# Watermarks on pictures



## steve2109 (Jul 24, 2012)

I notice a lot of pictures on here are watermarked. Is that to protect any unauthorized use of them or to advertise your own websites ?. Might look at doing it myself, any good programs to use?.. i currently use Aperture 3 (just invested in a macbook). any tips would be appreciated, hope this doesn't end up in the pit !!

Steve


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## PaulPowers (Jul 24, 2012)

My view on watermarks is pretty well known

Please just make it small so it doesn't detract from the pic


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## UEP-Wales (Jul 24, 2012)

I use watermarks just to prevent others from using the pics without giving credit. I only started as local media decided to use some of my Billy Banks images and more recently Site Y and M made local news. None had my permission.

They can be created easily enough and there are a few guides online to assist in your software. I've never used it myself so can't really help there. 

-Thread Moved to "General Stuff"


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## krela (Jul 24, 2012)

If someone wants to use your pictures they will with or without watermarks.


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## PaulPowers (Jul 24, 2012)

the watermarks normally just get removed then the pics get used anyway


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## daimo_45 (Jul 24, 2012)

You can watermark in Aperture


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## Derelict-UK (Jul 24, 2012)

I use mine after the sheer amount of images that were stolen when I posted my rover pics.

Without putting them through the middle I put them in the lower right of the image, yes it can be cropped but not many people do that unless it is a newspaper in which case you can get them to pay up.

According to Google Analytics 99% of the traffic to my website is direct and the only way I can think that is, is from my watermarks.

I couldn't give a monkey's about what other people think about my W/M's If they are not on the images, the images are not on the net.

Oh and I use Photoshop Actions to do the watermarks.


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## night crawler (Jul 24, 2012)

Urbex-SW said:


> I use watermarks just to prevent others from using the pics without giving credit. I only started as local media decided to use some of my Billy Banks images and more recently Site Y and M made local news. None had my permission.
> 
> They can be created easily enough and there are a few guides online to assist in your software. I've never used it myself so can't really help there.
> 
> -Thread Moved to "General Stuff"



Well you should be able to put you copyright in the camera Exif data you look at my photo's and you will find spuduka in there along with my real name. Doubt it would stop people stealing your photo's but at lest you have the proof in the original photo.


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## UEP-Wales (Jul 24, 2012)

night crawler said:


> Well you should be able to put you copyright in the camera Exif data you look at my photo's and you will find spuduka in there along with my real name. Doubt it would stop people stealing your photo's but at lest you have the proof in the original photo.



I've done that a few times but to be honest I keep forgetting - also seems easier to remove that information that a watermark on some images. Like you say, the proof is in the original photo


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## UrbanX (Jul 24, 2012)

I named and shamed 10 websites that stole my images! I put mine in the corners, sure they can be easily cropped, but I'd say my unauthorised use rate has gone down to 5% of what it used to be, just be having a visible mark on there. 
I had a newspaper crop one off. I invoiced them, they paid. Simples.


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## nelly (Jul 24, 2012)

I watermark all my piccies, I would like to think it reduces picture theft but I really don't believe that it does, so I suppose that my water mark is just a shameless plug for my blog, which indecently can be found here....... http://nellyurbex.blogspot.co.uk/


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## steve2109 (Jul 24, 2012)

nelly said:


> I watermark all my piccies, I would like to think it reduces picture theft but I really don't believe that it does, so I suppose that my water mark is just a shameless plug for my blog, which indecently can be found here....... http://nellyurbex.blogspot.co.uk/



[email protected] Nelly.....

thanks for all the responses guys


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## PaulPowers (Jul 24, 2012)

nelly said:


> I watermark all my piccies, I would like to think it reduces picture theft but I really don't believe that it does, so I suppose that my water mark is just a shameless plug for my blog, which indecently can be found here....... http://nellyurbex.blogspot.co.uk/



I'm shocked that you would flaunt your obvious spam so publicly


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## strider8173 (Jul 25, 2012)

i watermark my images for the simple fact that people no its my image and if anyone uses it without my say so, i sue them. 

and i use photoshop.


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## bigtip (Jul 25, 2012)

seems like the choice is yours really on this watermark Q and A post like some others on here i would say people will crop or remove where poss the watermark and use the photo anyway if you can get people to pay for them like one of the people here then great (don't think mine are of that standard).


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## WarlockUK (Jul 27, 2012)

I created an Automator script to watermark mine and remove all EXIF data.


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## Ratters (Jul 27, 2012)

Completely up to you mate  Some do, some don't, some use a name, some use big logos.......

The choices are endless


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## Stussy (Aug 30, 2012)

I have started to watermark my photo's well its more of my flickr addy, but it could easily cropped out. If someone stole my pics, shame on them, cause they ain't that good anyway 

If your looking for a FREE software to do it, and it is completely free and does pretty much everything that Adobe does, I would suggest GIMP Software. Very simple to use and there are plenty of tutorials on Youtube.

http://www.gimp.org/


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## Munchh (Sep 16, 2012)

Yeah, Gimp is good.


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## UrbexMami (Nov 1, 2012)

I am not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination, I wouldn't know how to watermark my pictures. 
I just hope when I finally manage to upload some pics that they do the site justice x


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## The Archivist (Nov 1, 2012)

Hmm, old thread. 
I never watermark (except for maps and plans which I've drawn) because unless it's subtle, it looks ugly. I've only had my images stolen twice that I'm aware of and both times the threat of legal action or of contacting the hosting company has produced the desired results. 

My main irritation at the moment is people who use my site histories without credit, It should be common courtesy. If you plagiarise you immediately go down in my estimation by several points, no matter how good your pics are.


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## Wakey Lad (Nov 1, 2012)

End of the day, If you upload photos to the internet watermarked or not, if somebody wants to steal your photos, they can and will regardless. If you don’t want them to be stolen, then don’t upload them……….


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## The Archivist (Nov 1, 2012)

Partly, but that doesn't mean that if you have your photos stolen you shouldn't ask for them to be removed and/or threaten legal action. 
If everyone who didn't want their photos stolen refrained from uploading them, the internet would be a dull place indeed.


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## ImmortalShadow (Nov 1, 2012)

I've started to resize my images before I put them on facebook or flickr as well as put watermarks on them (I don't bother to watermark my flickr photos, though).

I use EasyBatchPhoto to watermark mine


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## Bones out (Nov 2, 2012)

I wish someone would steal one of my photos................


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