Copfer wrote:
I struggle wondering if I should add a signature or watermark to my photos. First off, is there a difference between watermarks and signatures? Secondly, how do you create custom signatures? I use Lightroom watermarks, but I've seen some cool signatures. How do I make those?
Here is an example of my "watermark":
I use a watermark on all my proofs... almost everything displayed online. Those deliberately partly obscure the image so that they are less likely to be "stolen". (For the same reason I also keep my proofs relatively small... no more than 700 pixels on the long side.) Notice that I use a font colored gray and outlined in white. That works well on almost any image... light, dark, anything in between and any color. Since I still see some images taken and used on Facebook and similar, I figure it's only fair that my watermark should serve as an advertisement (Note: Above example is an old one... that website no longer exists. I just haven't yet gotten around to replacing all of the old ones I have online.... this is one of the problems with watermarks!)
In contrast, here's an example of my digital "signature":
I "sign" every finished image, whether print or digital... except for ones that will be used editorially or commercially (where I instead often get a photo credit).
My "fine art" prints not only get signed digitally similar to above, they also are dated, limited edition numbered, titled and signed in pencil in the margin.
Both watermarks and digital signatures can be created and used the same way.
I start by creating the file, usually with Photoshop, although similar can be done with many different programs. I use a partly transparent font and save it as a PNG file, which allows for a transparent background (JPEGs don't and can't be used). This then can be added to any image.... either manually or automatically.
In the past I used FastStone Image Resizer to quickly and easily add watermarks and signatures to images in large batches. Now I use Lightroom for the batch watermarking (sometimes 100s or even 1000s of images in a batch) and Photoshop with individual finished image signatures. Lightroom will size the watermark to the image. Adding the signature manually and individually to finished images in Photoshop (using "layers") gives me opportunity to change the color, increase or decrease transparency, change the size and position as is most appropriate for any given photo.
In fact, I've gotten so quick at it that I now often just add the individual signatures to finished images by typesetting a new one for each image. That's often less trouble than finding and opening one of the files I created for the purpose earlier, then having to adjust it to the particular image.