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How to remove watermarks?


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I have Googled, I've searched within the forums, I've looked for a plugin, and nada. I'd like to know if anyone knows how to remove a watermark using Paint.NET? I know, I know, they're there on pictures for a reason. I'd buy the picture if I could, but I can't. I have Paint.NET v3.5.8.

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So what you're trying to do is probably a violation of copyright law, and we can't help you.

The website I found the pictures on, I made a free account. I was able to download previews of the pictures - with watermarks. Is it really in violation of copyright, even if the pictures are for personal use? :/

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Personal use is fine, in my opinion. However, I'm not a lawyer.

I also don't know how to remove watermarks, as I've never done it! So I still can't help you :P

I'm sure someone else on this forum will be able to assist though.

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Personal use is fine, in my opinion. However, I'm not a lawyer.

I also don't know how to remove watermarks, as I've never done it! So I still can't help you boltbait.tongue.png

I'm sure someone else on this forum will be able to assist though.

So it's fine if I keep poking around here for help? boltbait.big_smile.png

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The website doesn't want you to use the previews, hence the watermarks.

Regardless of the purpose you're putting them to (personal/commercial) you should NOT use them without paying for them.

It is unacceptable to claim 'personal use'. E.g. "Can I take your car for a joyride? You locked it, but I want it for personal use so breaking the lock should be OK". Its not OK, its theft.

Edit: (University of Melbourne): http://www.unimelb.edu.au/copyright/information/overview.html - a fairly good explanation of what you can and can't do.

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removing watermarks may violate copyright, but the method to do its the same for any kindof complex alteration to an image like airbrushing or removing a date stamp or artifact from a photo, using the clone stamp allready included in Paintnet. its not that difficult but can take some doing, depending how complex the background image is surrounding the water-mark

<snip>

Edited by Ego Eram Reputo
Please don't assist copyright violation
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Appreciate you're trying to help johoe, but providing a step-by-step guide to copyright violation is frowned upon.

The watermarks are there for a reason - please respect this.

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  • 5 years later...

Copyright. It is a difficult subject. In terms of altering images to remove watermarks, this is permitted. Heck you can do whatever you want with the image and copyright can't touch you. Copyright steps in when you distribute the image and share it with others, and depending on the media you edited or are re-distributing, the copyright laws dictate what you can and cannot do with the image. Copyright also applies when you use said image in say, a game or a movie. Because that image belongs to someone else (intellectual property rights), you can't distribute your media while it contains that image. Apart from that, I don't think you'll have the cops bashing your door down because you edited an image. Just don't distribute it. Or distribute only 10% of it, where fair use applies.

 

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Now that is out of the way, Does anyone know any good plugins/methods for removing watermarks from images? I was looking at making my own program, but so far the paint.net tool Blurs>Surface Blur looks really good for removing those fine lines. What about the logos? Could you make some form of mask and make subtract the color of the mask from the image? That'd effectively cancel out the logo. I think. I'll mess around and report what I find. Cheerio. PS. Also noticed that the last reply was in 2011. Whoops. Totes necroing here.

Edited by causticlasagne
Added necro note.
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Okay. So after further messing around with the various tools, I've discovered that it's easier to edit out logos using a plugin I have. I'm not sure which plugin it's from but the tool is called Basic Adjustments. I select the outline of the logo using the wand tool and then I edit the saturation, contrast and other variables until the logo is transparent. The only problem I'm having is that the edges go black, so probably worth looking into. I find for smaller watermarks and line based ones, your best bet is to use the blur tool because it removes high detail from the image, and if there are 3 pixel lines everywhere, they get blurred out. Oh well. Just putting my two cents here and there. You all have a happy watermark removing day.

PS. The author's name is Tanel Ruutli. Look for some form of image editing addon. :D

Edited by causticlasagne
Added author's name.
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@causticlasagne First: Digging out a nearly six year old thread isn't nice. Why not asking new and put some important information in, for example what kind of "background" is around the watermark?

 

There's no perfect fitting plugin or recipe because all images are different. In most cases I have used the clone stamp with 0% hardness and often with blending mode 'darken' or 'lighten' instead of normal.

Edited by IRON67
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On 2/07/2011 at 9:27 PM, Ego Eram Reputo said:

The watermarks are there for a reason - please respect this.

 

<closed>

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