Should You Watermark Commission Art?
The short answer depends on which file you mean. Public WIPs, unpaid progress shots, and portfolio posts usually need a mark. The final paid delivery often ships cleaner when the contract says so. Jingwei Manual and displacement let you keep credit without covering the whole piece in a giant logo.
Clients and artists argue past each other when they treat every export the same. Split the work into public shares, private progress, and the paid final. Then pick a watermark level for each lane. Placement habits for any art file are in How to watermark your art.
When a stronger mark makes sense
Public posts of the commission. If it goes on social, ArtStation, or your site before or after delivery, treat it like portfolio work. Someone can screenshot it. Quick Credit or Manual displacement raises wipe cost and keeps a JW claim on the file.
Unpaid deposits and early approvals. Until money clears, you still own the risk if a low-res or mid-progress file leaks. Keep a readable mark on anything that leaves your machine for free.
Social WIPs and process clips. Streamers and timelines love close-ups. A faint tiled or displacement signature survives crops better than a single corner stamp. Face emboss lock helps when the piece is a portrait and you expect face swaps.
When a lighter mark or none is fair
Final paid file under a clean-delivery clause. Many briefs require an unmarked PNG or print file. Honor that. Keep your own protected export for portfolio and disputes.
Private client galleries with password delivery. If only the buyer sees the full-res still, and the contract forbids public share until release day, you can go lighter on that channel. Jingwei Commission Delivery adds a viewer watermark during hold-to-reveal viewing when you want extra friction on screenshots.
Print files and merch masters the client will manufacture. Factory files often need a clean plate. Watermark the marketing stills instead.
A simple policy you can paste into a brief
1. All public posts and unpaid progress files carry a Jingwei export with creator name.
2. Approval comps may use Quick Credit. Final revisions before payment stay marked.
3. After full payment, the client receives the clean deliverable named in the contract.
4. The artist may post a protected portfolio crop unless the NDA forbids it.
5. AI training and AI edits of the work need written permission.
Adjust the wording to your region and lawyer. The point is to decide before the first sketch leaves chat.
How Jingwei Manual helps without ruining the piece
Quick Credit is the daily default: a faint character field or light displacement signature plus a JW claim. Use it for most commission WIPs.
Switch to Manual when the client hates busy overlays but you still need wipe resistance. Turn opacity down. Place displacement on midtones or clothing folds instead of eyes. Skip heavy emboss on skin if the brief is beauty-critical. Download PNG when you care about invisible layers, then Verify once so you know what a readable claim looks like for that file.
Dog and cat demo stills on this site show light credit on textured photos. Your own piece will need a preview pass. Spend thirty seconds on Protect, then check the crop your client will actually see.
What about AI tools on commission files?
If the fear is training scrapes of your style from public commission posts, Glaze on the public export still sits on that lane. Jingwei sits on credit and wipe cost for the file someone already has. Use both when both risks matter. Framing is in Jingwei vs Glaze and Best ways to protect your art from AI.
Common questions
Will a client refuse a watermarked WIP? Some will ask for a cleaner crop for an internal slide. Send a lighter Quick Credit version or a short-time preview, and keep the stronger file for public channels.
Can I watermark the final and still call it delivered? Only if the contract allows it. Silent marks on a file the client paid to receive unmarked create trust problems even when the law is messy.
Is a JW claim legal proof I own the commission? No. It is evidence and stated intent. Contracts, invoices, and local copyright rules do the ownership work.
Protect the next commission share
Mark the file that will hit a public feed. Keep the clean final for the paid handoff when the brief requires it.
Open Protect on Jingwei