Overdone watermarks ruin the image; too subtle and no one sees them. Here are practical guidelines for placement, size, and opacity for SNS creators.
Placement: corners, prefer bottom-right
Corners are the default. Bottom-right is where the eye lands last, so it's least intrusive — many commercial photographers go with it. Switch to bottom-left or top-right only when the subject occupies the bottom-right.
CRED lets you set position per image, so you can avoid the subject one image at a time.
Size: 3–6% of image width
For text credits, a font size of 3–6% of image width balances readability and restraint. On vertical formats like Instagram, leave room at the bottom; on horizontal formats like X, hug the corner.
Opacity: 70–90%
Fully opaque shouts; too transparent is invisible. 70–90% hits the sweet spot — noticed by those who look, ignored by everyone else.
Color: white usually, black sometimes
- Dark photos → white with a light shadow
- Bright photos → black or gray
- Colorful photos → white with a stronger shadow
- If you have a brand color, use it
Logo vs text: which to use
New creators should stick with plain text. Introduce a logo once your audience grows and your brand has something to represent. Designing a logo too early rarely pays off.
Avoid these
- Placing a big watermark in the center (kills the image)
- Covering the subject's face or key elements
- Switching position, font, or color every time (kills recognition)
- Running at 100% opacity
A watermark isn't meant to shout — it's meant to stack quietly. Lock in your CRED settings once, keep them, and your brand compounds over time.