What’s a simple, low-cost way to resize and watermark photos before selling digital copies online?
Asked 10/24/2013
4 views
2 answers
0
I’m new to selling photos online and I shoot with an older Nikon Coolpix. I usually edit in Snapseed on my tablet and sometimes use Instagram filters. My subjects are mostly motorcycles, barns, and other objects. I’d like to post lower-resolution preview images with a watermark before selling digital copies. What’s the easiest and cheapest way to do that? Is there a simple program or service you’d recommend?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
3
For your level of work, neither Photoshop or Lightroom is needed. Just get an account with an online photo gallery/selling site and they should automatically be able to generate lower quality previews and watermark them for you. You don't need software like Lightroom or Photoshop to do that kind of very basic work.
If you really want to do it yourself. GIMP will also easily let you do it and is free.
Also, do keep in mind what others have mentioned. Image theft isn't really going to detract from your sales as long as people understand that you reserve rights on your images. Those who want to use them or get nice prints of them will buy them regardless as long as you aren't asking anything outrageous for them and those who are going to take them won't be dissuaded by low quality and watermarks (though potential customers might be).
Also, don't be surprised if simply posting your images online doesn't generate any sales. Sales is hard. It generally involves grunt work on the ground promoting your images. The site is just an easy place to tell people to go to buy a copy if they want one. You most likely won't get many "walk ins" if any.
Setting up a random website no the web is kind of like opening a store in the middle of a deserted ally. Without driving people to it, nobody will ever even know it is there. Going with one of the bigger sites that does image sales does help some, since people can like your images and cause them to get more attention, but it's still pretty much a luck game more than skill unless you are actively promoting your work.
If it is something you really want to try to get in to, it might also be worth pursuing some better camera equipment and better software for touching up the photos to make a more professional level product. There's a lot you can't do with a cheap point and shoot and basic instagram filters that can be improved on a lot with better software. If you really want to get involved in photography, try picking up and learning a basic DSLR, shoot RAW and try learning something like GIMP or Darktable to learn about photo adjustments and digital darkrooming. It will probably help improve your end result.
Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11392
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
You don’t need Photoshop or Lightroom for this. The simplest option is to use an online gallery/sales service, since many of them can automatically create smaller preview files and apply watermarks for you.
If you want to do it yourself, free tools can handle it:
- GIMP: free and capable of resizing and adding watermarks.
- Picasa: free, and its export function can resize images and add a text watermark in one step.
- Lightroom can also do this during export, but it’s more than you likely need.
A practical tip: use a watermark with your name or website URL so shared images still point back to you.
Also keep expectations realistic: watermarks and lower resolution can discourage casual copying, but they won’t fully prevent theft. Someone determined can still grab or crop an image. In practice, clear ownership/branding and reasonable pricing matter more than trying to make online previews impossible to copy.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI12y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How can I quickly convert a batch of RAW photos to JPEG?
How should I approach physical galleries to exhibit and sell my photography?
How do I transfer photos from a Canon EOS 350D/Rebel XT to a computer?
How do I convert Nikon D5100 NEF (RAW) files to JPEG for editing in Photoshop Elements 8?
How can I batch-watermark a folder of photos with the same copyright text or logo?