Chat with a gallery owner in Brooklyn flipped my view on watermarks

Was at a small digital art pop-up in Williamsburg last Saturday. Talked to this older woman who runs a gallery in Bushwick. She said she never puts watermarks on pieces she showcases online. Told me watermarks scream amateur and scare off serious buyers. Said real collectors want to feel trust, not see a giant logo slapped across the work. Hit different because I've spent 2 years obsessing over hiding my signature in every piece. She pointed out that her artists sell prints for $200-$400 without any protection on previews. Made me wonder if I've been hurting my own reach by watermarking everything. Has anyone else dropped watermarks and seen better engagement?

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drew7915mo ago

Hiding your signature in every piece is different from watermarking though. Watermarks are that huge logo slapped across the image, a hidden signature is more about provenance and proof of ownership. The gallery owner was probably talking about the really obvious, distracting kind.

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kim.stella5mo ago

@drew791 I mean, is a hidden signature really that deep? It's just art.

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