to water mark or not water mark, that is the question

[u4iclight]

Heres a question. How do you thing water marks work in the protection of your work?

I mean I was working on an assignment with a marketing consultant and let my guard down. In the excitement of landing my first large account doing the graphic for an ad campaign of an expanding business, multi-state I was told, I was egar to start and broke my own rules and started it without a contract, just a verbal agreement (they hold about as much weight as a soaked paper towel), and started in the creating process and communication back and forth to get the right image and message for them. After sending a draft of it by email to the client, it was ok'd and I went a head adjusting it to the likes of the client, then after I sent the revised version, I got dropped.

Now, I haven't a clue as to if they plan on using my ideas or going another way, but still work should be paid, but with just a verbal agreement there is not much I can do as verbal agreements are as useful as an ice pick in a sinking rubber raft.


I guess I may be venting but I'm sure we've all ran into this problem or will do so. I hope that you can learn from my mistake and not make it on your own. Heres one of the ads, I put a water mark on it to see if any of you think that they are to distracting for a client to deal with or if it you think clients would't mind it in the drafts.

By the way, it may look a bit blured because it came down form a 22" x 28" and the res had to be dropped.



http://euphoric-design.tripod.com/CosMed.jpg

[Builtdown]

Next time ask some amount of payment before giving out the final picture.

And when sending layouts/drafts to clients I always watermark them. The amount of watermarking is dependant by the fact how much I trust the client.

If you´re afraid of getting your ideas or designs ripped, ask 25% of the payment before showing them anything. Then you can tell if the customer is really going to pay you when the job is finished.

I have run my business for about 1/2 a year and have not yet got ripped so I have had luck with customers. Although I tend to work only for bigger agencies etc.


- Built

[u4iclight]

Thanks for your input Built,

I do have a standard contact but I've always worked with smaller buinesses, But working with a larger one was new to me and I thought that they might give me clues in the way that act and talk as to handle it. I ususally trust people to much which has been my down fall. But I ususally do ask for 15% after showin them a rough draft, usually scethed out, and then getting thirer input I adjust it to the clients request and aske 20% upon every new adjustment, and the rest of the payment upon handing over the final product.

Thanks for your input and theres no other way to put it but I screwed up. Personally I'd like to work with biger agencies but I haven't gotten that break yet.

[Mizu]

i always make a contract, and make sure to see my client at least once. Having the contract signed, i explain him my work. 50% at the first draft sending, and 50% at the final sending. First one are jpg in low quality with watermarks clearly visible.

Didn't had problems with this method.

[u4iclight]

Hey Mizu, thanks for that info, I'm going to take all the infor I've gotten off of this form so far and alter how I do business. Thanks.

[kvack]

Well. You still retain copyright on the material. Use it elsewhere...

[u4iclight]

yup, I"ll use it somewhere, just need the chance to use it, I do have a couople of possibilities of places I can use it on, so only time will tell when and where

[u4iclight]

well time to take that image down for a while, I'm running out or webspace..... where its all going I haven't a clue..... lol