NOTE: This technique works in DaVinci Resolve 18 or later.
This year, I decided to edit my annual NAB interviews using DaVinci Resolve. (This article explains why.) But, one roadblock kept slowing my editing.
I want to add watermarks to all my videos – but there’s no “watermark” option in the Deliver page. Then, I discovered “Data Burn-in.”
HOW TO ADD A WATERMARK
A watermark is text, or an image, burned into a corner of the video. This could be a logo, timecode, warning, website URL… anything that you want to appear for the entire duration of a clip.
In the past, I would edit my project, export it as a ProRes file, then compress it to add the watermark. This gave me a high-quality master file without a watermark and a compressed version with one.
This works fine, but that extra export step takes time and storage space. With the 64 NAB interviews I need to edit and export three versions: For my website, for YouTube and a vertical version for social media. Anything I can do to save time will help… a lot.
I put this over a dark blue background so you can see it.
I DID NOT save it with this background color – the text itself is white.
So, using Photoshop – or any other image editor – I created a watermark and saved it as a .PNG file with a transparent background.
In Resolve, I opened the project and timeline to which I want to add a watermark. (Watermarks are added to each timeline – they are off by default.)
Click to see larger image.
Choose Window > Data Burn-in. This displays a panel with dozens of options on what to display. All options are not checked, meaning nothing is burned in by default.
NOTE: “Burn-in” refers to something permanently added to an image – like a title or logo – which cannot be removed later. Subtitles are generally not burned-in.
Most of the burn-in options are obvious – and used for marking clips or projects for review prior to editing. However, there are three options for custom text and three options for logos, illustrated by the green box, above.
With custom text, you can enter whatever you need; for example, “This video is for review only. Do not distribute.” However, while handy, there are limited formatting options. This is fine for many things, but not for logos or watermarks.
If you need more formatting options, or color, or, um, anything… choosing one of the logo options is better. Check one of the Logo options to enable it.
Next, click the Import File button (red arrow) to choose the image you created earlier. It is then displayed here. (Don’t worry about the poor quality display, it will look fine in your video.)
NOTE: Other options support when the logo appears, where it is positioned and its opacity. The Position numbers here indicate the location of my watermark.
Watermarks are always displayed at 100% scale – so be sure to first create it at the size you need.
Once you’ve created a watermark, you can save it as a preset, or switch between presets. To display this menu, click the three dots in the top right corner of the Data Burn-in window.
NOTE: Presets can only be created using the Data Burn-in window.
As this image of Dan May, President of Blackmagic Design, Americas, illustrates, the watermark shows up in the Viewer..
NOTE: To turn this off, re-open Window > Data burn-in and uncheck the element you want to turn off.
Once you turn this on, that watermark will appear in the Viewer on both the Cut and Edit pages. That’s good if you want to adjust your images to accommodate the watermark, but it can get in the way of actually seeing your edit.
Instead, try this. When you go to the Deliver page, look for the Data Burn-in option; it’s on the left side. From the menu, select the preset you created. Now, your watermark will automatically burn into all exports without interfering with your edit.
SUMMARY
This option – which I didn’t know until yesterday – will save me a ton of time because I don’t need to do a separate export just to add a watermark; or add another track to the timeline. And, if I ever need a clean master file, I only need to uncheck this setting and reexport.
2,000 Video Training Titles
Edit smarter with Larry Jordan. Available in our store.
Access over 2,000 on-demand video editing courses. Become a member of our Video Training Library today!
Subscribe to Larry's FREE weekly newsletter and
save 10%
on your first purchase.
4 Responses to Add a Burned-In Watermark to DaVinci Resolve Projects
To be more useful, Resolve should add the option of having the watermark move around (slowly) in a user pre-defined area.
Static watermarks are less useful for copy protection (and if improperly “designed” and displayed, can increase the risk of burn-in).
I appreciate this applies less so in your case Larry.
WZ:
Interesting comment. For what it’s worth, neither FCP, nor Premiere, nor Resolve automatically move watermarks. However, it is easy to create a Motion or After Effects movie with a moving watermark and superimpose it over your timeline.
Larry
I’ve gotten videos of local government council meetings.
It would be useful to post clips of them on YouTube, but then I’d wish to watermark them.
A few years ago, ran across a couple of approaches (for hidden watermarks) on the Internet, but cost and other issues were out-of-limits.
Is there an easy way to do a burned-in watermark in FCP?
And can there be — either separately of simultaneously — a hidden watermark that could be used to identify stolen clips?
Since I’m dealing with very LOCAL issues, any appropriation of my clips would also be local and certainly would come to my attention. That makes the hidden watermark particularly interesting, and I believe, worthwhile in this local situation.
Thanks and kind regards
George:
You can add a watermark easily using Compressor. For FCP, the simplest way is to add the watermark on a layer above all your clips in the timeline. That way, you can turn it on or off as you need it.
As for hidden watermarks, there is technology available that does it, but it isn’t cheap. Worse, though, is how do you spot the stolen video? You would not only need to create the hidden watermark, but invest in technology that visits every known website to see who has purloined your video. Large companies have the resources to do this. But for smaller folks? I don’t know of any way to find stolen clips affordably.
Larry