Have you ever wondered why people Watermark photos? Maybe you have heard stories about two artists who lay their claim over the same piece of art. Of course, one of them is the rightful owner, while the other might just be trying to take credit for work they didn’t create. As a wedding photographer, you may have to face a situation like this. This can be unpleasant and might be damaging financially and emotionally! So one way to prevent getting into a situation like this is to consider adding a ‘Watermark’ to your images.
Watermarking your images in Lightroom could cut down the possibility of plagiarism. You might be able to save your intellectual property from being used without your permission or without giving the credit to you for your work. Even if someone removes the watermark and uses your image, you’ll always have proof that the image first appeared online with your watermark on it.
Watermarking your images in Lightroom is easy and you can learn it here if you want to keep your wedding photos protected from false claims.
What is a Watermark
Before we share some easy steps to watermarking your images in Lightroom, let’s define what a ‘watermark’ actually is.
A watermark is a graphic that is overlaid on an image. Watermarks are typically in the form of a logo, artist’s name, or a website URL. They might also include additional text such as “copyright” or “proof only”.
PROTIP: For information on making a logo transparent in Photoshop, you can read— HOW TO MAKE A LOGO TRANSPARENT IN PHOTOSHOP.
Watermark Your Images in Lightroom in 4 Easy Steps!
Now that you know what a watermark is and how it can be beneficial for you and your business, you can start creating your own in Lightroom. Check out our easy steps below!
1. Open Lightroom Edit Watermarks Dialog Box
To start creating a watermark, select “Edit Watermarks” from the Edit menu if you are on a PC. If you are on a Mac, select “Edit Watermarks” from the Lightroom menu. A new dialog box will open up.
2. Choose the Watermark Type
Now, you will need to select the type of watermark you want to create in the upper-right corner of the Watermark Editor. You may choose either a text watermark or a graphic watermark.
A text watermark consists of typing in the text you want to use as a watermark. You can use any font on your computer for your watermark.
A graphic watermark will require you to have an image you want to use as the watermark. The image you choose will look best if it is saved as a PNG file with a transparent background.
PROTIP: To learn more about adding text to your images, you can read— HOW TO ADD TEXT IN LIGHTROOM.
3. Apply Options to Your Watermark
You can use the options in the options menu on the right of the Watermark Editor to adjust how your watermark looks. There will be font and drop shadow options if you choose to use a text watermark. For both text and graphic watermarks, there are also options to adjust the opacity as well as the position of the watermark. Don’t be afraid to play around with all the options to learn what they do.
4. Save the Watermark
When you have finished creating your watermark, click the “Save” button and give it an original name. Once it is saved, it will be available in any of the Lightroom modules that allow you to use a watermark and during export and when using publish services.
Keep in mind, there is no limit on how many watermarks you can create. So if you wish, you can create different watermarks for different uses.
Why Watermark Your Images in Lightroom
Lightroom gives you the option of creating two different types of watermarks: text and graphic. Text is perfect for adding information such as your name or copyright. Graphics allow you to add a logo or any other image to your photo.
Watermarking your images in Lightroom is easy and quick because you can apply the watermarks in batches to multiple images. This will save you time.
Where to Position the Watermark on Your Image
Finding a good position or placement for your watermark can be a problem because of the nature of photographs and their colors and patterns. So where should it be placed and how?
We’d suggest placing your watermarks near the top and bottom corners of your wedding photos. You can use all the corners because every photo will be different and while one corner might work for one photo, that same corner might not for another. A gray watermark will not be visible on a photo with a gray corner where the watermark is placed. So you have two options – either to use a different shade of color that is visible in the same corner, or move the watermark to a different location.
Now, moving your watermark in photos would be a tough task if you had to change your watermark every time you needed to move it. That’s why the best method is to create multiple watermarks in Lightroom and put them in multiple locations.
A centered watermark as pictured above could be used if you’re proofing images for the client. If you choose to do so just remember that they might hamper the viewing experience.
Final Thoughts on Watermarking Your Images in Lightroom
One reason photographers consider watermarking their images is to prevent image theft, but there are other pros to it too. Watermarking your images can help you with promotion, marketing, and allow you to build brand recognition. Your watermark will help your potential clients link your website, your work, and your studio together.
We hope our tips will help you watermark your images easily. If you use Lightroom Mobile then you can have a look at— How To Add Watermark in Lightroom Mobile 2020. To add new fonts to Lightroom Mobile, you can follow the steps mentioned in ADOBE FONTS USER GUIDE.