rayross•6mo ago

TIL downsizing your art before posting stops print thieves

I used to upload full resolution pieces until one showed up on a t-shirt site, so now I only share small files lol.

3 comments

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3 Comments

jason_stone126mo ago

Honestly, that line about the watermark being "truly ugly and central" is what got me. I used to think a small, tasteful signature was enough, like it was just part of the art. Then I saw a cropped version of my own stuff on a mug. Now I slap a big semi-transparent one right through the middle. It doesn't ruin the preview for real fans, but it makes the file useless for a thief. Downsizing is a good first step, but the ugly watermark is the real lock on the door.

7

wade996mo ago

Yeah that t-shirt site thing is the worst. I started adding ugly watermarks across the middle after it happened to me. Downsizing definitely helps too.

2

logan7496mo ago

That watermark trick is SMART. Does putting it right across the middle actually work better than a corner? I tried a small one in the bottom corner once and they just cropped it out. Does making it truly ugly and central just ruin the look so much that even YOU wouldn't buy it, or does it still look okay in the preview?

4