Should Artist Watermark Art: And How-To

Watermark Artwork

Building brand recognition and name recognition as an artist online is simple, share images of your art on your artist website and all social media platforms. 

Sharing your online portfolio to potential buyers will increase the odds of you landing a sale. Unfortunately, some people steal art and upload it on their site and claim it is theirs. 

I still believe that there are more good people in the world. Unfortunately, you should always take extra steps to protect your artwork. Adding a visual watermark on your online images is one way to discourage people from stealing your creations.  

This post will explain the pros and cons of adding a watermark to your images and how to add watermarks to photos using different tools.

For alternative ways to protect your art online, visit How To Protect Your Art Images On WordPress.

What Is A Watermark On Art

A digital watermark is a symbol, logo, or name embedded in digital images verifying the individual or business’s authenticity and identity.

Some companies and artists watermark their digital images to prevent the image from being stolen or to build brand awareness. 

Watermark Examples

Below are two examples of a digital images of my artwork with a watermark.

The first image has the word “watermark” going diagonal.

The second image has the text “Art By Dave Nevue” towards the bottom of the image.

Both watermarks make it more difficult for people to steal the image. 

However, the second image also builds name recognition. 

Pros And Cons Of Watermarked Photos

Before you start putting watermarks on all the images you share online, let’s go over watermarking images’ pros and cons.

Pros Of A Visual Watermark

Brand: A watermark is not only used to protect an image. Businesses also watermark their photos to build brand awareness. When people look at their pictures, they see the company’s name or the business logo.

Protect The Image – Even though a watermark will not guarantee your image will not be stolen, a watermark will discourage most people from trying to use your pictures as their own.

Signature – Building name recognition is essential to art marketing and increasing your creations’ value. Some artists use a watermark as their signature on digital images.

Cons Of A Visual Watermark

Does Not Guarantee Your Image Is Safe – Watermarks make it more challenging for people to use images that are not theirs, but there are savvy people on Photoshop and can remove the watermarks to use the image as theirs. 

Distraction – A watermark can make it an unpleasant experience for the viewer and lower the original artwork’s value. A watermark might be why a potential buyer is discouraged from making a purchase. 

Copyright – Some people might think that a watermark is the same as a copyright, but a watermark has no legal value.

Should Artists Watermark Their Digital Images

Your business goals and marketing strategies determine adding a watermark to your images.

• A watermark might work for you if you want to make it more challenging for people to steal your art.
• If your goal is to build name recognition, adding your signature might work well for you.
• If you do not want any distractions on your artwork, a watermark will not be in your best interest.

Review your business goals and decide if a watermark will help or harm your business.

Here are different ways to add a watermark to digital images if you decide that a watermark will add value to your art business.

How To Watermark Photos For Free

An easy way to add a watermark on an image for free is by using Canva. 

You might already be familiar with Canva if you are using it to create social media images. But you can do much more on Canva than just creating social media art. 

How To Make A Watermark On Canva

To create a watermark on Canva, log into your free or pro Canva account.

Click the Upload icon on the left to upload the image you want to watermark. Place the uploaded image on a white template.

Click Text on the left, then choose the font style, size, and color on top.

Adjust the transparency by clicking the transparency icon on the top right.

Drag and drop the text to the desired location.

How To Watermark Photos In Photoshop

Open the image if you want to add a watermark in Photoshop.

Create a duplicate of the image and lock the original image, so you do not alter the original image.

Click on the Type icon located on the left and click on the image.

Choose the font style, size, and color on the top menu bar.

You can add a copyright symbol if you have one in Photoshop. To learn how to add a copyright symbol in Photoshop, visit How Do I Type the Copyright Symbol in Photoshop.

When you have completed the watermark, move the text by clicking the Move icon and drag, and drop the text to the desired location.

Best Watermark Software

There are other tools available created, especially for adding watermarks to images.

Top Watermark software:

• iWatermark Pro – for Windows
• Uconomix – for Windows, Mac, and iOS
• Arclab – for Windows
• Watermark Image – for Windows and Mac

Final Thoughts On Should Artist Watermark Their Artwork

You might be asking yourself, what are some tips for creating a good watermark?

The best tip we can give you is not to allow the watermark to interfere with your artwork. You do not want the watermark to cover the image so the viewer can not appreciate your artwork.

The objective of showing your art online is to increase your art sales by reaching more art collectors online. Adding a distracting watermark could tarnish your reputation if you are not careful.

Review the pros and cons of watermarking and decide if watermarking your images is best for your art business.

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