Ultimate photographers guide to watermark photos

How would you feel if you saw your visual masterpiece being claimed by someone else as theirs?

You’ve worked hard for that perfect shot, that perfect photo, only for someone to steal your credit…and your limelight.

With today’s digital technologies, it can be hard to keep tabs on your photos and images from being shared online without due credit for you – that is, without watermarking.

Watermarking can help protect your photos online

To help you make yours stay yours, you can watermark your files first before sharing them online!

A watermark is a message in the form of a stamp, logo, or signature that can be superimposed onto an image that you have created to help protect it from theft.

It’s simple – and your watermark photos or images can be generated online right in your browser. At WaterMarquee you can create your watermark online quickly and easily using absolutely FREE watermark software— Yes, it’s done right in your browser. That means you do not need to buy, learn and upgrade any special software.

 

 

Watermarking Photos – Guarding your art against theft

Watermarks are a great tool to reduce the chances of someone taking your images, photos, or logo and using them unscrupulously without your permission.

Your creativity is something that you want people to see, appreciate and know that it is yours. By using the same watermark on all your images and photos, a watermark could become your ‘brand’ or signature.

It can also contain some of the metadata information on your images or photos when it is downloaded. Just make sure you put that information in the metadata name and description.

Double protection

You have more protection on your properties by using both the watermark and metadata tags. Try using a watermark with your name or website. Just ensure it’s included in the metadata as well. The shot, for instance, is a swing on the porch. The metadata could be a porch swing with information about the date and the website.

How can watermarking help enhance your brand?

Enterprises such as Coca Cola and Visa use watermark logos for their merchandise or services. You will see them on everything from their letterheads to sales sheets. If you are going to use your company’s watermark logo, you need to make sure it’s the right logo, one that’s best suited to your market. Is it something that suits the company? If you are a vegetarian food photographer, you won’t want to use an ‘auto’ logo.

Is it built well; the right colors, the right font? The logo may be the name of the company, or it may only be a clip art image, but it should be something that is readily identified with the company, no matter which one you choose. Can people instantly recognize it, because they know that it’s the product mark when they see it?

Are all watermarking services made equal?

No, but choosing the right watermarking service is not as hard as you might think. It is knowing what you need when it comes to watermark photos, logos and images. You need to consider the size of the photo or image an online watermarking service allows you to upload. How many pictures or images you can watermark at one time. Some sites only allow one at a time with a free account.

What does Watermarquee offer that others don’t?

With Watermarquee there’s no need for installation, it is easy to use, and is customizable. The service provides a genuinely free edition, as well as a ‘ Pro’ WaterMarquee – a Premium option. It is easy to use and offers watermarks for text and logos. The font, its size, and color can be changed. Templates can be used to render the watermark. Upload the symbol, so that you can likewise watermark it.

With the free version, you can watermark five images at once, so it takes less time to get them finished. The’ Pro’ version (a paid version) can accommodate unlimited numbers of photos. There are other sites out there which can be used to watermark the images online.

Compare the features, ease of use and quality first before you take the plunge and bring out your credit card. Water Marquee is one, if not the most, hassle-free and efficient watermarking service.

Will watermarking compromise the quality of my work?

Some are hesitant to watermark their images because they feel like they are compromising the quality of their works. The truth is that if watermarking is done right, it could even add value to your photos, especially if you plan on selling it. Customer support is a vital consideration, especially for newbies. You’ll want a company that’s fast and helpful in providing support. If you have never done watermarking or used a watermark maker before, find a site that offers tips or guidance for beginners.

What are the costs?

The cost is one of the essential factors to consider when choosing a watermark service. Do they have different cost-based packages, require a monthly fee or an annual fee or merely a one-off lifetime rate? Should you go for “free” services? After all, why pay for something that you can get without costing a penny? Well, free services usually only offer limited watermarks. However, our watermark service offers outstanding customer service, multiple images to be watermarked at once, and consistent completed watermarked pictures, all at the very reasonable one-off lifetime fee of $19.

 

The ultimate guide to choosing the best watermark maker

It could be confusing how to choose the right watermark service. It will take – on your part to make some effort. What to look for in finding a watermark maker is half the battle. The other aspect is the versatility of the watermark producer.

In addition to knowing what to look for in a watermark service, you need to know what kind of watermark you will use. It could take you a little more time and effort. It depends on which type of product or service you provide and how often you take pictures, pictures or other items with a watermark.

         

Remax uses a very low Opacity – to add their watermark to every Image

A realtor, for example, may use watermarks more often than a business offering products or services. Each photo that a realtor uses on the internet can be marked with a watermark.

So you have selected the best watermark, now how do you choose the best watermark maker? Do you know what to look for? Let’s think about some essential things for you to consider, about a watermark service.

Essential elements in choosing a watermark maker

• Ease of Use

You want to find an easy to test and use watermark supplier.  Ask, do I need a professional device installation? Don’t waste time installing software in your device. Life is too short!

• Batch Watermarking

Look for a watermarking maker to watermark more than one object or picture at a time, so that you can complete the job more efficiently.

• Features

You want to be able to change fonts, colors, opacity, and other features – easily.

• Upload

Search for a watermark creator to upload multiple images. Could I directly create a Watermark in my browser, or will my pictures be saved on a different server?

• Saving and Downloading

It should be easy to edit and save–so you can still come back and modify the watermark you created.

• Support

You need to make sure that excellent user assistance is available.

• Added Value

The quality is an important consideration, depending on your budget. Does the watermarking service offer a FREE version –such as https://watermarquee.com/

Should I require additional functions and switching to a paid service later – does it provide unlimited use–or can I pay a one-off lifetime price? Must I enter my email information if I choose the FREE Service–to trigger a barrage of unwanted emails?

WaterMarquee provides a batch watermark; customer support; both free and premium paid accounts; and is simple to use. It’s easy to save and download your watermark. Templates are also available to use. This helps you to change the font, color and opacity you want to use.

Start with the free service and check it out, then you can go to the premium’ Pro’ account; by paying a one-time fee of less than $20.00.

• Check how they charge

While some online watermark websites charge an on-going monthly fee – you don’t have to pay it.  Watermarquee Pro offers you a full watermarking service for a one-time fee of just $19.

So, you’ve decided to sign up with Watermarquee — Great!

Congratulations! That may be one of the best decisions you’ve made in your professional career!

 

TIPS to ensure the Perfect Watermark

If you’re new to watermarking, we’ve got some tips to help you make a beautiful watermark.

• Watermark the ‘final’ scale/size images

Make sure the file scale size is the ‘finished’ size you’ll use before you apply the watermark

If you mark the full-size image – then – scale it down – the watermark may be too small to be viewed or read. You want people to be able to read it.

Sizing the images to the finished size before the watermark is added removes the watermark from becoming so small it cannot be seen.

• It’s time to upload your photos

Upload all the photos, including the logo that you’ll be watermarking. Choose one of your pictures to focus on, add your logo or text, or both, in the online editor.

• Designing your watermark

If designing your watermark, remember the viewer. Place it where it CAN’T be sliced easily but does not draw the viewer’s attention to the watermark – but rather allows the focus to be on the picture subject.

Ensure the logo and text are readable and accurate. Try to keep the watermark hidden, so that it does not appear explicitly, but does not disappear entirely into the background. The object of the watermark is to preserve pictures; if not seen, the image cannot be saved. But, if it is too bold in appearance, it distracts the attention from the photographic subject.

Remember to Save Your Image with Your New Watermark

• Use an opaque or ‘semi-transparent’ watermark

It allows the viewer to see the entire photo, but still, the watermark will be visible. If your color is dim or earth-coloured, use white or light grey for the milky watermark, but use a dark grey or black misty watermark if it is a vivid backdrop such as yellow or green. The contrast will help to make the watermark noticeable without disturbing itself and helps keep the attention on the composition and not on the watermark.

Your work is what you want to be noticed; the watermark is only a protection device for your work.

• Location, Location, Location!

Place your watermark on the part of the image that won’t distract the viewer’s attention yet will still be challenging to remove.

A staggering 85 per cent of people use the default ‘Top Left’ position to place their watermark-when they could have dragged it manually to a different location.

Most people can skip the importance of finding the perfect place for their watermark on their images. Go and have a try for free at Watermarquee to watermark photos and see for yourself how easy it is to move the watermark around.

The position of a watermark may depend on the reason why you’re using a watermark. There are mostly two driving factors why you want to shield your pictures:

• You’re selling your photos; or y
• You’re stopping potential unauthorized use of them.

In this shot, you can still enjoy the gallery by putting the watermark logo in the centre. It is essential to make copying your work impossible for anyone by making the watermark very clear.

• Watermark all your photos, not just the high-resolution images

You may be able to set up the Copyright Information setting in the device configuration menu depending on your computer; however, do not focus on this option alone as it can be removed from apps or social media sites such as Twitter. With the 1,000s of images posted, social media sites are an excellent marketing tool; preserving your photo is vital.

• Check the font to be used in the Watermark Logo

Check the font for the text to make sure it’s easy to read. Some of the fancier fonts can be difficult to read when they’re tiny or blurred, so it’s always good to test the font until you make the final watermark. It also makes cropping out of the picture more complicated. It means it is less likely that people will use it for their own needs. Remember to put the watermark in an area which makes it more challenging to cut it out of the picture or paint it over.

Watermarking Bottomline

Watermarking services can help protect your photos and images from theft. Having a watermark that is your brand also makes your work easily recognizable. Nevertheless, it is your choice whether you choose to watermark or not.

You can use a watermark online service such as WaterMarquee to make watermarks on your photos in batches so it takes less time. Watermarquee offer free and paid services have many features and excellent customer support. The site is easy to use – to make your watermark – hassle-free to save.

You probably have some watermarking questions, so we went ahead and, based on the frequently asked questions we receive, we have pre-answered them for you. You’re welcome!

Is Watermarquee really free?

Yes – WaterMarquee offers a free watermark software version. The FREE service doesn’t cost you a penny to be able to use it.

There is no subscription service – we won’t even ask for an email address. It is all done right in your server. When you get a chance – Go on – Give it a go!

The ‘cons’ are that you can only do 5 images at a time, and the free version offers only a limited number of fonts and colors.

The Watermarquee Pro – ‘paid’ version ($19 Pay once, use Forever), however, offers an unlimited number of photos or images, more fonts, colors, and even more templates and other tools. Get the most for your buck!  People from all over the world – think so.

What should I use as a watermark?

Again this is your choice, but you should think about it carefully and make sure it is something you can live with for a long time—if not permanently. Artists sign their work; even photographers can sign their name as a watermark. Whatever you choose, you need to be sure it fits your work so later you wouldn’t want to change it.

The more you change it, the more confusing it is for your clients; you’d want people to see it an immediately know and recognize that this is your work.

Can I watermark more than one photo or image at a time?

Generally, yes you can, but how many at once depends on the software you are using. WaterMarquee does five at once for the Free version and unlimited for the Pro version.

Where should I put my watermark?

When placing your watermark, to put it in an area that is not easy to remove; for instance, place a part of it on the object of the photo and part in the background. If the object is a person, however, you may put part of it on an arm or leg and the rest in the background area.

Is a paid watermark service worth the price?

That depends on how many photos or images you need to watermark. If your budget does not allow you to purchase it or you just wish to save money, then you may opt for the WaterMarquee free watermark service and wait for your business to grow.  It’s a great option for those photographers just starting out.

Is watermark also copyright?

A watermark helps identify your work, but it isn’t true copyright. It can help prove the work is yours, though.

Is there something else along with watermarking my photos- to help protect them?

Yes, if your camera has a copyright feature – ensure that it is on!  Don’t forget to also add important information like date, time, and name to the meta-description of your image.

If your question is not answered here (sorry!), you may send our awesome team of customer support agents your concerns, comments, and suggestions, and they will get back to you quicker than you can say:     “Hey, those are my photos!”