How To Remove Watermarks from Images Using GIMP
May 28, 2009 at 03:29:06 PM, by Blair Mathis
Have you ever searched a T-shirt website, only to happen across a design that you love so much you want to save it to your computer for later use as a desktop background, cell phone background, or to email to someone?
If so, then you'll already know that these websites prevent their users from saving the images to their hard drives via a 'bumper' graphic--a blank square that is saved to your computer when you try to right-click and save the original graphic.
It might seem impossible to bypass this, but have heart--the solution is much easier than it appears. With some websites, the effort involved in saving the graphic is so minimal, it is almost an insult to your intelligence. On others, it is more difficult, but not impossible.
Below are a couple difference possibilities you could encounter when attempting to save an image, as well as solutions to the problem.
##ADSENSE##First Attempt: Bypassing Block
This method is the easiest, and also the least likely to work. To avoid the bumper image, you simply need to find the link to the actual image it is you want to download. This is simple using the Google Chrome browser.
Step 1: To find the link, navigate to the photo you are trying to save and right-click on "Inspect Image”.
Step 2: A dialogue box will appear that highlights the image you want to inspect.
Step 3: That is the clear image, however, and it's the image directly above it that is the actual image you want to download. To save that image to your computer, press Alt+Click on the image link. You will be prompted to choose a location to save the image on your computer
Second Attempt: Removing the Watermark
Though the previous method will work on certain websites, such as Red Bubble, it won't work on other websites, with CafePress as an example, because the link is hidden so you can't click on it. In that event, the only way to get a graphic is to remove the watermark.
In this tutorial, I'm using GIMP. The steps can be applied to Photoshop, however, with only a few changes.
Step 1: Save the watermarked image to you desktop and then open it in GIMP. If it doesn't let you save the image to your computer, as is the case in my example, then take a screenshot of the screen and paste it into a canvas in GIMP.
Step 2: Open the Layers window by pressing Ctrl+L, then right click on the Floating Selection and choose “Anchor Layer”.
Step 3: Use the selection tool to select the graphic and then choose Image > Fit Image to Selection.
Step 4: At this point, you should have one layer. In the upper menu, go to Layer > Transparency > Add Alpha Channel.
Step 5: Choose the Magic Wand tool.
Step 6: Select the background of the image (in my example, it is the white part) and then either press the DELETE button or go to Edit > Clear.
Step 7: Once your background is erased, you will be easily able to see the watermark. Repeat 'Step 6' with the watermark to erase.
Step 8: After you've removed the watermark from the background, you will need to remove it from the actual image, which is more difficult. To begin, select the “Color Picker” button
. 
Step 9: Click on the watermark inside the image. It will select everything of that color (ie, the entire watermark).
Step 10: Press the DELETE button or navigate to Edit > Clear. You will be left with transparent voids where the watermark was. Fill these voids with the surrounding color using the fill bucket.
Step 11: Repeat 'Step 10' until all the voids in the picture are filled in.
Stay up-to-date with the latest mobile technology news and laptop reviews with our free newsletter! Get free tips, news and information from Laptop Logic and find the best laptop deals online.
Comments
James at 14:33, November 02, 2009
Hello, I've downloaded gimp and I'm trying to remove the watermarks from my photo, but when I open the "layers" window it doesn't look like the one you show. The one I have is a very condensed version. How do I get the full one back? Also, when I go to select "anchor layer" it's not functional and greyed out. How do I get that to work? Thank you so much for your time and for posting all of the instructions. James
James at 14:33, November 02, 2009
Hello, I've downloaded gimp and I'm trying to remove the watermarks from my photo, but when I open the "layers" window it doesn't look like the one you show. The one I have is a very condensed version. How do I get the full one back? Also, when I go to select "anchor layer" it's not functional and greyed out. How do I get that to work? Thank you so much for your time and for posting all of the instructions. James