: Should I watermark my work? I am an art student who is trying to upload some digital work on a website. Do graphic designers typically watermark their work? If no, how do

@Alves566

In my line of work, I use vector based art 95% of the time. Basing a vector on a water marked photo is just as easy as a non-water marked one.

However absolutely water mark things you intend to sell such as stock photo's vector files, etc. At my job I am currently working on a program that uses high resolution images dye sublimated on to fabric. There is someone out there making good money off of my company buying those stock images.

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@Alves566

Only watermark if you're trying to license

There is only one time to watermark - when you're trying to sell the rights to the image such as a stock graphic. That's it.

A good watermark that can actually slow someone down, and I say slow down not stop, is one that ruins your photo, graphic or illustration. All it will do is make your art less appealing to people on the whole.

If its promotion you're after then just put in very small at the bottom your company name or website. If someone crops it off, oh well.

Also consider the additional space and time to watermark things. And oh does your Watermark not work on that image, so you had to create a variant watermark, awesome even more work for you for no reason.

The only exception is if you're trying to sell that actual piece.

So say I take a portrait of a model and turn it into an album cover for Acme Band with their logo and some other design elements and such. I'm not ever, ever, going to Watermark this.

If on the other hand I take a portrait of a model friend and put it up online to license then, and only then, would I watermark it.



Consider music. In recent times music theft has become a real problem first with Napster then Torrent. Do musicians play some very soft loop of their band name over every track now? Of course not!

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@Nimeshi706

If it's on the web.. watermarking doesn't hurt... but realize anything on the web will be stolen at some point.

If you are the over-protective type, never put anything on the web you don't want stolen.

A watermark really only deters casual theft, but anyone serious about using your work will either:


A) not care there's a mark or
B) use Photoshop to remove the mark as best they can.


So.... well... it's like putting your name on your lunch in the company refrigerator... sure it's supposed to stop people from eating it... but there's always that one guy.....

Photographers and Illustrators more commonly watermark because their final product is one image and for the web, that means it's often merely a low-resolution RGB version of their final creation.

Whereas designers often employ "construction" across multiple applications and a web image is often merely a "screenshot" of a final InDesign, or HTML layout. So the designer has native construction files that are far more involved -- leading to easier proof of ownership should it be needed.

Ultimately, I watermark web images. However, I have no illusion that watermarking is any sort of real deterrent. Just ask the guy that was making T-shirts of my artwork with the watermark in place :)

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@Kimberly620

Depends on why you watermark

You should not be so concerned with others swiping your designs. What you should be concerned is how to find clients and getting paid. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're going to lose money at this stage from copying, because even if it happens there's no real way for you to turn it into money.

Only care about money you can actually make. You can look at all the virtual money you've lost, but all that gets you is a bad feeling and is nonconstructive. You're not going to be very efficient in converting that effort into more money. So it's waste of your resources.

Second, even if you would watermark your work it is still not usable in a direct form. Rather, they would take your idea and reuse it because more than likely they need to alter your message. In these cases a watermark does not help, since there's nothing illegal about doing that.

Illustrators have a slightly different value proposition as their images might be applicable for a wide range of uses. Even so they should not care all that much. You can not protect yourself, really, sharing carries risk of re-purposing.

Using watermark as promotional

Now the watermark is not a terribly good defense for shielding you. Instead it can serve as a link back to you. Watermarks in this capacity would work more like signatures, and indeed you should consider not using a prominent watermark but rather have an easily removable one (e.g "done by XXX contact me at XYZ.org for work" etc.)

This is free promotion. In fact showing your work is free promotion. Treat it as such, not as something others take. Even if they do, don't bother, it's inconsequential. Treat the ones that like your work with respect and don't clutter them with things that degrade your work, these are the ones you want to concentrate on. Do proportionals with style and respect.

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