Don’t want a watermark to get in the way of your beautiful photos? No problems.
If you don’t want to just crop a watermark, we show you how to remove a watermark from an image using Photoshop, GIMP, Paint.net, Pixlr X, and Apowersoft Online Watermark Remover.
1. How to remove a watermark in Photoshop
Photoshop is pretty smart when it comes to removing watermarks from photos. With your photo open, select the Magic Wand Tool , which skillfully selects entire areas, such as letters and watermark logos. You can also use the Pen Tool or the Lasso Tool to make your selection.
Hover over each letter or image – remember to hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) while clicking to select multiple watermark items.
It won’t be the perfect choice. To fix this, choose Select> Modify> Expand . In the dialog box, choose how many pixels you want to expand the selection.
Since the Magic Wand Tool in our example is close to the edge of the watermark, we only offset the selection 2 pixels up, but yours may be different. Click OK to confirm.
Click Edit> Fill . A new window will open and in the Content dropdown select Content-Aware . Be sure to deselect the Color Tone checkbox .
After clicking OK, the watermark should almost completely disappear.
If there are any leftovers left, select the Clone Stamp Tool . Be sure to resize the tool so that you “clone” enough area, but not too much.
Hold down Alt or Option and select the area next to any part of the remaining watermark. This will be a sample of this area. Now, when you click (for a natural look, do not drag or drag) the watermark, the tool “Stamp” the area to mask the outline of the watermark.
Related: How to Create a Watermark in Photoshop in 7 Easy Steps
2. How to get rid of watermarks in GIMP
The easiest but slowest way to get rid of watermarks with GIMP is with the cloning tool . First, open up GIMP and select the clone tool .
This tool works in a similar way to Photoshop’s Clone Stamp Tool – you need to sample a portion of the image. This time, hold down Ctrl / Cmd and click on the part of the watermark you want to delete. It takes time, but it can be incredibly accurate.
However, you can make it all much faster by downloading and installing the GIMP Resynthesizer plugin . This awesome GIMP plugin offers a variety of image editing options, most notably the Content-Aware version of the Photoshop tool.
To install it, extract the files from the zip file and copy them all to the GIMP plugin folder. From there, choose the Free Select Tool or the Rectangular Select Tool .
Circle the watermark you want to remove.
Once it’s highlighted, go to Filters> Enhance> Healing Highlight . Set the sampling width of the context .
As usual, you may need to experiment with this shape to make sure you are only losing the watermark and not too much of the image other than that. Click OK and let the Resynthesize plugin do wonders.
Once completed (this may take a minute), use the clone tool to take a sample and cover any remaining spots.
3. How to remove a watermark in Paint.net
Your method of removing watermarks with Paint.net is rather limited. Unlike Photoshop, there are no quick and dirty Content-Aware tools here; unlike GIMP, you cannot download a plugin to get rid of them.
Instead, you are limited to the Clone Stamp Tool , so select it from the Toolbox and set the size.
Select the area of the image next to the watermark, hold Ctrl / Cmd and click to create a swatch. Now click on the watermark. It should disappear and replace the background sample.
Be sure to sample and clone as you go to make sure you catch any changes in texture or lighting in the image. As usual, for a more natural look (and more control over watermark removal), it’s best to click to remove.
With some photos, you can also use the Blur Tool to smooth out any visual curves.
Related: How To Insert Watermark In Microsoft Word (Or Remove It)
4. How to remove watermark from an image using Pixlr X
Pixlr X is an online watermark remover so you don’t have to download additional software. Since it’s free, you don’t have many options – again, you need to use the slow and steady Clone Stamp Tool .
To do this, click Retouch on the toolbar, then select the Clone Stamp Tool .
Leave Method as Patch . Set the size, making sure it’s not too big, as this may affect the rest of the photo. Hold Ctrl / Cmd to select the origin, then click on the watermark to gradually remove it.
5. How to Remove Watermark Using Apowersoft Online Watermark Remover
Apowersoft has both a browser based online tool and a watermark remover app to sort your photos. This is not the best option as it leaves a hazy spot where the watermark once stood, but it’s easy to use.
When using desktop application, please set AI watermark removal method . Click the rectangle next to the word Tools .
Draw a rectangle around the watermark. Click Convert – ignore pop-up ads for free trials and professional subscriptions – and grab the almost watermark-free image from your downloads folder.
The online version of Apowersoft is similar. We found it to work best in Google Chrome, but failed with other browsers.
Load the image first, and after processing it, set the Method to Original . You can use AI , but the result is not always as reliable.
Drag the rectangle onto your watermark. You need to pull on the handles in the corner of the box to resize and place the watermark within the area. Click Erase and after another round of processing, you can upload your image.
Choosing the Right Watermark Removal Tool
There are many tools to remove watermarks from your photos, but for best results, choose Photoshop (if you have a Creative Cloud membership) or GIMP.
Both software can quickly and easily erase your watermarks. Now sit back and enjoy your new photo without watermarks.
