Watermarks - what's the best?
Watermarks - what's the best?
Author
Discussion

ZombieLaMuerta

Original Poster:

19,633 posts

248 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
quotequote all
Watermarking images has always been my downfall, I never seem able to make something balance between looking good, protecting the image and not being distracting. What kind of watermark suits the above criteria???

AndWhyNot

2,359 posts

228 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
quotequote all
The bigger it is, the more you need to reduce opacity IMO. I've cycled through a few and settled on simply using my web address. By rotating the text to vertical orientation it's less intrusive for any given size. White text with opacity usually between 20-40%. Positioning is always in a corner but which corner is image dependent.

What you posted up yesterday *might* be ok for signwriting or letterhead but was competing for dominance with the main image.

Craikeybaby

12,067 posts

254 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
quotequote all
It depends on the type of image to be honest. When I was doing a lot of event work, selling prints and downloads I used a fairly big watermark. I also went for a squarish one, so that cropping it out would ruin the image, but lowered the opacity.

These days if I use a watermark, it is a subtle one on the bottom corner of the image, usually in black or white.

ZombieLaMuerta

Original Poster:

19,633 posts

248 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
quotequote all
I need to have a play. The Zombie one was to get the logo known more than anything as I'll be having the car sign written once the wife has her project.


GetCarter

31,229 posts

308 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
quotequote all
I'm probably in the minority here. Hate them. Never used them. Never will.

Would take me 20 secs to remove them/crop them out/ clone them out - and they ruin perfectly good photos.

I just don't see why people do it, as copyright is the same with or without them.

Would I ever put bum notes into my music so people couldn't steal it? wink

As I say... I understand that I swim against the tide on this. Each to his own.

markmullen

15,877 posts

263 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
quotequote all
GetCarter said:
I'm probably in the minority here. Hate them. Never used them. Never will.

Would take me 20 secs to remove them - and they ruin perfectly good photos.

I just don't see why people do it, as copyright is the same with or without them.

Would I ever put bum notes into my music so people couldn't steal it? wink

As I say... I understand that I swim against the tide on this. Each to his own.
I'm with you on this one GC, I don't spend ages on composition just to spoil it with some 72 point.

Each to their own, as you say.

Simpo Two

92,697 posts

294 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
quotequote all
GetCarter said:
Would I ever put bum notes into my music so people couldn't steal it? wink
It was the only reason I could think of for them... biggrin

paul911

2,771 posts

262 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
quotequote all
I've recently started using a watermark as I was fed up of people pinching my pics. With a polite request most people will remove, but some just ignore you. So I now consider the watermark as an advert biggrin

I think the OPs watermark is OTT but it certainly stops people cropping or cloning out, so maybe the OP has it right idea

Edited by paul911 on Wednesday 24th July 19:13

MartinP

1,275 posts

267 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
quotequote all
I don't bother watermarking any of the images I put on my website as I don't want to distract from the photos. Anything that goes on social media will be watermarked though, mainly for advertising.

flat-planedCrank

3,697 posts

232 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
quotequote all
I've always just used a small web link & logo in the corner. I try to make it just visible so not to distract (yes, I eyeball the logo transparency for every photo rolleyes)

I don't think it gives much protection from people stealing photos, more useful for a small part of advertising perhaps.


In terms of protecting the image, resolution & compression are probably your biggest defences imo.