HOW-TO watermark your graphic designs!

[vip-ip]

I really hope this thread gets the "Sticky" status because of the amount of rip-offs around the web. A lot of comments were made about that people should put watermarks on their logos, banners, etc. :gl: But many don't know how to make one, or what a watermark is, so here's a quick 2-minute tutorial on creating a good watermark that will decrease the chances of your logos getting stolen by unfair scam artists that are so common nowadays.

1) Open up a 500x500 image in Photoshop. - 10 sec.
Use a transparent background. Pick #000000 (black) as the foreground color by pressing "D" to reset the settings of the colors.

Screenshot: http://www.fullfile.com/422447179001.gif



2) Pick an appropriate font and size of your watermark text. - 30 sec.
I use bold Tahoma or Verdana with smooth 18px letters. Type in your watermark, mine will be "VIP-IP.NET", in the middle of the image.

Screenshot: http://www.fullfile.com/2120804733002.gif



3) Rotate and crop. - 30 sec.
Go to Edit >> Free Transform. Rotate your image around 30* around the middle. Then, when your done, using the rectangular marquee tool select a rectangle around the words, and go to Image >> Crop.

Screenshot: http://www.fullfile.com/1970099886003.gif



4) Define pattern. - 20 sec.
Define Pattern and type in the name you would like for your pattern. Mine will be VIP-IP.NET

Screenshot: http://www.fullfile.com/759731364004.gif



You're done! Now, when you're doing a logo or such, to put a watermark in, create a new layer, go to Edit >> Fill and select your pattern. Set the opacity to around 15%, which is enough for a good watermark! Example:

Ta-da, here's the outcome of the watermarked logo: http://www.fullfile.com/165986370006.gif - and that is enough for a scammer to forget about stealing it. You can easily delete the layer with the watermark if a person wants to buy your artwork, but without the PSD file no one else can. :gl:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial

 

[armstrong]

Great post, vip. Since you are involved in many of these contests, perhaps you could add a link to this thread in your sig. I won't count it against the 4-line sig limit.

 

[vip-ip]

Yes, I will, and I'd appreciateit if others who are involved in such contests do the same.

 

[True_Snake]

Thanks for the post VIP :tu: !

I can't stress the importance of watermarks enough! Make sure they're not too dark; if they obstruct the client's view of the logo too much, then it could be a non-selling point of your work. Make sure it's visible, but not distructing the view by a large margin. In Fireworks MX 2004, move the transparency bar to about 10.

Another tip, an obvious one, is to change the colour of the watermark to white should the logo be mainly black.

Thanks for the post VIP!


True_Snake

 

[vip-ip]

Yes, True_Snake, I wanted to point that out. 10% could sometimes be not enough if your main focus is just text, which is why 15% is usually a lot more vibrant, while the artqork is not affected a whole lot.

 

[monaco]

Anyone have any info on free solutions (ie, not Digimarc) for digitally watermarking images?

 

[Devery]

My Tutorial, place text on work and change opacity to 20%

SHOCK ME SOCK ME SHOCK ME!

 

[komp]

My Tutorial, place text on work and change opacity to 20%

SHOCK ME SOCK ME SHOCK ME!

I was about to say that nice tip anyways

 

[PE-Steve]

Nice read, vip-ip

 

[Waupiman]

or you can put a pattern over the image that ruins it :P

 

[vip-ip]

My Tutorial, place text on work and change opacity to 20%

SHOCK ME SOCK ME SHOCK ME!

Sounds OK as long as it's not some place on a gradient. Example:

If someone has minimal photoshop skills they can patch up the SAMPLE part with a copy paste from the right, since the gradient is even. Instead, if you do this:

The watermark is almost invisible, but the artwork is still the main focus of the image, and it's not usable at the same time.

:tu: :tu: :tu:

or you can put a pattern over the image that ruins it :P

Yes, that is exactly how a watermark works! With the opacity at around 15% and fill at 20% it's almost unnoticable.

 

[sunken]

Very good technique for watermarking the image...

 

[komp]

Put lettering over image then, filter> overlay.
less time consuming.

 

[admans]

Nice info dude..thnx fer the info. Surely a Sticky post.

 

[depthskins.com]

great post dude. I was also looking for some besides digimarc. I bought it, used it. It's nice - it reduces quality and imprints your data into the image.

I don't like the image reduction so much because some clients would want to know what's up and also ppl can't get to judge your work properly. The data embedding...don't make sence imo because all that happens is that in PS someone would get to see your info...

What i really want it to do is for a pop up box to show in PS showing info and won't go away or allow to edit the image - lil more complex but hell, that would be effective.

Wow...just checked their site (digimarc) seems they included a feature i didn't know about...ImageBridge. hunting for my serial now. damn. lost it.

 

[jamx551]

It's such a cool and handy way to watermark logos! Thanks VIP-IP

 

[NeoXY]

Thanks for the post ! This will come in handy for the people who dont know about it or how to do it.

 

[will7]

Nice tutorial, but, what if you use Illustrator Lol, joke, its basically the same process anyway and I already know how to do them in Illustrator so I'm sorted

I'll definitely be using watermarks from now on. I thought that maybe things have changed here at NP and the contest holders can be trusted to not scam other members - obviously I was wrong.

The point is that we shouldn't have to watermark yet we do have to. It is the scammers who are ruining it for all the other designers and NP'ers! But, I suppose scamming won't stop, it's just something we are going to have to live with

 

[GeneCosta]

I usually do this all the time. Just make sure you overlap the logo/template/skin itself and try to do it at a "curve" or something so if they're moderately good at Photoshop they won't be able to copy > paste and blend it..

 

[vip-ip]

Will I get this thread to be "Sticky"? Armsrong, the way you like to move threads around - could you also remind people to watermark the image?