How do I add text as a watermark in Photoshop?

Select the Horizontal Type tool, select anywhere in the document, type your text, then lower the Opacity in the Layers panel. Adobe says opacity runs from 1 to 100.

How do I add a logo as a watermark in Photoshop?

Use File > Place Embedded, position and resize the logo in its bounding box, then select Commit in the options bar. Adobe says Place works with most supported formats, including JPEG, PNG, TIFF and PSD.

Why can't I change the opacity of my layer?

Adobe says the Opacity field is inactive for Background layers and locked layers. We suggest putting the watermark on its own layer that is not locked.

Does Batch overwrite my original photos?

It can. Adobe describes the Save and Close destination as overwriting originals. We suggest the Folder destination.

What is the difference between Batch and the Image Processor?

Batch runs a chosen action on files. Adobe says the Image Processor works without requiring an action, and also has a Run Action option.

How to add a watermark in Photoshop, to one photo or a batch

In Photoshop on desktop, add text with the Horizontal Type tool or bring in a logo with File > Place Embedded, then lower the layer's Opacity (1 to 100) in the Layers panel. For many photos, Adobe documents recording an action and running it with File > Automate > Batch.

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

How to make a watermark in Photoshop with a type layer

A text watermark is a type layer. Adobe's Add text page says to select the Horizontal Type tool (or the Vertical Type tool) from the toolbar, and to select anywhere in the document and start typing to add point text. Dragging instead adds paragraph text. A text layer appears in the Layers panel with the Type icon.

With your photo open in Photoshop on desktop (Adobe's current release as of October 2026 is version 27.11; its help pages do not tie each step to a version; steps checked October 2026):

Select the Horizontal Type tool from the toolbar.
Select anywhere in the document and start typing.

Then set the opacity of the new type layer, as described below.

Adobe's type layers page says type layers behave like other layers in the Layers panel, so you can change opacity, apply blend modes and add layer styles such as shadows. In the Bitmap, Indexed Color and Multichannel modes, Photoshop rasterizes text instead of creating editable type layers. Adobe says rasterization typically occurs when you apply filters directly to the type layer, paint on it, or use transformation commands such as Perspective or Distort; after it, you can no longer edit the text content.

Add a logo as a watermark in Photoshop

For a logo, use Place. Adobe's Place a file page says to select File > Place Embedded or File > Place Linked. It works with most Photoshop-supported formats, including JPEG, PNG, TIFF and PSD. Embedded stores the file data within your document; Linked keeps a reference to the external file, so changes to the original file update in Photoshop. Adobe does not say here whether a PNG's transparency is kept, so check the result on your photo; our guide to a transparent PNG logo explains how to prepare the file.

In Photoshop on desktop (steps checked October 2026):

Select File > Place Embedded.
In the file browser, select your logo file and select Place.
Drag inside the bounding box or the corner handles to resize it. Hold Shift while dragging to keep the original proportions.
To move it, drag anywhere inside the bounding box; for exact positioning, enter X and Y values in the options bar.
Select Commit in the options bar, or press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS).

The logo arrives in a bounding box in the centre of the document, as a Smart Object. If the placed file is larger than your document, Photoshop scales it to fit while keeping the aspect ratio. To edit it later, double-click the Smart Object thumbnail in the Layers panel. For how big a mark should be, see our guide to watermark size.

Set the watermark opacity in Photoshop

Adobe's layer opacity page says to select the layer, find the Opacity field in the upper-right area of the Layers panel, and enter a value between 1 and 100 or drag the slider. The field is inactive for Background layers and locked layers, so if you cannot change it, check that the watermark is not on the Background layer.

Overall opacity affects everything on the layer, including layer effects you have applied. The separate Fill opacity affects only the pixels, shapes or text, and keeps layer effects such as drop shadows and strokes at full opacity. Which value looks right depends on your photo; our watermark opacity guide has measurements and a range we suggest.

Photoshop watermark action

An action replays recorded steps. Adobe's Actions panel page gives the recording steps.

In Photoshop on desktop (steps checked October 2026):

Select Window > Actions.
Select the Create new action icon.
In the New Action dialog, give the action a name, then select Record.
Perform the commands and operations you want to capture.
Select the Stop icon to stop recording.

To play it, select the action in the Actions panel and press Play. Adobe says actions run as a single step in the History panel by default, so you can undo the whole action at once. Adobe's pages say commands that cannot be recorded can be added from the Actions panel menu with Insert Menu Item, and they do not list whether Place can be recorded. We suggest you record your watermark steps, then play the action on one copy of a photo and look at the result before you run it on a folder.

Photoshop watermark batch with File > Automate > Batch

Batch runs an action on many files. Adobe's Batch page starts with File > Automate > Batch. You choose the Set and Action (load the set in the Actions panel if the action is not visible), a Source (Folder, Import, Opened Files or Bridge) and a Destination, then OK. Select Include All Subfolders to process files in subfolders.

The Destination choices are None (leave open), Save and Close (overwrite originals) and Folder. Those are Adobe's words: Save and Close overwrites the original files, and the page says nothing about making a backup. We suggest choosing Folder so your originals stay as they are.

Adobe's processing options page adds two overrides. Override Action "Open" Commands makes Batch process your selected files rather than the file recorded in the action. Override Action "Save As" Commands makes Batch save to the Batch destination, and your action must include a Save As step or the files are not saved. Some Save options, such as JPEG compression or TIFF settings, are not available in the Batch dialog. When it finishes, Adobe suggests opening the destination folder to check that all files were processed and saved correctly. For the full workflow with other tools, see our batch watermarking guide.

Photoshop Image Processor for many photos

Adobe's Image Processor overview says that, unlike Batch, it works directly without requiring an action. It converts, resizes and saves files as JPEG, PSD or TIFF, and its Run Action option runs an action from the Actions panel on each image. Adobe's pages do not say that Run Action can run a Place step.

In Photoshop on desktop (steps checked October 2026), from Adobe's Image Processor page:

Select File > Scripts > Image Processor.
Choose the images to process.
Choose where to save. Adobe says each processed file is saved with a unique name and not overwritten.
Choose the file types, such as Save As JPEG, Save As PSD or Save As TIFF.
Set Run Action and any other options, then select Run.

Image Processor settings are temporary and apply only to that location; use Save and Load to reuse them.

Photoshop watermark template

The Photoshop help pages we cite document these features separately, and combining them is our suggestion: a type layer or a placed logo, an opacity value, then an action and Batch or the Image Processor to repeat it. If you would rather skip building that, Fix Watermark adds a text or logo watermark to many photos in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. 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.

Sources

Checked October 30, 2026.

Questions

How do I add text as a watermark in Photoshop?: Select the Horizontal Type tool, select anywhere in the document, type your text, then lower the Opacity in the Layers panel. Adobe says opacity runs from 1 to 100.
How do I add a logo as a watermark in Photoshop?: Use File > Place Embedded, position and resize the logo in its bounding box, then select Commit in the options bar. Adobe says Place works with most supported formats, including JPEG, PNG, TIFF and PSD.
Why can't I change the opacity of my layer?: Adobe says the Opacity field is inactive for Background layers and locked layers. We suggest putting the watermark on its own layer that is not locked.
Does Batch overwrite my original photos?: It can. Adobe describes the Save and Close destination as overwriting originals. We suggest the Folder destination.
What is the difference between Batch and the Image Processor?: Batch runs a chosen action on files. Adobe says the Image Processor works without requiring an action, and also has a Run Action option.