Title here
Summary here
Image Watermark
Protect your images from theft and reinforce your brand with automatic watermarking. This module adds your watermark to images on upload and can bulk-process your existing media library — with automatic backup of originals.
Use Cases
- Protect photography and artwork from unauthorized use
- Brand product images with your logo
- Add copyright notices to all images
- Watermark existing library with bulk processing
Accessing Watermark Settings
Navigate to Switchboard → Image Watermark in the admin menu for the full dashboard with:
- Watermark configuration
- Position and style controls
- Bulk processing tools
- Backup management
Setting Up Your Watermark
Upload Watermark Image
- Click Upload Watermark
- Select a PNG image with transparency (recommended)
- Or use JPEG/GIF for solid watermarks
Position
Choose where the watermark appears:
| Position | Description |
|---|---|
| Top Left | Upper-left corner |
| Top Center | Upper center |
| Top Right | Upper-right corner |
| Center Left | Middle left |
| Center | Dead center |
| Center Right | Middle right |
| Bottom Left | Lower-left corner |
| Bottom Center | Lower center |
| Bottom Right | Lower-right corner (default) |
Opacity
Control watermark visibility:
- 10% — Very faint, barely visible
- 50% — Semi-transparent (recommended)
- 100% — Fully opaque
Scale
Size relative to the image:
- 10% — Small, subtle watermark
- 25% — Medium, balanced
- 50% — Large, prominent
Automatic Watermarking
Once configured, watermarks are automatically added to:
- New image uploads (JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP)
- Images meeting minimum size requirements
- Images not matching exclusion patterns
Exclusion Options
Skip watermarking for:
- Images smaller than specified dimensions
- Filenames containing
-sbwesuffix - Specific image types
Bulk Processing
Watermark existing images in your library:
- Go to the Bulk Process tab
- Review images that will be processed
- Click Start Processing
- Progress bar shows completion
- Originals are backed up automatically
Backup & Restore
Automatic Backups
Before watermarking, originals are saved to:
wp-content/uploads/switchboard-watermark-backups/Backups maintain the original folder structure.
Restoring Originals
To remove watermarks:
- Go to Backup Management tab
- Select images to restore
- Click Restore Selected
- Original (unwatermarked) images are restored
Supported Formats
| Format | Read | Write |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG | Yes | Yes |
| PNG | Yes | Yes |
| GIF | Yes | Yes |
| WebP | Yes | Yes |
Technical Limits
| Limit | Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Max Dimension | 8000px | Prevent memory exhaustion |
| Rate Limit | 30/minute | Prevent server overload |
| Batch Size | 10 images | Bulk processing chunks |
FAQ
Can I change the watermark later?
Yes. Upload a new watermark image. New uploads will use the new watermark. Existing watermarked images keep their current watermark unless you restore and re-process.Will watermarking reduce image quality?
Slightly. Images are recompressed when watermarked. The module uses high-quality settings (92% for JPEG) to minimize loss. Original backups preserve full quality.Does this work with thumbnails?
The watermark is applied to the main image. Thumbnails generated afterward will include the watermark. Pre-existing thumbnails are not affected.Can I watermark PDFs or videos?
No. This module handles raster images only (JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP). PDFs and videos require different processing.How do I completely remove watermarks?
Use the restore function to recover original images from backup. If you didn’t have backups enabled, the watermark is permanent.Use a PNG watermark with transparency for best results. This allows your watermark to blend naturally with any image background.
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