How do I send a client a preview of my design without them using it before paying?
Send a reduced copy of the design with a watermark repeated across all of it at moderate opacity, and keep the full-resolution file until the money arrives. A repeated mark is much harder to remove than one in a corner, and the small size makes the copy useless for print or large use even if the mark were removed. No watermark makes copying impossible, but the two together make paying easier than working round it.
The three options compared
- Sending the full file with no mark: fastest, but it hands the client everything before payment. Only for a client you fully trust or with full payment upfront.
- One mark in a corner: looks tidy, but cropping the corner removes it in seconds, and the design itself stays clean and usable.
- A repeated mark across the whole design, on a smaller copy: lets the client judge the idea, colors and layout without getting a file fit to publish.
Pattern density: how many marks?
The aim is for the client to see your design clearly while the mark crosses every important part. These figures come from the tool for a 1200 × 1600 portrait poster, with a text mark at 30%, so 360 px wide and about 70 tall, rotated -30 degrees:
Spacing 50% between repeats: about 15 marks, covering the design evenly with clear areas between them.
Spacing 0: about 28 marks, a dense grid that protects more but makes fine detail harder for the client to see.
An opacity of 25% to 40% is usually enough. Lower makes the mark easier to remove; higher covers the design so the client cannot judge it, and may reject it for that reason rather than for anything in the design.
Steps
- Export a full-size version from your design app and keep it to yourself.
- Make a smaller preview copy with the Image resizer, wide enough to view on screen but not enough to print.
- Open the Image watermark editor tool, choose the small copy and type your name, 'PREVIEW' or 'معاينة فقط'.
- Choose 'Repeat across the image', a slanted rotation and a moderate opacity, and adjust the spacing until the mark crosses the key elements.
- Download the preview and send it; send the full file after payment.
Notes from freelance practice
- If the work is a PDF, such as a full identity or a brochure, there is a dedicated tool: PDF watermark.
- Tell the client in your message that the mark is for preview only and will be gone from the final version, so they do not mistake it for part of the design.
- The preview is saved in the format you put in: PNG stays lossless PNG, JPEG is saved at quality 92.
- Everything happens in your browser, so a client's unreleased design is never uploaded to a server.
Common questions
Can a client remove the mark with AI tools?
They may try, and a repeated mark makes it harder and messier, but no mark is fully guaranteed. That is why the small size is a core part of the protection.
What should the mark say?
Your name or studio name identifies you if the image spreads, and 'Preview' states the purpose. You can combine both on one line of up to 120 characters.
Do the design's dimensions change after watermarking?
No, the watermark tool keeps the dimensions. Shrinking is a separate step before it.