Field guide
Tiled watermarks versus corner marks
A corner mark preserves the photograph; a tiled mark resists simple cropping. The stronger deterrent also makes the authorised viewing experience worse.
01
Use a corner mark for portfolio presentation when attribution matters more than preventing every crop. Give it enough inset to survive common thumbnail trimming.
02
Use a restrained tiled pattern for proofs or pre-licence delivery. Vary neither spacing nor opacity so much that the mark becomes the main subject.
03
Place marks across meaningful detail if removal resistance is the goal. A watermark entirely over blank sky can be filled or cropped without touching the work.
04
Keep an unmarked master and generate delivery copies from it. Repeatedly adding and removing marks degrades pixels and can leave visible repair traces.