How to remove a watermark from a photo

Watermarking is a way to mark an image so that you can appreciate its qualities without being able to use it without paying the creator. The creator will usually provide a watermark-free version once you pay them their fair share. This also happens when you are trying a free photo editing app, which is very annoying.

There are some tools that will 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. Something here will work!

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

Notes on watermarks

If you’re testing a creator’s work, paying to have the watermark removed is fair. If you’re using free software or a free software trial and the program watermarks the work, that’s not so fair. It is not our intention to show you how to circumvent copyright or 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 is why we publish this tutorial. Use your own judgment when applying this knowledge and everyone should come out happy.

Crop the image to remove the watermark

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

It won’t work with larger watermarks, but the ones 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 Cloner buffer to overwrite where the watermark is.
2. Now, clone an area next to the watermark, resize it to cover the mark, and apply it over the mark.
3. Continue applying until the watermark has disappeared.

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

1. Open the image as a new layer.
2. Now, select the Content Aware Movement Toolchange the remix to Move and Very strict and select the watermark area.
3. Press Delete either Fill and Mindful content. Apply the tool until the watermark disappears.

Use Pixlr to remove a watermark

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

1. All you need to do is upload your image by clicking Open image.
2. Then select the Clone Stamp Tool from the tools menu on the left.
3. Now, Ctrl + click the watermark to gradually remove it. You will have to do this several times to remove it completely, but you will get there.
4. Then save once you’re done and download your image.

Alternatively, you can use the following method to remove the watermark.

1. Upload your image as shown above.
2. Now click Spot healing tool.
3. Then, hold down the left mouse button, move the brush over the watermark, and then wait a moment until the watermark is removed.
4. Click File > Save either Ctrl + S to save your work.

Remove a watermark with InPaint

In paint is another viable way to remove a watermark from an image. It’s another web app where you need to upload a photo, but it means you don’t have 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 all. The tool will intelligently overwrite the watermark with as close an approximation as possible to the pixel below or next to it. It works incredibly well.

Use Paint.net to remove a watermark

painting.net is my favorite image editor for Windows. It’s powerful enough for most uses, is completely free, well supported, and has most of the tools we need to get going, 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 cloning tool from the menu on the left.
2. Now, select an area next to the watermark and apply it over the watermark.

You’ll have to work to cover the entire watermark just as you would with any cloning tool, but it works well in almost all situations.

Remove a 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 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 Remove Smart Selection.
2. Repeat this a couple of 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 sort if necessary. This takes patience, but in the end it should give you a perfect image.

Photo editing

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

Were you able to remove the watermark? Do you know another way to remove watermarks? Share your thoughts below.