How to Set Up Watermark Proof Galleries

A watermark proof gallery should tell the client one thing: these images are for selection, not final use. The watermark is not the whole protection strategy. It works best alongside private access, disabled downloads, and a clear final delivery promise.

For boudoir and intimate portrait work, keep the tone respectful. Heavy-handed copy can make clients feel accused before they have done anything wrong. Calm language works better: proofs are watermarked while you choose favorites, and finals arrive clean after retouching.

• Watermark proofs, not finals.
• Keep downloads off in the proofing gallery.
• Use private access so proof links are not public.
• Explain the proof/final distinction in the delivery email.

Before uploading, decide which assets are proofs and which are finals. A proof is an image shown for selection. A final is an image the client is allowed to keep, download, print, or share according to your contract.

Asset-level proof/final flags can control preview treatment, but Framekeep uses Final state as the per-asset download boundary. Mark only intended published delivery assets Final before enabling final-only downloads.

• Proof state: watermarked preview and thumbnail available.
• Final state: no-watermark preview; download eligibility requires both Final status and the gallery-level setting.
• Pending state: uploaded but not public until you publish intentionally.

The best proof watermark is visible enough to signal status and subtle enough that clients can still evaluate expression, pose, and emotion. If it blocks the face or body line, it slows selections and creates frustration.

Use a raster PNG or WebP watermark that your image pipeline can overlay safely. Avoid relying on unsupported runtime conversion steps. A production image transform should consume an image format the renderer already supports.

• Use a transparent PNG or WebP overlay.
• Repeat the watermark lightly across previews rather than hiding important details.
• Test thumbnails and large previews separately.
• Fail closed if the watermark overlay cannot be generated so a clean proof is never substituted.

The delivery email should be short and specific. Tell clients how to unlock the gallery, what the watermark means, how to favorite, when favorites are due, and when finals will arrive.

Avoid vague phrases like secure link or online proofing if the client has never used your system. Spell out the behavior in plain language so the gallery feels predictable.

• "This proofing gallery is view-only while you choose favorites."
• "Tap the heart on each image you want retouched."
• "Final images will be delivered without watermarks after selections are complete."
• "Only viewers who pass the configured invite or PIN check can open the gallery."

Open the gallery as a client, not as an admin. Unlock with the PIN, confirm proof thumbnails load, open a proof preview, favorite and unfavorite an image, then check a final preview. If any image returns an error, fix it before the client sees the link.

Test both paths because proof delivery uses a watermark overlay while final delivery uses plain resizing.

• Proof preview returns an image content type.
• Final preview returns an image content type.
• Thumbnail URLs work for both proof and final assets.
• A watermark-transform failure returns an error instead of a clean proof.

Framekeep supports watermarked proof previews and final/no-watermark previews as separate asset states, but download permission is one gallery-level setting. Photographers can keep a proofing gallery downloads-off, then mark only intended published delivery assets Final before enabling downloads.

That makes the honest promise easy to explain: view privately, favorite selections, wait for retouching, then open a final-only delivery gallery for downloads.

• Private PIN and invite access.
• Watermarked proof previews.
• Favorites for selections.
• Final assets delivered without proof watermarks.
• Download archive after downloads are enabled.