Help Requested on clearing up details about WATERMARKS... + high res images in the wild.

[MCMGal]

Hello all! I have a question regarding the watermark option in settings. There is a blurb in the paragraph that says
"Even search engines require ZAZZLE to provide HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGERY WITHOUT WATERMARKS...".
I find this odd since I have posted images of my own on my company website, (which ranks #1 in category for the past 10 years), and have never been required to publish my high resolution images for the public by search engines or anyone else. Can someone clarify this please? 

It sounds to me that even though I choose to publish with watermarks, Zazzle plans to publish my 300 dpi images on Google + other search engines? Please tell me I am wrong about this. Please explain what this does mean. 

Sincere Thanks! 🤔

[idraw]

@MCMGal 
My take on this is that no matter how we as shopkeepers interpret your initial question, it’s probably better to step back and let zazzle answer as to whether they publish our high rez images without watermarks on search engines/google etc. even tho we chose to watermark them. Great question tho. Hope z clarifies this for you.

[PenguinPower]

What I took from that is not that they send your images out un-watermarked, but rather that if you choose to watermark them, you may not appear in outside searches. 

[MCMGal]

Will Zazzle see this thread? Or am I in the wrong post category? 

🎅🤶

[PenguinPower]

The moderators look at everything - even if you put it in the wrong category.... just give them a little time, they have other duties to do as well as read all of the messages here. 

[idraw]

It’s  been three months, and still no response from zazzle.

Waiting for a concise answer from zazzle concerning watermarks. @Zazzle mods

[MCMGal]

Looking forward to hearing them chime in…

[DM]

I have watermarks. My Zazzle products appear on the first page of Google searches. I have my theories as to why that blurb was written, but I'm interested in Zazzle's response, too.

[rebeccawang]

I have my watermarks enabled, and my products show up in Google search results and in Google Shopping search results as well, and the pictures look fine. 

The watermarks do not appear in the Google Shopping search results. They do not display high resolution images in Google Shopping search, they are 588x588 pixels.

[MCMGal]

I would really like to begin publishing on Zazzle but I need an answer on this question from the Zazzle team before I can do this.🤔

[Connie]

I think that paragraph is self-explanatory- if you choose the watermark option, Zazzle isn't going to share your high-res product images, but you might risk not getting found on the search engines. (It also makes things more difficult for affiliates, at least those who are in the Promoter Program 2.0, so we can only do manual pins, and we can't get nice images for promotion.)

The majority of sellers want the extra exposure rather than the tiny extra security, but Zazzle gives everybody the option to weigh the pros and cons and decide for themselves whether or not to watermark.

I just want to add that you probably need to think really hard about if you really do want a Zazzle store or other online platform. It sounds like the potential online thievery is very worrying to you. Will it be worth the stress of always worrying about if somebody can or will steal one of your images (they ALWAYS can if they try hard enough)? Nothing online is completely secure. I'm not trying to discourage you, but if you are too precious about your work, you'll spend more time trying to track down thieves, than enjoying the creating and selling of it.

[MCMGal]

I understand, thanks for your response. I have been an art director, graphic designer + commercial artist for 40+ years. My point is that they say in the paragraph that the intend to publish our images at high resolution without watermarks. That phrase is the only statement I disagree with. It’s not necessary and I think the paragraph needs to be rewritten, unless that IS what their actual practice really is. It’s not for the users of the site to guess or hope that isn’t true. I just want an answer rom Zazzle 

[Angel]

@Connie

Online thievery is very real. Last year I had to ask Amazon to remove one of my designs that was being sold by someone else.

[orientcourt]

Connie and PenquinPower  Yes, Zazzle says it offers a choice between watermarking or not! While also mentioning the downside of doing so!