Follow these steps to make your own custom watermark. These screen shots are from PS CS2. If you have PS Elements, the steps are identical, though the screens look a bit different. The instructions are also the same for PC or Mac users. If you'd like further help or assistance, come and join in the discussions at Digital Grin's <a href="http://www.dgrin.com/forumdisplay.php?f=10" target= "_blank">Finishing School Forum</a>. Don't have time or energy to make you own? Try one of our <a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/gallery/1690793" target="_blank">Sample Watermarks</a>. http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/Picture-1/83013610_NttXS-Ti-2.jpg http://dgrin.smugmug.com/gallery/1690196_BUjqV/ 2006-07-21T00:15:54Z Copyright 2009, the copyright holder of each photograph. Some portions copyright SmugMug. All rights reserved. SmugMug <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a><br />OK, Step 1 is to make a new transparent document, so go to the top menu bar and select File>New and choose your dimensions. Experiment, any size is really OK. Here I chose 1600 pixels wide ...</p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83013610_NttXS" title="OK, Step 1 is to make a new transparent document, so go to the top menu bar and select File>New and choose your dimensions. Experiment, any size is really OK. Here I chose 1600 pixels wide ..."><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/Picture-1/83013610_NttXS-Th-2.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="OK, Step 1 is to make a new transparent document, so go to the top menu bar and select File>New and choose your dimensions. Experiment, any size is really OK. Here I chose 1600 pixels wide ..." title="OK, Step 1 is to make a new transparent document, so go to the top menu bar and select File>New and choose your dimensions. Experiment, any size is really OK. Here I chose 1600 pixels wide ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:41:56Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/Picture-1/83013610_NttXS-Th-2.jpg <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a><br />On your screen you now have a blank canvas.</p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83013612_XyTvK" title="On your screen you now have a blank canvas."><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-002/83013612_XyTvK-Th-2.jpg" width="150" height="56" alt="On your screen you now have a blank canvas." title="On your screen you now have a blank canvas." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:41:57Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-002/83013612_XyTvK-Th-2.jpg <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a><br />Choose the Type tool from your tools menu.</p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83013616_ZYBgm" title="Choose the Type tool from your tools menu."><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-003/83013616_ZYBgm-Th-1.jpg" width="20" height="150" alt="Choose the Type tool from your tools menu." title="Choose the Type tool from your tools menu." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:41:58Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-003/83013616_ZYBgm-Th-1.jpg <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a><br />Open your type tool's menu so you can select the font, font size, font color, and other properties. Here's where you get to make it personal! Again, you'll want to experiment with differen ...</p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83013620_3z2M2" title="Open your type tool's menu so you can select the font, font size, font color, and other properties. Here's where you get to make it personal! Again, you'll want to experiment with differen ..."><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-004/83013620_3z2M2-Th.jpg" width="145" height="150" alt="Open your type tool's menu so you can select the font, font size, font color, and other properties. Here's where you get to make it personal! Again, you'll want to experiment with differen ..." title="Open your type tool's menu so you can select the font, font size, font color, and other properties. Here's where you get to make it personal! Again, you'll want to experiment with differen ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:41:59Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-004/83013620_3z2M2-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a><br />Now, take your cursor which is now the type tool and click in your canvas, on the left-hand part of the canvas. Begin typing the text of your watermark. Again, experiment, it can be anyt ...</p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83013624_RCdgy" title="Now, take your cursor which is now the type tool and click in your canvas, on the left-hand part of the canvas. Begin typing the text of your watermark. Again, experiment, it can be anyt ..."><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-005/83013624_RCdgy-Th.jpg" width="150" height="28" alt="Now, take your cursor which is now the type tool and click in your canvas, on the left-hand part of the canvas. Begin typing the text of your watermark. Again, experiment, it can be anyt ..." title="Now, take your cursor which is now the type tool and click in your canvas, on the left-hand part of the canvas. Begin typing the text of your watermark. Again, experiment, it can be anyt ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:42:00Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-005/83013624_RCdgy-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a><br />Next step: Opacity. How prominent do you want your watermark to be? In the Layers Palette, you can experiment with opactiy of the watermark, try reducing it to 50% - it will look VERY LIGH ...</p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83013629_h8Buv" title="Next step: Opacity. How prominent do you want your watermark to be? In the Layers Palette, you can experiment with opactiy of the watermark, try reducing it to 50% - it will look VERY LIGH ..."><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-006/83013629_h8Buv-Th.jpg" width="133" height="150" alt="Next step: Opacity. How prominent do you want your watermark to be? In the Layers Palette, you can experiment with opactiy of the watermark, try reducing it to 50% - it will look VERY LIGH ..." title="Next step: Opacity. How prominent do you want your watermark to be? In the Layers Palette, you can experiment with opactiy of the watermark, try reducing it to 50% - it will look VERY LIGH ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:42:01Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-006/83013629_h8Buv-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a><br />You're done creating your watermark, now save it on your computer by using the menus: File>Save For Web</p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83013633_hK64x" title="You're done creating your watermark, now save it on your computer by using the menus: File>Save For Web"><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-007/83013633_hK64x-Th.jpg" width="145" height="150" alt="You're done creating your watermark, now save it on your computer by using the menus: File>Save For Web" title="You're done creating your watermark, now save it on your computer by using the menus: File>Save For Web" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:42:02Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-007/83013633_hK64x-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a><br />Next will come the save for web screen, be sure to select PNG-24 and Transparency. Click "Save" and give your file a name, and location on your computer.</p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83013634_D7sPK" title="Next will come the save for web screen, be sure to select PNG-24 and Transparency. Click "Save" and give your file a name, and location on your computer."><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-008/83013634_D7sPK-Th-1.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Next will come the save for web screen, be sure to select PNG-24 and Transparency. Click "Save" and give your file a name, and location on your computer." title="Next will come the save for web screen, be sure to select PNG-24 and Transparency. Click "Save" and give your file a name, and location on your computer." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:42:05Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/cs2-watermarking-008/83013634_D7sPK-Th-1.jpg <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a><br />Next Step: Upload it to a gallery on your SmugMug site - this is typically a private gallery where you keep your site files (like your header image). But if you don't have one, just make a ...</p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83014010_Q5NgB" title="Next Step: Upload it to a gallery on your SmugMug site - this is typically a private gallery where you keep your site files (like your header image). But if you don't have one, just make a ..."><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/31957-L-1/83014010_Q5NgB-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Next Step: Upload it to a gallery on your SmugMug site - this is typically a private gallery where you keep your site files (like your header image). But if you don't have one, just make a ..." title="Next Step: Upload it to a gallery on your SmugMug site - this is typically a private gallery where you keep your site files (like your header image). But if you don't have one, just make a ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:42:06Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/31957-L-1/83014010_Q5NgB-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a><br />Example with 50% Opacity. You'll want to experiment, and create either one watermark that will work well for you on portrait or landscape oriented images, or, use a separate one for each ty ...</p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83014014_oQb4f" title="Example with 50% Opacity. You'll want to experiment, and create either one watermark that will work well for you on portrait or landscape oriented images, or, use a separate one for each ty ..."><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/31957-L-3/83014014_oQb4f-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Example with 50% Opacity. You'll want to experiment, and create either one watermark that will work well for you on portrait or landscape oriented images, or, use a separate one for each ty ..." title="Example with 50% Opacity. You'll want to experiment, and create either one watermark that will work well for you on portrait or landscape oriented images, or, use a separate one for each ty ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:42:08Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/31957-L-3/83014014_oQb4f-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com">Digital Grin</a> </p><p><a href="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/1690196_BUjqV#83014020_Lz43o" title="Digital Grin's photo"><img src="http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/31915-L-1/83014020_Lz43o-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Digital Grin's photo" title="Digital Grin's photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-12T14:42:11Z Digital Grin http://dgrin.smugmug.com http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/SmugMug-Site-Stuff/Create-Transparent-Watermarks/31915-L-1/83014020_Lz43o-Th.jpg