Why The Watermark?
Some people might wonder why I watermark my images even when a request is marked as “Free”. There are a few reasons …
Rules
The first reason for any of the editors to add a watermark is if the request was marked as “Paid”. These images will always be watermarked, because it is a rule for all editors in the subreddit. Not watermarking them could get an editor banned, so no matter what you think of an image and whether it is “worth watermarking”, we have to do it on paid request.
The rules also state that as an editor, we have the right to watermark free images, just as long as we relinquish the nonwatermarked image when asked. The following 2 reasons are why I choose to do that…
Quality
When you upload an image to Reddit, they compress the image to allow for faster load times of the website/app. This means that each time you upload it, and then download it, the quality of the file decreases. Adding a watermark to even my free requests requires the requester to contact me to let me know that they want the image. This prevents them from downloading an inferior compressed file without even telling me, and allows me to determine if they need me to send them the full-res file. If you just want an image to use as your phone wallpaper, or to text a funny meme, then a Reddit image might be fine, but anyone who tells me they plan to print an image automatically gets a high quality file.
Acknowledgement & Feedback
When I first started doing these Reddit requests, it was because I was looking for some out-of-the-box projects to tackle that would challenge my design skills and help me learn new things. My own ideas have grown stagnant over the years, I pretty much use the same styles and techniques for all my artwork. I needed someone who could present me with ideas I would never think of myself, so I would be pushed to learn. This is how I stumbled upon the Reddit request groups.
I was always so disappointed when people would post a “Free” request, and I would post an edit, often along with other editors, but the requester would simply download the one they liked without ever saying so much as “Thanks!”, much less giving me any kind of feedback that could help me learn. I started watermarking them, so if they liked it enough to keep it, I would at least know about it and could consider my edit a success. Please remember, that when you make a free request, and an editor is kind enough to complete it for you, the least you can do is tell them you appreciate it! One way you can say thanks if you appreciate an edit I do is to Leave A Review!