That one collector who taught me about watermarks saved my portfolio

A guy named Dave at a local art fair in Portland pulled me aside and said "your work is too easy to steal without a faint mark across the middle." I added a subtle watermark to every piece I post now and it stopped a local print shop from using my dragon illustration on their mugs without permission. Has anyone else had a run in with art theft like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

luna5893d ago

Has anyone else had a collector straight up give you a pro tip like that, or was Dave just a unicorn? @xenawhite I get the frustration with cropping signatures, but watermarks take it to another level because they ruin the image for thieves even if they try to crop. I think the hidden advantage nobody talks about is how watermarks actually make your work look more professional, like it's already licensed or worth stealing. People see a faint watermark and assume you're a big deal, so it kind of works like free marketing. Dave really knew what he was talking about.

xenawhite29d ago

Wait, so a random collector just walked up and gave you that advice out of the blue? That's wild, but honestly kind of amazing. I had a small business buy one of my paintings and then crop out my tiny signature in the corner to sell prints of it. Watermarks feel like a hassle but they really do stop the laziest thieves cold.

ninabutler29d ago

Dave sounds like a real one. @xenawhite you're totally right about the lazy thieves thing. I started putting a faint watermark right across the center of my high-res previews after hearing that story. It's annoying having to do it for every single piece, but it's way less annoying than seeing your work on a mug at the mall.