Photohawk offers flexible watermarking options to help you protect your images and apply event or photographer branding. There are two main types of watermarks you can use:
Web Security Watermarks
Branding Watermarks
Each type serves a different purpose and can be customised within your gallery settings.
Web Security Watermarks
These watermarks appear on images when viewed as thumbnails or previews inside your gallery. Their purpose is to prevent unauthorised copying or screenshotting before purchase.
Recommended Size
For best results, upload your security watermark at 2400 pixels on the longest edge.
Settings Available
You can configure:
Width (%) – how large the watermark appears
Position – centre, top, left, right, bottom etc.
Tiled – repeats the watermark across the image starting from the centre
Show on thumbnails – applies to small preview images too
These settings allow you to create strong protection while still giving customers a clear preview of their photos.
Branding Watermarks
Branding watermarks are used for logos, event frames, borders, or sponsor overlays that appear on the downloaded images.
This includes:
Event frames (top/bottom/side borders)
Photographer logos
Sponsor logos
Custom event graphics
Branding watermarks use the same configuration settings as web security watermarks, with one additional option to specify exact pixel margins to place branding in the perfect position, whether centred, bottom-aligned, or offset.
This gives you full control over how your branding appears on final downloads.
Multiple Branding Files
You may wish to upload multiple frames or borders if your event includes:
Portrait and landscape images
Square social-media-optimised images
Different product types requiring different overlays
This ensures branding displays correctly across all orientations and formats.
Resizing Images for Watermarks
Photohawk includes an option to automatically resize photos to match your watermark dimensions. However: this does not work well when using a portrait border on a landscape image (or vice versa), as stretching can distort the watermark.
For best results, always upload watermark files that match the image orientation.