The
color used for a visible watermark greatly affects how noticeable the
watermark is when it's overlaid onto an image. There isn't one color
that all watermarks should be, as the right color for any particular
watermark depends on the photographer's branding, photo the watermark
is being used on and other factors. If you're designing a watermark
for your digital photographs, here are some tips to help you settle
on a color to use.
Only Consider Colors That Complement Your Branding
With
an almost infinite number of colors to choose from, it can be
difficult to narrow down your choices to a few finalists. To make the
selection process easier--and ensure your watermark's color goes well
with your branding--limit your selection to colors that are
consistent with the branding you already have in place. You might
want to consider:
. colors
included in your logo
. neutral
colors
. colors
you've used in your website's background
The
colors included in your logo, obviously, match your branding, and
you've likely already determined that any colors on your website's
background go well with your marketing scheme. Neutral colors,
especially black, white and gray, will provide an alternative to the
colors you've used elsewhere, but they'll still match since they go
with anything.
Choose a Color That's Visible Yet Tasteful
From
the colors that complement your brand, the next step is to find one
(or a few) that go well with your pictures. The color you use for a
watermark should show up on images. You're making a visible
watermark, after all. It shouldn't detract from your picture, though,
since that's what clients are most interested in.
For
instance, a white watermark likely won't show up well on a winter
landscape picture that has lots of snow. For a bold look, a black
watermark will be noticeable and might complement a striking, strong
image well. Gray, however, is more likely to produce a watermark
that's visible but doesn't take away from the photograph. A logo
color may be suitable for some images, but it also could be too
strong for a peaceful, relaxed winter scene.
Once
you have a color that complements the picture well, you can adjust
the location, size, font and opacity to increase or decrease its
visibility. Finding the perfect combination of these factors is often
a trial-and-error process.
Settle on One or Two Watermarks That Work Well with Most Images
Because
professional photographers take a lot of pictures, most streamline
their workflow by creating two watermarks that work well with all
their images. Some photographers have a watermark made from their
logo's colors that they use on most pictures and a second that's
neutrally colored for images that their logo-colored watermark
clashes with. Other photographers have two gray watermarks, one
that's light gray and another that's dark gray, and they use
whichever shows up better on an image.
With
a pair of versatile watermarks, you won't have to spend time creating
a new watermark for each image. Instead, you'll be able to focus on
taking more pictures and promoting yourself. To create a couple of
watermarks that will go with many of your photographs, check out the
selection available on Water Marquee. The platform lets photographers
use any colors they'd like in their watermarks.