Does a copyright stamp actually protect my work?

Visually, yes — it deters casual theft and identifies the work to anyone who sees it. Legally, copyright exists from the moment of creation regardless of stamps, but a visible © + name + year strengthens your case in disputes and is required for some jurisdictions to claim statutory damages.

How is this different from a watermark?

A watermark is typically a logo or pattern across the image to discourage reuse. A copyright stamp is a small attribution line — less intrusive, easier to read, and intended to identify the rights holder rather than make the image unusable.

Can I add an embedded EXIF copyright too?

Yes — use our Metadata Editor tool. We recommend doing both: visible stamp for casual viewers, embedded EXIF for anyone inspecting the file.

Will the stamp survive screenshots?

Yes — that's the point. A pixel-baked stamp survives screenshots, recompression and cropping (unless someone explicitly crops it out).

Can I use the © symbol from my keyboard?

Yes. macOS: ⌥+G. Windows: Alt+0169 (numpad). The character is fully supported in the text field.

Is the image uploaded?

No. Stamp rendering and export run entirely in your browser.

Free Copyright Stamp Generator — Add © Notice to Photos

Photographers, designers, illustrators — every public image you publish should carry your name. PikDraw's Copyright Stamp Generator burns a tidy © attribution into the corner of any photo with adjustable size, opacity, colour and position. Browser-based, free, unlimited.

What is the Copyright Stamp Generator — Add © Notice to Photos?

Copyright Stamp Generator is a live-preview canvas tool that overlays a copyright text line onto your image with configurable position, size, opacity and colour. The stamp is rasterised at full source resolution and exported as a fresh JPEG.

Key features

Live preview at full resolution
Six positions (corners + bottom-centre + centre)
Adjustable size and opacity
White or black text with auto-contrast shadow
Pre-filled with '© {year} Your Name' template
100% client-side rendering
Free, unlimited, no signup

How it works

Your image is drawn onto a canvas at native resolution. The text is rendered using the system UI font with an auto-contrast shadow (dark shadow on white text, light shadow on black text). Final export is JPEG at 95% quality.

Why use this tool

Other stamp tools paywall opacity, restrict positions, or upload your image. PikDraw runs entirely in the browser, gives you all controls free, and produces a clean rasterised JPEG at full resolution.

Common use cases

Photography portfolios
Stock-image samples
Blog post hero images
Social media uploads
Print proofs and client previews
Brand attribution on infographics

How to use this tool

Upload your photo — Drop any JPG, PNG or WebP. The preview updates live as you tweak controls.
Set the text — Pre-filled with '© {current year} Your Name'. Replace with your studio, brand or licence text.
Choose position & style — Six positions (corners, centres), adjustable size, opacity and white/black colour with auto-contrast shadow.
Download — Export as high-quality JPEG. The stamp is rendered at full source resolution — no quality loss.

Who should use this

Photographers, illustrators, designers, content creators, stock contributors and anyone publishing original imagery online.

How to get started

Drop an image, edit the text, hit Download. Five seconds.

Best practices

Use 50–70% opacity for visibility without distraction
Bottom-right or bottom-centre for conventional placement
Add embedded EXIF copyright too (Metadata Editor)
Keep the © symbol, year and your name — that's the legal triad

Pro tips

Bottom-right is the conventional position — readers know to look there.
Use 50–70% opacity so the stamp is visible but not loud.
White text with a black shadow reads on almost any background.
For real legal protection, pair the visible stamp with an embedded EXIF copyright (Metadata Editor).

Expert insights

💡 Pair with EXIF

Visible stamp + embedded EXIF copyright = belt and braces. Use our Metadata Editor for the EXIF half.

💡 Bottom-Right Wins

Readers' eyes settle in the bottom-right by convention — your attribution will be seen there.

💡 Keep Originals

The stamp is rasterised into the pixels. Save a clean copy before stamping for future re-edits.

Limitations to be aware of

Single text line — no multi-line stamps
No logo overlay (use Watermark tool for that)
Single image at a time
Stamp is destructive — keep originals

Frequently asked questions

Does a copyright stamp actually protect my work?: Visually, yes — it deters casual theft and identifies the work to anyone who sees it. Legally, copyright exists from the moment of creation regardless of stamps, but a visible © + name + year strengthens your case in disputes and is required for some jurisdictions to claim statutory damages.
How is this different from a watermark?: A watermark is typically a logo or pattern across the image to discourage reuse. A copyright stamp is a small attribution line — less intrusive, easier to read, and intended to identify the rights holder rather than make the image unusable.
Can I add an embedded EXIF copyright too?: Yes — use our Metadata Editor tool. We recommend doing both: visible stamp for casual viewers, embedded EXIF for anyone inspecting the file.
Will the stamp survive screenshots?: Yes — that's the point. A pixel-baked stamp survives screenshots, recompression and cropping (unless someone explicitly crops it out).
Can I use the © symbol from my keyboard?: Yes. macOS: ⌥+G. Windows: Alt+0169 (numpad). The character is fully supported in the text field.
Is the image uploaded?: No. Stamp rendering and export run entirely in your browser.

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