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Watermarks and Overlays

Add watermark images and branded overlays to protect and brand your content.

Parameters

wm_url

URL or path to the watermark image.

Type: string (URL or path)
Format: Absolute URL or relative path
Supported formats: PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, SVG

wm_pos

Position the watermark on the base image.

Type: string
Values: center, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, north, south, east, west
Default: center

wm_opacity

Control watermark transparency.

Type: float
Range: 0.0 - 1.0
Default: 0.5 (50% opacity)

Usage

Basic Watermark

image.jpg?wm_url=/logo.png&wm_opacity=0.7
Add logo watermark with 70% opacity at center.

Positioned Watermark

image.jpg?wm_url=/brand.png&wm_pos=northeast&wm_opacity=0.8
Place brand watermark in top-right corner.

photo.jpg?wm_url=/copyright.png&wm_pos=southeast&wm_opacity=0.3
Add subtle copyright notice in bottom-right.

Positioning Guide

Corner Positions

  • northeast: Top-right corner
  • northwest: Top-left corner
  • southeast: Bottom-right corner
  • southwest: Bottom-left corner

Edge Positions

  • north: Top center
  • south: Bottom center
  • east: Right center
  • west: Left center

Center Position

  • center: Exact center of image

Watermark Design Best Practices

Opacity Levels

  • 0.1-0.3: Very subtle, barely visible
  • 0.3-0.5: Subtle but present
  • 0.5-0.7: Clearly visible but not dominating
  • 0.7-1.0: Strong presence, brand protection

Watermark Image Guidelines

  • PNG format with transparency for best results
  • White/light logos work well with low opacity
  • Size: 15-25% of base image width for optimal visibility
  • Simple designs reproduce better at small sizes
  • High contrast elements ensure visibility across different backgrounds

Use Cases

Photography Protection

photo.jpg?wm_url=/photographer-logo.png&wm_pos=southeast&wm_opacity=0.4
Protect photographer's work with subtle branding.

Stock Photography

stock.jpg?wm_url=/stock-watermark.png&wm_pos=center&wm_opacity=0.8
Prevent unauthorized use with prominent watermark.

Social Media Branding

social.jpg?wm_url=/brand-icon.png&wm_pos=northeast&wm_opacity=0.6&w=1080&h=1080
Brand social media posts consistently.

Product Documentation

product.jpg?wm_url=/company-logo.png&wm_pos=northwest&wm_opacity=0.5
Add company branding to product images.

Event Photography

event.jpg?wm_url=/event-logo.png&wm_pos=south&wm_opacity=0.7
Brand event photos with event logo.

Advanced Watermarking

Multi-Brand Strategy

For different watermarks based on usage:

Internal use (high quality, subtle): 

image.jpg?wm_url=/internal-logo.png&wm_opacity=0.2&wm_pos=southeast

External use (more prominent): 

image.jpg?wm_url=/public-logo.png&wm_opacity=0.6&wm_pos=center

Dynamic Watermark URLs

Using external watermark sources: 

image.jpg?wm_url=https://cdn.example.com/watermarks/logo-2024.png&wm_pos=northeast&wm_opacity=0.5

Responsive Watermarking

Adjust watermark for different sizes:

Large images: 

hero.jpg?w=1920&wm_url=/logo-large.png&wm_opacity=0.4&wm_pos=center

Thumbnails:

thumb.jpg?w=300&wm_url=/logo-small.png&wm_opacity=0.6&wm_pos=southeast

Technical Considerations

Watermark Image Requirements

  • Optimal size: 200-500px width for most applications
  • Format: PNG with alpha channel for transparency
  • Color: Light colors (white, light gray) for dark opacity overlay
  • Resolution: High resolution for quality scaling

Performance Impact

  • Watermarking adds minimal processing time
  • Watermark images are cached for performance
  • Larger watermarks require more processing
  • Results cached at edge for subsequent requests

Security Considerations

  • Watermark URLs must be accessible
  • Use HTTPS for external watermark sources
  • Consider watermark image versioning for updates
  • Relative paths work for same-domain watermarks

Common Patterns

Photography Studio

portrait.jpg?wm_url=/studio-signature.png&wm_pos=southwest&wm_opacity=0.3

Real Estate

property.jpg?wm_url=/realty-brand.png&wm_pos=northeast&wm_opacity=0.6&w=800&h=600

E-commerce Protection

product.jpg?wm_url=/shop-watermark.png&wm_pos=center&wm_opacity=0.8

News/Media

news.jpg?wm_url=/news-logo.png&wm_pos=northwest&wm_opacity=0.7

Creative Agency

portfolio.jpg?wm_url=/agency-mark.png&wm_pos=southeast&wm_opacity=0.4

Troubleshooting

Watermark Not Visible

  • Check watermark URL accessibility
  • Increase opacity value
  • Verify watermark image format (PNG recommended)
  • Ensure sufficient contrast with base image

Poor Quality Watermark

  • Use higher resolution watermark source
  • Check watermark image compression
  • Consider watermark design complexity
  • Test different opacity levels

Performance Issues

  • Optimize watermark image file size
  • Use cached watermark URLs when possible
  • Consider watermark dimensions relative to base image
  • Monitor processing times with large watermarks

Examples by Industry

Wedding Photography

wedding.jpg?wm_url=/photographer-signature.png&wm_pos=southeast&wm_opacity=0.35&brightness=5&contrast=10

Architecture Firm

building.jpg?wm_url=/architect-logo.png&wm_pos=northeast&wm_opacity=0.5&w=1200&h=800

Fashion Brand

fashion.jpg?wm_url=/fashion-logo.png&wm_pos=center&wm_opacity=0.2&saturation=10

Food Blog

recipe.jpg?wm_url=/blog-watermark.png&wm_pos=south&wm_opacity=0.4&brightness=8