How to remove a watermark from a photo

Watermark is a way to mark an image so that you can enjoy its qualities without being able to use it without paying the creator. The creator will usually provide an unwatermarked version once you've paid them their dues. This also happens when you try a free photo editing app, which is very annoying.

There are a few tools to remove a watermark from a photo. Some are downloads while others are online. Some work perfectly in some situations and not so well in others. If one option does not remove the watermark, try another. Anything here will work!

So, follow this tutorial to learn how to remove watermark from photo.

Notes on watermarks

If you're sampling a creator's work, paying to have the watermark removed is only fair. If you are using freeware or free trial software and the program watermarks the job, it's not so fair. Our intention is not to show you how to circumvent copyright or to encourage you to break the law and not pay a creator for their work.

Some images may not be free, but knowledge should be. That's why we publish this tutorial. Use your own judgment when applying this knowledge and everyone should walk away happy.

Crop image to remove watermark

Depending on where the watermark is on an image, you might not need a specific tool at all. You may be able to simply crop it to remove the signature or text from the main image. Any image editor will be able to do this. Open the image, use the crop selection tool to mark the area you want to keep while removing the part with the watermark and save it as a new image.

This won't work for larger watermarks, but those in the corners should work fine.

Use Photoshop to remove a watermark

If you're lucky enough to have a copy of Photoshop, you can use it to remove a watermark from an image.

1. Open the image and use the Clone buffer to overwrite the watermark location.
2. Now clone an area next to the watermark, adjust its size to cover the mark and apply it over the mark.
3. Keep applying until the watermark is gone.

You can also use the Content Aware Move tool if it is present on your version of Photoshop.

1. Open the image as a new layer.
2. Now select the Content-Aware Move Tool, replace the remix with Move et Very strict and select the watermark area.
3. press Clear ou Fill et Content aware. Apply the tool until the watermark disappears.

Use Pixlr to remove a watermark

Pixlr is an online image editing tool that offers a bunch of tools to beautify images or remove watermarks.

1. Simply upload your image by clicking Open Image.
2. Then select the Clone stamp tool in the tools menu on the left.
3. Now, Ctrl + click the watermark to gradually remove it. You'll have to do this several times to completely remove it, but you'll get there.
4. Then save once you are done and upload your image.

You can also use the method below to remove the watermark.

1. Upload your image as shown above.
2. Now click on healing tool.
3. Next, hold down the left mouse button, move the brush over the watermark, and then wait a while for the watermark to be removed.
4. Click on File > Save ou Ctrl + S to save your work.

Remove a watermark with InPaint

DansPaint is another viable way to remove a watermark from an image. This is another web app where you need to upload a photo, but that means you don't need to install an image editor just for this task.

1. Upload your image, highlight the watermark and select the Run tool to remove it.

That's it. The tool will intelligently overwrite the watermark with an approximation as close as possible to the pixel below or next to it. It works incredibly well.

Use Paint.net to remove a watermark

Paint.net is my favorite image editor for Windows. It's powerful enough for most uses, completely free, well supported, and has most of the tools we need to get the job done, including the ability to remove watermarks. It has a clone tool similar to Photoshop and works almost as well.

1. Open the image in Paint.net, select the clone tool from the left menu.
2. Now select an area next to the watermark and apply it over the watermark.

You're going to have to work to cover the entire watermark the same way you would with any clone tool, but it works well in almost any situation.

Remove Watermark with GIMP

GIMP is another great image editor. It's free, powerful, well supported, and does everything most of us would need from an image editor. You can also remove a watermark with it using tools similar to Paint.net and Photoshop.

1. Use the lasso to select the area around the watermark, use Filters and Enhance and select Smart Selection Removal.
2. Repeat this several times and most of the watermark will be removed.

If that doesn't work, select the clone stamp tool, copy an area, and use it to overwrite the watermark. You can also use the Heal tool to tidy up if you need to. This takes patience but should give you a seamless image in the end.

Photo editing

There are many excellent programs available for removing watermarks from photos. Remember to save a copy of the original in case you need to try removing the watermark again with another tool or program.

Did you manage to remove the watermark? Do you know any other way to remove watermarks? Share your thoughts below.