.
