How do I add text as a watermark in GIMP 3?

Choose Tools > Text or press T, set the font, size and colour, and type your text. The manual says the Text tool puts the text in a new layer.

How do I add a logo to a photo in GIMP?

Choose File > Open as Layers (Ctrl+Alt+O) and pick the logo file. The manual says its layers are added as the top layers in the stack; resize with Layer > Scale Layer.

How do I make a GIMP watermark see-through?

Select its layer in the Layers dialog and move the Opacity slider. The manual says opacity ranges from 0 to 100.

Does Export As change my original photo?

Per the manual, exporting does not modify the image open in GIMP. If the File menu shows Overwrite and the file name instead, that command exports directly in the original format; we suggest Export As with a new file name to keep the original file.

Can GIMP watermark many images at once?

We found no batch dialog in the manual, only a command-line --batch option with Script-Fu as the default interpreter. Fix Watermark, in the browser, is another route.

How to add a watermark in GIMP 3, to one image or many

In GIMP 3, add text with the Text tool (T) or a logo with File > Open as Layers, set the layer's Opacity slider (0 to 100) in the Layers dialog, then save a copy with File > Export As. We found no batch dialog in GIMP's manual, only a command-line --batch option.

Published October 30, 2026. Drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources linked on this page. How we write our guides.

GIMP watermark add: text with the Text tool

We found no watermark feature or recipe in GIMP's 3.0 manual (as of October 2026), so a watermark here means a layer you make from documented tools. For text, the manual's Text tool page says the tool adds text to your image in a new layer. Open it from Tools > Text, the Toolbox icon, or the T key.

In GIMP 3.0 (steps from the 3.0 manual, checked October 2026):

With your image open, choose Tools > Text (or press T).
In the tool options, set Font, Size and Color. The manual says the colour of the text defaults to black.
Type your text on the canvas.
Set the layer's opacity, as described below.

The tool options also include Style (Filled, Outlined, or Outlined and filled), Justify and letter and line spacing. The default Box is Dynamic, where the size of the text box increases as you type.

GIMP watermark image: add a logo as a layer

To use a logo file, the manual's Open as Layers page says to choose File > Open as Layers (Ctrl+Alt+O). The layers of the selected file are added to the current image as the top layers in the stack. The page does not say where on the canvas the new layer lands or how large it is, and does not mention PNG transparency on that page; our guide to a transparent PNG logo covers preparing the file.

If the logo is too big, the Scale Layer page says to use Layer > Scale Layer, which works on a single layer. While the chain icon beside the width and height is unbroken, the ratio stays constant. The manual warns that the image loses some of its quality by being scaled, and that reducing a layer costs quality too. It also notes that the Scale tool with Transform set to Layer is another way. For a starting size, see our guide to watermark size.

Set the watermark opacity in GIMP

The manual's Layers dialog page says that by moving the slider you give the layer more or less opacity. Its layer properties page says opacity ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 means complete transparency and 100 complete opacity. With 0 the layer is invisible. The manual says not to confuse this with a layer mask, which sets transparency pixel by pixel.

In GIMP 3.0, select the text or logo layer in the Layers dialog and move the Opacity slider. The manual gives no recommended value; our watermark opacity guide has measurements and the range we suggest.

Save the watermarked copy with Export As

GIMP keeps your work in its own XCF format. The manual's Getting Images out of GIMP page says XCF is the only format that can save all of the information in an image, including layers and transparency, and that an image opened from a JPG or PNG file is imported into GIMP's own format as a new project.

In GIMP 3.0 (steps checked October 2026), per the Export As page:

Choose File > Export As, or press Shift+Ctrl+E.

The Getting Images out of GIMP chapter says exporting does not modify the image itself, so you do not lose anything. The Export and Overwrite page describes a second command: for an image opened from a file, the File menu shows Overwrite followed by the file name, which exports directly in the original format without the export dialog. We suggest using Export As with a new file name when you want to keep the original; that advice is ours, not the manual's.

Two format notes from the manual. When exporting to JPEG, GIMP fills transparent areas with the background colour, white by default, so JPEG suits the finished photo rather than a logo you want to keep transparent. And the PNG export page lists metadata options (Exif, XMP, IPTC and a comment) that you can choose to keep when exporting.

GIMP add watermark to multiple images

We found no dialog for processing many images in the manual (as of October 2026). The only documented route we found is the command line. The Starting GIMP page lists -b, --batch=commands, which executes a set of commands non-interactively, and --batch-interpreter, and says the default procedure is Script-Fu. It also lists --quit. The manual ships no watermark script or example, so we do not give one.

For a folder of photos there is also a browser route. Fix Watermark puts the same text or logo on many photos at once, in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. Add the photos, choose Text or Logo, set the size, opacity and position, and download a ZIP. Free: up to 50 photos per run, and runs are unlimited. No watermark of ours on your photos, ever. Original pixel size; JPEG and WebP are re-encoded at the quality you choose. Our batch watermarking guide has the steps.

Sources

Checked October 30, 2026.

Questions

How do I add text as a watermark in GIMP 3?: Choose Tools > Text or press T, set the font, size and colour, and type your text. The manual says the Text tool puts the text in a new layer.
How do I add a logo to a photo in GIMP?: Choose File > Open as Layers (Ctrl+Alt+O) and pick the logo file. The manual says its layers are added as the top layers in the stack; resize with Layer > Scale Layer.
How do I make a GIMP watermark see-through?: Select its layer in the Layers dialog and move the Opacity slider. The manual says opacity ranges from 0 to 100.
Does Export As change my original photo?: Per the manual, exporting does not modify the image open in GIMP. If the File menu shows Overwrite and the file name instead, that command exports directly in the original format; we suggest Export As with a new file name to keep the original file.
Can GIMP watermark many images at once?: We found no batch dialog in the manual, only a command-line --batch option with Script-Fu as the default interpreter. Fix Watermark, in the browser, is another route.