How to make the signature/watermark look better?

Question

I recently started to use watermarks/signatures on my pictures and so I was obviously looking for feedback.

A lot of my followers think it fits perfect but in the past week 3 of my friends (all of them are hobby photographers as well) said that it doesn't fit because it's too conspicuous. How can I make the watermark more appealing?

Here are some example pictures:

I'm sorry, but I'm voting to close this question as opinion-based ("What do you think?") Obviously, there are photographers around that do not use watermarks at all - and some that place them right in the middle of every_single_photo. I think(!) that everyone is free (and encouraged) to find their own style. And on the off-topic-front: Nice photos! — flolilo, Jun 07 '18 at 11:00
@flolilolilo I'm glad you like my pictures. As I'm new to Photography Stack Exchange and I saw "photo-critique" in the tags I assumed that it is okay to ask for opinions. Is there any other way to put the question so that it complies with the rules? — user18596, Jun 07 '18 at 11:09
@CuntimusPrime Please see the following on the meta site. Specific critiques ("I'm trying to do A and I tried 1,2, & 3, but I'm still not satisfied...") are OK. Open ended critiques ("What do you think?") are not. Should Photo Critiques be allowed? — Michael C, Jun 07 '18 at 11:15
Also: Can we re-open the door to something a little like photo critique? — Michael C, Jun 07 '18 at 11:16
@MichaelClark thank you for the response! So if I edit the question to "I added watermarks but I'm not pleased with the results" it would comply with the guidelines and rules? — user18596, Jun 07 '18 at 11:19
In my opinion, this question is right on the line between being acceptable or not. Approaching it from a request for feedback in several places seems to push it over the edge. Including the part about criticism of other aspects of the photos buries it. — Michael C, Jun 07 '18 at 11:19
If you edited it that way it would certainly be closer. I'm not sure if it would still be considered "primarily opinion based" or not. We've already got questions along the lines of "To watermark or not to watermark, that is the question." They've not been well received. As it stands now, the entire question just comes across as a solicitation for opinions. There are many sites that are built upon the premise of sharing opinions, but this one seeks to concentrate on objective answers. — Michael C, Jun 07 '18 at 11:22
@MichaelClark oh okay. So it seems like it's best to just close the question all together. Still thanks for making it clear to me that such questions are in like a "Grey area" and not welcomed by the community. — user18596, Jun 07 '18 at 11:29
@MichaelClark as mentioned below one answer already, my internet connection on my phone was too slow to edit it. I'm now able to edit the question and I did so. Do you think it fits the guidelines better now? — user18596, Jun 07 '18 at 13:10

score 11 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 07 '18 at 12:51

11

As already noted, this question is at least borderline "opinion-based"...

But for my 2¢ I think the watermark is a) too prominent & b) in the wrong corner.
It looks more like an artist's signature than a copy-protection device.

This was just a quick 2 min tweak. I dropped it to 25% opacity & moved it bottom right.
I think if you're going to have a 'subtle' watermark, then do keep it subtle.
Bottom right may not always work, but down there it's almost the last thing you see, not the first.

Also, note how simple it is to remove a 'clean' watermark.
It's much harder if it's not one solid colour ;)

answered Jun 07 '18 at 12:51

Tetsujin

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Thanks a lot, it actually looks way better now. I was unable to edit the question due to slow internet connection on my phone (I'm not at home at my PC). Will edit it now – user18596 Jun 07 '18 at 13:06
btw, if you put a subtle but contrasting drop-shadow or outer glow on it you can use it in light areas too. It does reduce legibility, but if the intent is copy-protection rather than 'signature' then it still serves its purpose. – Tetsujin Jun 07 '18 at 13:12
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it's mostly meant as a signature, not a copy-protection. With "only" 150 followers I don't really think copy-protection is a necessary top priority. But thanks for your advice, I'm glad for any advice/critique/help I can get! – user18596 Jun 07 '18 at 13:20
@CuntimusPrime The reason for the watermark, whether it's simply a signature or copy-protection feature is an important factor that should be added to your question. "150 followers" - on what? Bear in mind that search engines can also discover and index images on other sites, so it may not be so hard for someone to stumble across your images on another platform - if that is a concern? – MrWhite Jun 07 '18 at 16:09
@MrWhite on Instagram. And no, currently I'm not really concerned about that – user18596 Jun 07 '18 at 16:23
tbh, even as a signature, I'd be subtle with it. Picasso's signature is worth a fortune, most other people's aren't ;-) I think the pictures, which I do like, suffer with the over-emphasis on the signature. they draw your eye inexorably towards that corner, then make it hard to draw yourself away. Very distracting. – Tetsujin Jun 07 '18 at 16:31

score 4 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 08 '18 at 05:11

There certainly seems to be a disconnect between the style of the photos and the style of the signature in the watermark.

It's like looking at an edifice built in the Greco-Roman temple style with the expectation that there will be words chiseled in bold upper-case Latin above the entrance, yet looking up and seeing an inscription in Comic San Serif. Or maybe an Art Deco building with Gothic script on the signage.

Beyond that, the watermark is so large and solid white as to be distracting from the photo. Placing it in the lower left corner also does not help, at least for people who live in parts of the world where we read from left to right and thus our eyes tend to start at the left edge of a photograph. With such a large and opaque watermark on the left edge, our eyes are never allowed to get past the watermark without being distracted by it sitting down there in the left corner begging for attention.

How to make the signature/watermark look better?

2 Answers2

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