It’s time to revisit my watermark. Some people tell me it’s distracting, some people say those people are crazy. Either way, I agree that I’d like something more subtle.

Ahhh, but there’s the problem. The watermark should be subtle, but noticeably present. It needs to run through the design in such a way that it can’t be cropped or blurred out of the photo.

The curved-text-around-the-cuticle-style “watermark” has become the norm on many nail art photos you’re bound to find. And I love them. They are sweet, simple, and to the point without distracting the eye from the work in the photo. But they can easily be blurred out, and often cropped altogether if someone really wanted to steal the work. And some people want to steal other people’s work. Trust me, it’s happened to me.

I think most people share, re-post, re-blog, and re-pin photos now to such an extent that you have to make sure your name and/or website info is on your work so people can trace it back to you no matter where the photo ends up. Most of us no longer feel that it’s “stealing” to have a Pinterest board or a Facebook album full of work by other artists. As long as you aren’t trying to pass it off as your own work, we’re more honored than violated. But you never know where your photo will end up, so it’s always a good idea to put your name on it.

On the other hand, what about those unscrupulous sorts who save your photo and then literally post it online somewhere and say, “I did these nails”? Putting your name on the photo might be a deterrent, but won’t necessarily stop it from happening.

Am I really the only one who uses my watermark to stop plagiarism and not just as a means of advertising?