GET WATERMARKED
Q How do I add my name to an image in Lightroom, so it’s labelled when I share it on a website or in social media? Graham Olsten
Andrew says When you export an image from Lightroom, the Export dialog box, which enables you to choose where you are saving the image, its size and its format, also has a Watermarking option near the bottom. Tick it, then choose Edit Watermarks from its drop-down menu.
This opens the Watermark Editor, which gives you lots of control over what you put in your picture. Tick the Text box at the top, unless you intend to add a graphic such as a logo – in which case, tick Graphic. Type the name you want to use into the box beneath the image preview. For example, add a copyright symbol, your name and your website address. As you type, you’ll see the words appear on your photo in the preview.
On the right-hand side are various tools to control what the text style. First, decide where you want the text to sit with one of the Anchor points at the bottom of the controls to choose this. I usually sit mine in the bottom-left.
Using the fonts provided, choose something you like. Make it fairly plain so that it doesn’t distract from your image. I’ve chosen Myriad Pro in semi-bold and kept the lettering white in my example above, but it’s all there for you to play with. You can even fade the opacity if you like. It’s easy to fine-tune text positioning using the Horizontal and Vertical inset sliders.
Finally I tweak the Size of the font with Proportional ticked. I like it big enough to be obvious but not so big that it totally ruins the shot. I have seen a lot of people put the text huge and right through the image. I admit this will stop anyone trying to steal it, but if you are putting it on Facebook or Flickr for others to comment on, you have rather ruined their full appreciation of the image. Adding a watermark is a balancing act between protecting your image and sharing it with the people you want to see it.
Once you are happy with the watermark in the preview, you can click the Save button in the bottom-right. In the box that appears, give your watermark design a name so you can use the same style another time, then click Create. Now you can continue to export your image as normal and the watermark will appear on the photo.
Next time you export an image, simply make sure the Watermark box is ticked and the correct style is selected if you have created a series of different presets.