Watermark Positioning...

[brandofamily]

What's better/ preferred... watermark in middle of pic (acroos the main subject) or watermark at top or bottom (not covering main subject)...I am trying to reduce theft, but still not detur sales...

[Steve Cavigliano]

What's better/ preferred... watermark in middle of pic (acroos the main subject) or watermark at top or bottom (not covering main subject)...I am trying to reduce theft, but still not detur sales...

Watermarking the top or bottom of the photo kind of defeats the purpose of watermarking. If someone can crop out the watermark and wind up with an image of the main subject, you have done yourself a disservice, IMHO.

Make your watermark large and transparent and it shouldn't deter sales while affording maximum protection for your images.

Steve

[mrcoons]

Watermarking the top or bottom of the photo kind of defeats the purpose of watermarking. If someone can crop out the watermark and wind up with an image of the main subject, you have done yourself a disservice, IMHO.

Make your watermark large and transparent and it shouldn't deter sales while affording maximum protection for your images.

Steve

Ow. I had not thought of that, Steve. Now I really feel a need to make a change!

[xtnomad]

I have started using the tile effect. You start out by making a smaller watermark and selecting the tile in the drop down menu on the last view to save. I like this because it seems to appear on one part of the main subject. But it depends on what you are shooting. My two cents.

http://rtm-ltd.smugmug.com/photos/70273285-M-1.jpg

[mrcoons]

I have started using the tile effect. You start out by making a smaller watermark and selecting the tile in the drop down menu on the last view to save. I like this because it seems to appear on one part of the main subject. But it depends on what you are shooting. My two cents.

http://rtm-ltd.smugmug.com/photos/70273285-M-1.jpg
I like that idea. It works much better than this:
http://MusicMan5.smugmug.com/photos/104408363-M-1.jpg

[mrcoons]

This is much better, thanks for the tip!
http://MusicMan5.smugmug.com/photos/104259974-M-2.jpg
:s85

[Asmodeus]

Do you need to be that intrusive? I just run one line across the center of the photo...

http://photocommand.smugmug.com/photos/107694189-M-2.jpg

[ChuckWC]

This is obviously very subjective and everyone has their own preference. I know for myself, if I'm looking at photos that have very obtrusive watermarks, I tend to quickly lose patience and move on to a different website.

I've seen some watermarks that are so dark and take up so much of the image that I have a hard time appreciating the actual image itself.

It's because of those reasons that I created a very subtle watermark for my own images. In some of them, you don't even realize there is a watermark at first glance. My thought is that this way, people can enjoy the image, but if they decide to just copy it, my watermark is still there. And, yes, I have different "shades" of opacity for my watermark that I use depending on the image. Here are a couple of samples:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/103347909-M.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/112596751-M.jpg

[cusack01]

Guys, I know people say you SHOULD splash your watermark on the middle of the picture, but for those who do want to position it on the bottom of the pic for example (for whatever reason), is it possible?

[Art Scott]

What's better/ preferred... watermark in middle of pic (acroos the main subject) or watermark at top or bottom (not covering main subject)...I am trying to reduce theft, but still not detur sales...

i use an ugly bright watermark and have been complimented by some publishing comapnies as it is a real deterent for people ro steal the image

[bendruckerphoto]

I find myself removing watermarks and reducing the visibility of them when I do use them as I continue in business. I watermark things that I think people will buy as long as it's not easy to steal. When potential thieves wouldn't be buying my photos anyway, I don't see it as so much of a threat to me.

[SamirD]

Guys, I know people say you SHOULD splash your watermark on the middle of the picture, but for those who do want to position it on the bottom of the pic for example (for whatever reason), is it possible?Yes it is!
http://newpics.huntsvillecarscene.com/photos/589244223_CELd6-M-1.jpg

I also set the largest size to Medium. This way, if they somehow end up with a copy of the image (which they can), it's small and will make a crappy 4x6 print.

[JohnBiggs]

Yes it is!


I also set the largest size to Medium. This way, if they somehow end up with a copy of the image (which they can), it's small and will make a crappy 4x6 print.

I think fewer people stealing images, steal them for prints. They want to use it as a desktop, or facebook image, or something else.

[JohnBiggs]

I just started tiling too.

Here is a recent example. I had a non-tiled before, but because of the difference in landscape and portrait it doesn't always prove effective.

http://www.biggstudios.com/photos/555271393_ppX6W-M-2.jpg

[SamirD]

I think fewer people stealing images, steal them for prints. They want to use it as a desktop, or facebook image, or something else.But that's what the share button should be preventing. :scratch

[attorneyjay]

I think fewer people stealing images, steal them for prints. They want to use it as a desktop, or facebook image, or something else.
I agree. The photos don't print very well anyway when copied, saved and printed. People satisfied with that print quality aren't going to buy my photos anyway.

So, I don't image protect my photos. Those who do copy it to FB, MySpace etc. typically leave my watermark on. My watermark is my website address so those who copy and save it to the web are giving me free advertising and driving people back to my site to view more photos. I use a fairly large watermark with about 70% opacity at the bottom of my photos. It stretches from one side of the photo to the other. Typically prominent enough to ruin it as a print and discouraging cropping because important aspects of the photo would be chopped off.

I am open to a low opacity, moderately obtrusive centered watermark, but I tried it once and still wasn't comfortable with how it spoiled the effect of the photo.

I think it really depends on how possessive you want to be about your photos and how stringent you are about giving anything away for free. I want to sell photos and I do what I think are pretty decent, regular sales, but I also want people to have a very enjoyable experience if they simply want to view the photos online at my site. I suppose I can take this approach because selling photos is not how I earn a living. I'm in it for fun more than profit.

Jay

[rimglow]

What's better/ preferred... watermark in middle of pic (acroos the main subject) or watermark at top or bottom (not covering main subject)...I am trying to reduce theft, but still not detur sales...

Here's what I came up with, for my Stock gallery. Watermark is at 50% opacity.