Gone are the days that watermarks are only for photographers protecting their images. These days knowing how to watermark your images is crucial for anyone creating visual content. Why is that?
There are 3 MAJOR benefits of watermarking blog images:
➽It’s a unique identifier that builds brand recognition
➽It can elevate the perceived quality of your visuals {if done right}
➽It can ensure you get credit when those thieving trolls strike
The easy {but incredibly stale} way of watermarking a photo is simply adding your url or brand name via text somewhere on your image.
The problem with that is that you don’t foster brand recognition OR elevate the perceived quality of your content.
And let’s be honest, it’s really easy to crop out a line of text from an image, so the watermark is easy to eliminate.
Rather than wasting your time with stale and ineffective ways of watermarking, I want to show you 5 ways you can create a branded watermark for your images so you’ll get all the benefits mentioned above.
Here are 5 effective styles of branded watermarks:
1. USE YOUR FULL LOGO
One of the easiest ways to brand your watermark is by using the most identifying element in your branding…your logo.
This strategy is only effective for text based, simple and flat logos. If your logo is busy, has more than 3 colors, or is 3D, I would avoid using strategy for your watermark.
Here are some examples of effective full logo watermarks:
Take care to note how the following 4 brands change the color of their logo to achieve complementary contrast between the watermark and the image.
Don’t feel restricted by the color of your logo when it comes to using it as a watermark. That doesn’t mean you should haphazardly use any color of the rainbow. Instead, stick with neutral colors, primarily black, white and grays, when it comes to color options for your logo watermark.
{Daniela Uslan}
2. USE A SYMBOL OR ELEMENT FROM YOUR LOGO
If your full logo falls into any of the ‘not effective’ categories mentioned in #1, a great solution is to use a single element from your full logo. This is an especially effective strategy if you have any flat icons in your logo.
Take a look at how these brands use icon elements from their full logo to create a seamlessly branded watermark:
Krista’s Full Logo
{Krista Wiltbank}
Weal’s Full Logo
Dishes and Dust Bunnies Full Logo
3. CREATE A BRANDED SUBMARK
A submark is an alternative brand element that is pulled from and inspired from a full logo. In short, it’s a variation of your logo.
Creating a branded submark is a great strategy for brands with long brand names, and any brand with a more involved logo design. Beside simplifying full logos, submarks are extremely effective as watermarks because they are circular in shape and fit nicely in the corner of images.
Take a look at how these brands have used a branded submark as their watermark:
{Peg Fitzpatrick}
4. A BRANDING BAR {OR IMAGE FOOTER}
A branding bar is a really simple way to create a watermark that unifies a brands visual content. Think of a branding bar as a footer for images as it typically appears at the very bottom of images. It consists of nothing more than text {in a branded typeface} with or without other elements pulled from branding guidelines.
Take a look at two highly effective versions of a watermark branding bar:
5. SHOWCASE A PHOTOGRAPH {OR BRANDED SELFIE}
An incredibly unique and personalized way to create a highly memorable and effective branded watermark is to use a photograph of the individual behind the brand. One of the pioneers of this strategy is Anna Bennett, who was etched into my memory almost instantaneously after I discovered her content on Pinterest. I call that brand recognition at it’s finest!
Take a look at her photograph based watermark:
WRAP UP
There you have it!
5 ways to watermark your images that will ensure you’re fostering brand recognition, elevating the perception of your images and getting the credit you deserve for your visual content.
Remember, watermarking isn’t reserved for photographers anymore. It’s something you MUST add to your visual content creation checklist or you’re going to be missing out on some serious branding power.
If you want to pair an equally delicious branded blog image with your new branded watermark check out my post, ‘A Blogger’s Guide To Branding Images’ and find out how to create a highly effective branded blog image.
Watermark on, Buttercup!
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Dre – Truly great article – A LOT to think about and consider.
Thanks, brotha man! If you find yourself thinking too hard, give yourself a Mich Ultra break and let that happy juice guide your way. ?
P.S. I’m not a medical professional, I just play one on this blog.
Great article!! I’m also in the middle of redesigning my logo, and jazzing up my website and social media sites. Its a lot of tedious work :/
I hear ya on that, Megan! Stoked to hear this article is helping you with your jazzing up. You go girl!!
Uh oh, guilty of stale, boring URL text on my images. I don’t have a logo for Adventures in Visibility and I’m not a designer. ? I love the branded selfie that Amanda Bennett is doing and the branded submarks. Now to figure out how to create that… Thanks for a great article!
If you don’t have a logo the branded selfie would be a great option for you, Denise! Take your profile photo, mask it to a circle shape and add your title ‘Adventures In Visibility’ and your name around that. Holler if you need some help – I’m happy to walk you through it!
Whatever the method we use, it should be consistent all over, easy to remember but should not be distracting.
I think using the symbol is best way.
Definitely, consistency is key in every facet of branding. I’ve seen all of these used seamlessly so what is best really comes down to the brand itself and the image types used.
Super article, the samples were great! Do you have a particular watermark software that you use or would recommend? Thanks!
I use Adobe Illustrator for my designs, but PowerPoint and Canva are great image creation tools.
Perfect timing for me to read this about marketing my blog. Thank you!
Stoked to hear that, Nadine!
This caught my eye on LinkedIn and I’m sure glad I came over to check this article out. I’m in the middle of having someone create a logo and watermark. But I didn’t have any references to give her, only my background.
This is a wonderful guide to make up my mind as to what people need to see. I’m terrible when it comes to visuals. I do know how important it is to have a logo and watermark.
Thanks so much for this timely post for me!
-Donna
Yayyer!! Don’t you just love when the universe delivers what you need, when you need it? I’m stoked I could be part of that cosmic alignment, Donna! Don’t be a stranger now, there’s a lot more visual mastery where this came from. {high five}
Most brands who create or “steal” images have to deal with watermarking at some point – great guide.
I like how you included examples from people within your network and I’m impressed with the reach you have with bigwigs in the blogosphere like Danny Brown!
Danny Brown wears a wig? Let’s start that rumor, Tom! ; )
Thanks for the mention, Dre!! It always gives me a thrill!
You’ve given some great examples for inspiration. Makes me want to redo my own logo ?
Ah, yes, the ever evolving world of redoing shiz. I tweak my stuff sooooo much it’s become another addiction…so I get! ; )
Another strike for those with design sense!
I have tried to convert a few of my clients and even people I have guest blogged for. This is one of those key things that Gary V mentions in Jab Jab – own your content. And that means brand it.
The number of people who post a pic with no text, no branding and then wonder why they don’t get any attention on places like Pinterest (ok, G+ has text to go with it, but still true there).
Good stuff
Right! I don’t know why they fight it, there’s nothing but branding juice that comes from it. I hear a lot of push back in the name of keeping images clean. To that I say, ‘Ok, you keep your undiscovered images clean, I’m going to keep my constantly shared images branded’.
This gives me some great ideas for mixing up my branding a little bit. Another great post, and other examples of watermark alternatives are really helpful. I now have ideas of what to do if I feel the need to mix things up.
Thanks so much for including me in this list – I’m awed that I was doing something SO right to be included in such illustrious company this early in my blogging history.
You don’t give yourself enough credit, lady! You’re a hell of a badass DIYer…true story!
Krista, I am in LOVE with your logo! It’s very stylish and classy all rolled into one.
Thanks, Carrie-Anne – wish I could take credit, but that’s a Dre original. I found my phoenix, told her what fonts I was using, and Dre did the hard work.
I LOVE how you broke this down. Sooo useful + instructive. It really helped me to be able to see all the examples, too.
And thank you for including me; wow. I appreciate that!!
That means a lot coming from someone of your caliber, Erika! Including you was a no-brainer, girl! ; )
Just to repeat what I said when sharing this on Google+, I’m a Luddite and not in need of visual content branding (OK, perhaps I am and just don’t know it). Either way, if I was in need, this article would be my go-to resource – outstanding!
And like I said, I’m not going to stop
tryingnudging you to get some images up that us Pin Heads can devour. Really appreciate all the love on this post, Danny! Luddite on….for now.You know, I do actually create some images on the back-end for social sharing – but I’m guessing I should stick some on the post itself, eh? ?
Ding, ding, ding…we have a winner! : P
Man, I could really improve my branding. Love this post so much!! Olyvia.co and Hobby To Hot are two of my favorite sites too ?
And of COURSE byregina.com Reg is basically the master of branding, in my humble opinion. As is The Branded Solopreneur!!
Those are some of my favorites too, Elizabeth! Those ladies make me step up my visual & branding game, so to be lumped in with their brilliance is all kinds of warm & fuzzy. Watermark on girl…
Hey Dre,
This post is so freaking helpful. I have all kinds of ideas in my head now. About a year ago I saw a graphic with a quote that I made on facebook the year prior. I thought to myself, wow, that looks familiar. I had just been using the line of text at the bottom…that they of course cropped off. No more of that!! Thanks for the inspiration. ?
Ugh, those damn thieving trolls! Kill em with a watermark and watch the credit ooze your way, Jess! ; ) {happy dance}
That sucks – yeah, like Dre says, I would hunt them down to the ends of the Earth and make them listen to Nickelback, while decrying their undying love for Avril Lavigne’s fashion sense – that’ll teach the swines!
Thank you so much Dre! Danny, that would be pure torture. Wow.
Another great article!
Something that I’m working on right now, with your help, is to have a great watermark. You gave us some excellent ideas here, Dre.
Thanks!
Sue
High five for the love, Sue Anne! Once you get your watermark dialed in you’re images are going to be as branding rich as you can get! Can’t wait to see your finished watermark.