How to Add an Image Watermark to Your Windows 10 Screen

To place an image watermark over apps on Windows 10, create a small Rainmeter skin that displays a PNG. Set the skin to Topmost to keep it above ordinary windows, then adjust its size and transparency. This adds a movable overlay while Rainmeter is running; it does not alter the original image or permanently watermark your desktop.

The older ScreenDragons download domain is parked, so this guide uses Rainmeter’s documented image meter.

Before you start

Prepare a small logo or other image you have permission to use. A transparent PNG is usually the best choice because its clear areas let the apps underneath show through. Rainmeter’s Image meter supports PNG and retains image transparency. A JPEG works too, but it cannot have a transparent background.

Rainmeter supports Windows 7 and later, but Microsoft ended standard Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. Windows 10 still runs, though standard security updates have stopped. See Microsoft’s support notice for current options.

1. Install Rainmeter and prepare the image

Download Rainmeter from the official Rainmeter website and run the standard installer. After setup, Rainmeter is available from the notification area.

In File Explorer, open Documents\Rainmeter\Skins, create a folder named ImageWatermark, and copy your PNG into it as watermark.png. Rainmeter stores each skin in its own folder with an INI file and its image assets; see the skin folder reference.

2. Create the Rainmeter skin

Open Notepad, paste the configuration below, and save it in the ImageWatermark folder as skin.ini. In Notepad’s Save as type menu, choose All Files so Windows does not append .txt to the filename.

[Rainmeter]
Update=-1
BackgroundMode=1
DynamicWindowSize=1

[MeterWatermark]
Meter=Image
ImageName=watermark.png
X=0
Y=0
W=220
PreserveAspectRatio=1

ImageName points to the nearby PNG. Change W=220 to resize it; PreserveAspectRatio=1 prevents stretching. BackgroundMode=1 makes the skin background transparent. Update=-1 suits a static image because the skin redraws only when loaded or refreshed. See Rainmeter’s Image meter reference and skin settings reference.

3. Load the skin and position the watermark

Right-click the Rainmeter icon in the Windows notification area and select Refresh all. Right-click the icon again, open Skins, then select ImageWatermark > skin.ini. Rainmeter’s menu lists discovered skin files and loads the selected INI file.

The image appears as a movable skin; drag it into place. To keep it above regular app windows, right-click it and choose Settings > Position > Topmost. Use Stay topmost only if another topmost window covers it; overlapping skins in that mode can flicker.

4. Adjust transparency, size, and mouse clicks

If the mark is too prominent, right-click it and open Settings > Transparency. Start around 15% or 20% and adjust by eye. The setting applies to the whole skin, in addition to any transparency built into the PNG.

To change the image’s dimensions, right-click the skin, choose Edit skin, change the number after W=, save the file, and select Refresh skin. Keep PreserveAspectRatio=1 so the logo remains proportional.

After positioning it, enable Settings > Click through so mouse clicks pass to the app underneath. Hold Ctrl temporarily to interact with the skin, or turn click-through off before moving it.

Fix common problems

• The watermark does not appear: Check that the file is named exactly watermark.png, that it sits beside skin.ini, and that the configuration was saved with an .ini extension. Use Refresh all, then load the skin again from the Skins menu.
• A box appears behind the logo: Use a PNG that actually has transparency and confirm BackgroundMode=1 is under the [Rainmeter] section.
• The picture looks stretched: Keep only the width value you want to change and leave PreserveAspectRatio=1 in place.
• You want to remove it: Right-click the image and select Unload skin. To close Rainmeter completely, right-click its notification-area icon and select Exit. The overlay disappears when the skin or app is unloaded.

For a recording or livestream

A desktop overlay is not part of the source file, and a recorder that captures only one application window may omit it. For a reliable watermark in a recording or stream, add the PNG as an Image source in the recording software’s scene and place it above the captured display or game. OBS Studio’s Image Sources guide confirms PNG alpha support and explains how source order controls what appears on top.