Do you put a logo on your Prints

msf

I was just wondering how many here put their logo on prints, and how many dont.

If you do, do customers mind it? Do some ask that you dont put it on there? Or do they like it, giving the apperance of a higher end product?

I like the idea of doing that, because im playing with the idea of selling digital images *for the right price*, but I want to seperate the prints they will probably get from walmart, from my professionally printed ones. One way is to have an "official" type stamp on the bottom corner, my logo or something.

Rocketman766

At first I did not put a logo or watermark on my prints, but I do now. I know this does not keep people from scanning and handing out copies, but I have had a few people contact me to tell me that the local Wal-mart will not copy their photos for them when I put my logo on them.

JohnBiggs

Rocketman766 wrote:

At first I did not put a logo or watermark on my prints, but I do now. I know this does not keep people from scanning and handing out copies, but I have had a few people contact me to tell me that the local Wal-mart will not copy their photos for them when I put my logo on them.

Walmart and Sams will not print photos that 'look' professional. There are stories online from people who had innocent problems with this.

I hear now they make you sign a statement saying you have permission from the photog.

msf

JohnBiggs wrote:

Walmart and Sams will not print photos that 'look' professional. There are stories online from people who had innocent problems with this.

I hear now they make you sign a statement saying you have permission from the photog.

Hmm, I thought you could see the results of the poll once you vote. I set the poll to not end, does that mean we will never see the results?

Thats a good point about people getting turned down at walmart for tyring to scan, but most people have scanners at home I believe, so that problem is easy for them to get around.

I was just thinking of doing something that would set my professionally printed prints apart from the walmart prints they may get.

Ive heard of a machine that can press foil onto a print, I wonder how much they cost, and how much it would cost to get the custom logo made for it.

So no one has had customers complain that there is advertising on the front of their print? : )

Cygnus Studios

I remember that Olan Mills put their logo on the prints and I always thought that it looked cheesy.
People will always scan photos or reprint them, and a logo will not change that. Charge enough for the shoot and worry about something else.

ChatKat

On the back!
I put my logo on the back of my prints! I had stickers made that say

"It's illegal to copy images without written approval from the photographer - Images Copyright by Flash Frozen Photography - Thank you!"

JohnBiggs

ChatKat wrote:

I put my logo on the back of my prints! I had stickers made that say

"It's illegal to copy images without written approval from the photographer - Images Copyright by Flash Frozen Photography - Thank you!"

Smug mug prints my copyright msg on the back of the prints. One of the things I like.

Art Scott

msf wrote:

I was just wondering how many here put their logo on prints, and how many dont.

If you do, do customers mind it? Do some ask that you dont put it on there? Or do they like it, giving the apperance of a higher end product?

I like the idea of doing that, because im playing with the idea of selling digital images *for the right price*, but I want to seperate the prints they will probably get from walmart, from my professionally printed ones. One way is to have an "official" type stamp on the bottom corner, my logo or something.

My logo is just my SIGNATURE and when asked to remove I simply reply......."would you ask Rembrandt or Gauguin or Josef Sudek or even Peter Gowland to remove their signature":D:D:D always with a great big smile and no I won't remove it.......unlessI am not proud of that piece of work and do not want any one to know who shot it............99.9% of all my work is hand signed with acid free archival artist paint pen in either gold or silver................or it is done in photoshop with my tablet and pen..........................

ChatKat

JohnBiggs wrote:

Smug mug prints my copyright msg on the back of the prints. One of the things I like.

Yes, but...sadly most people will ignore the copyright on the back. My sticker is there to educate clients.

Hikin' Mike

No logo, but I sign and date my signature on the bottom, right using archival pen.

zoomer

No logo, I sell printing rights to all their photos on a disc. I include a statement on the disc giving them printing rights.
I sell packages so I get all my money up front, don't care about after the fact print sales.

JaeSen

Art Scott wrote:

My logo is just my SIGNATURE and when asked to remove I simply reply......."would you ask Rembrandt or Gauguin or Josef Sudek or even Peter Gowland to remove their signature":D:D:D always with a great big smile and no I won't remove it.......unlessI am not proud of that piece of work and do not want any one to know who shot it............99.9% of all my work is hand signed with acid free archival artist paint pen in either gold or silver................or it is done in photoshop with my tablet and pen..........................

I am just getting started, but this is what I had in mind, too. In high school all my friends went to this awesome photographer for their senior photos. You knew they were her's because her name was hand signed on the bottom right corner of every single print. It looked great and you knew instantly that a high quality photographer had done their pics. I can still remember the name of her studio even today in my mid 30's. If you like the photographer's style, you'll remember it, that is a great way to get your name out there and get the recognition from people who call and say, "I saw the pics you did for ...." And no, I would not remove it. This is what sets you apart from the Wal-mart, Sears, Olan Mills, etc. You are an artist and you are proud of every single masterpiece you create!

I have had trouble finding the archival pens that will write nicely on photos in anything other than black. Where do ya'll get yours? What brand do you use?

I do agree though that if you charge enough for CD images you make up for any sales you could have generated from the prints and you don't have the hands on work of ordering prints, etc. I myself, prefer to not sale CD's and just sale prints. I keep my prices fairly low so that people are willing to buy more once they see the difference in quality from a Wal-Mart printed photo and my lab photos. They see that although they are a bit pricier, the quality is definately there. I get more quantity sold that way. If I jack the prices up too high, then you sale less prints and you run the risk of them buying only one to take it home and scan it.

msf

JaeSen wrote:

You are an artist and you are proud of every single masterpiece you create!

I have had trouble finding the archival pens that will write nicely on photos in anything other than black. Where do ya'll get yours? What brand do you use?

Ive found acid free perm pens from art stores like michaels. They usually have coupons that give 30-50% off once in a while to, making them normal prices.

Its not that im not proud of my prints, im just thinking back to one fo the rules that ny photography school teaches *didnt take classes, but a friend has and they told me some things they teach* and one of them is the subject should be clearly defined, and try to elliminate distractions, and I cant help but think the signature/logo would be a distraction and take away from the print. Lower the opacity and it might be hard to read.

JaeSen

msf wrote:

I cant help but think the signature/logo would be a distraction and take away from the print. Lower the opacity and it might be hard to read.

I guess it all depends on the type of photography you do...

I mostly do seniors, weddings, proms, that type of stuff. If you do more artisitic stuff, landscapes, etc. then putting your mark on it may not be for you. To each his own, right? Do what is best for the image YOU want to portray.

It's YOUR photography and you should do what YOU like best. Don't let critics tell you otherwise and don't let your customers dictate it either. If they truly like your work, they will buy it with or without your logo.

JaeSen

msf wrote:

Its not that im not proud of my prints, .

I KNOW YOU ARE PROUD OF YOUR PRINTS...why shouldn't you be, you created them!

I meant it more along the lines of the big studio chains just consider you another number when you go to them to take pictures. They don't remember you or KNOW you. As a professional photographer when you take someone's portrait you are taking your time, not rushing them through, you are portraying their personalities through your lens, not just pointing and clicking for the sake of a buck. Every photo you take is a representation of YOUR work and not some college kid hired to shoot a pic today and it be a different Joe tomorrow. That's what sets "professional" photographers apart from chain studios, personal attention to detail. So, why not celebrate that by letting everyone know who you are? That's my take on it...but of course what does my opinion matter anyway? Artists should never conform to what others believe to be the "correct" way of doing something!

msf

JaeSen wrote:

I KNOW YOU ARE PROUD OF YOUR PRINTS...why shouldn't you be, you created them!

I meant it more along the lines of the big studio chains just consider you another number when you go to them to take pictures. They don't remember you or KNOW you. As a professional photographer when you take someone's portrait you are taking your time, not rushing them through, you are portraying their personalities through your lens, not just pointing and clicking for the sake of a buck. Every photo you take is a representation of YOUR work and not some college kid hired to shoot a pic today and it be a different Joe tomorrow. That's what sets "professional" photographers apart from chain studios, personal attention to detail. So, why not celebrate that by letting everyone know who you are? That's my take on it...but of course what does my opinion matter anyway? Artists should never conform to what others believe to be the "correct" way of doing something!

Ever notice that the staff working at walmart, target, jc penny, sears, are 99.9% women? I wonder if they think men cant take pics of kids. : )

And I think the majority of them dont have any photography training.

bit off topic, but something ive noticed.

Gary752

msf wrote:

Ever notice that the staff working at walmart, target, jc penny, sears, are 99.9% women? I wonder if they think men cant take pics of kids. : )

And I think the majority of them dont have any photography training.

bit off topic, but something ive noticed.

You are basically correct with your assumption! I work in a Wal-Mart photo lab, and currently, I'm the only guy there. Originally I worked in the automotive department, and one of the ladies found out I was into photography, and she started asking me questions about using a 35mm camera that her husband had sitting in a closet. Well, she must have said something to the manager in charge of the photo lab at the time, and he approched me about transferring over to the lab. I didn't think twice before saying yes.

As for the previous comments about copyright issues, and making copies at Wal-Mart, it's simple. If a photo looks to be done by a professional, we simply ask, "Did you take this photo?" while looking at the media they are making the prints from. Some will try and say yes, but it shows in the prints that a special background and/or artistic poses were used. We then inform them that they look professionally done and you need a copyright release from the photographer, before you can take these photos. If they throw a big fit, we call management out, and they will tell them either they produce a copyright release, or they fill out our form stating that they own the copyright of the images. We never had a photographer go after anyone for copyright infringement, but if they do, we'll make a copy of the form they filled out for the photographer, to go after the person that made the illegal copies.

For those who question the quality of prints made at Wal-Mart, all prints made using the 1 hour service is done on FujiFilm equipment. In my expeience, if you submit your prints online, then it is the luck of the draw as to who is printing them that day at FujiFilm. If you submit them yourself through the KIOSK machine at your local store, then you have complete control of what gets printed. I would highly recommend that any photos that are heavly edited, be uncropped untill you enter them into the KIOSK. If they are cropped in other than a 4x6 or 8x10 format, stuff will get cut off at time of printing. I personally do my cropping for prints in the KIOSK only. We also have quite a few PROs in my area use our service, and they have been very satisfied with the prints they receive. Some even submit their work to the local art gallery, and enter them in contests. I guess it all depends too on the store in question. Some stores don't keep up on the maintence on the machines. We have a daily, weekly, monthly, semi annual, and yearly maint. schedule we follow very closely.

Sorry for the long post. I just wanted to clear up some of the bad publicity that Wal-Mart photo centers have been getting.

GaryB

Morning Dusk

ChatKat wrote:

I put my logo on the back of my prints! I had stickers made that say

"It's illegal to copy images without written approval from the photographer - Images Copyright by Flash Frozen Photography - Thank you!"

thats a really good idea alot of people don't know that copying images without written approval is illegal. I might have to make stickers like this as well.

ETA: Also, to the OP, i don't put my logo on my pictures but instead of my signature in the bottom right hand corner.

Mox

These acid free archival pens that some of you mentioned - are they ball points, or are they something that would write smoothly on canvas? I've been asked to sign a canvas print, and don't want to bring a sharpie, but it's large (30x40), so it should probably have a wider tip than a pen - any suggestions? Thanks!

msf

Mox wrote:

These acid free archival pens that some of you mentioned - are they ball points, or are they something that would write smoothly on canvas? I've been asked to sign a canvas print, and don't want to bring a sharpie, but it's large (30x40), so it should probably have a wider tip than a pen - any suggestions? Thanks!

the ones ive seen were felt tip, but were fine tip, Id ont know how well it would write on a canvas. But im sure you can find acid free markers similiar to a sharpee.