If you send photos to clients before they pay, share your work online or supply images to other businesses, you have probably seen your photos turn up somewhere they shouldn’t. Choosing to watermark photos won’t stop every misuse, but it makes your work harder to take and easier to trace back to you.
This guide covers when to watermark photos, how to do it well and how to use Etch, our free watermark tool, to mark a whole shoot at once.
When a watermark makes sense
- Client proofs sent before payment or final approval.
- Portfolio images shared on social media or with other businesses.
- Property, product or event photos that others might reuse without asking.
- Design drafts and mock-ups sent for feedback.
When to skip it
A heavy watermark can make your own website look cluttered and less trustworthy. For final images a client has paid for, and for the main photos on your own site, a clean image usually works better. Real, well-presented photos build trust. See real photos vs stock images.
Corner mark or tiled?
A corner mark is subtle and looks professional, but it takes seconds to crop out.
A tiled watermark repeats your mark diagonally across the whole photo. It is far harder to remove without ruining the image, which makes it the better choice for proofs and anything you are worried about.
Getting the opacity right
You want the photo to be clearly visible, but removing the mark to be a mess. As a starting point:
- Around 40 to 60% opacity for a corner mark.
- Around 20 to 35% for a tiled mark, since it covers far more of the picture.
- Add a shadow when marking bright photos, or white text will disappear against a white background.
How to use Etch
Open Etch, our free watermark tool, then:
- Drop in your photos, one or the whole shoot at once. JPG, PNG and WebP all work.
- Choose text or a logo. For text, set the font, size and colour. For a logo, a PNG with a transparent background works best. See logo files explained.
- Set the size, opacity, rotation and position, or turn on tiling.
- Choose the export format and size, then apply and download. Batches come back as a single ZIP.
The placement is proportional, so it lands correctly on both portrait and landscape shots. Your photos never leave your device, and your originals are never changed. Etch only ever gives you new copies. And unlike many free watermark tools, it doesn’t add a watermark of its own.
Tips for a better watermark
- Keep it on brand. Use your logo or business name in your brand font and colours. See what a brand style guide is.
- Keep it readable but quiet. The photo is still the point.
- Export at a sensible size for where the photo is going. Smaller copies for social media are also less useful to anyone who takes them.
- Keep your unmarked originals backed up and organised.
A watermark is not a legal right
In Australia, copyright in a photo generally exists automatically, whether or not it has a watermark. A watermark simply makes ownership obvious and misuse less tempting. If you are concerned about how your work is being used, get proper advice.
Want help presenting your work?
Madexify helps small businesses across Pakenham, Officer, Beaconsfield, Berwick, Narre Warren, Cranbourne, Clyde and Bunyip with branding, portfolio websites and social media content that shows their work at its best. See our branding and visual identity services, or contact us to talk about your brand.
This article is part of our Small Business Branding Guide. Browse all our guides on the guides page.
