Do Watermarks Count?

[Dorienne]

Our team is putting a watermark on the background of our Chairman's entry. What I want to know is: Do watermarks count as a picture? Because if so, then we might be using all of our pictures up. Please respond ASAP! Thanks all. =D

[JulieB]

i would not see it as a picture but if can see it with the nake eye maybe so

[jessjank.]

I'm not exactly sure if putting a watermark in the background of the Chairman's is even possible in the format that it must be submitted, though I am not completely certain that this cannot be done. Chairman's Award entries, along with WFA and website entries, must all be submitted at www.firstawards.org. On this site, your Chairman's Award entry essay is simply submitted as text without any visual design and formatting and pictures are then added separately. You can, as I don't feel this would be a massive issue, still produce and print your own submissions with whatever pictures you wish for use at competitions so as to have something tangible and visually appealing on site to show people and use for promotional purposes. I apologize if I have misunderstood any part of your question or have overlooked the possibility of using a watermark. If necessary, please feel free to correct me. I hope this was of some help.

[Kyle]

Like Jessica said the whole submission is on line this year, so there is no need to use a watermark on that unless you print it out to show the judges or other people at demo's that your team might do. A water mark should not count to wards the pic count because it is not visible to the naked eye unless the paper is put at an angle to light, the point of a watermark is to have a security mark to authenticate the document and be in a hidden place, unless you planed to use a water mark as a picture to obtain new space for pics. I was just wondering why would you need to use a watermark? is is something that your school/sponsor requires?

[AIBob]

Im not positive on what you are asking.
But if you are using the watermark as a background, im pretty sure it would count as a picture.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

I think what you need to ask yourself is which is more important...your watermark, your text or your pictures. If your school or team or sponsor has a legal requirement that you watermark your documents, then do so. However, it is also a possibility to stick on the safe side and not include one.

I feel that this year's submission guidelines may not allow for that much flexibility. This may be something to submit for a Q&A answer.

[Brandon Martus]

The way the Chairman's is submitted this year, you won't be able to specify a picture as a watermark. The text is submitted via a website, not a word document like in the past. You could attach the logo/watermark as an image, but it would just be a suppliement to the entry, not incorporated behind the text in anyway that I would know of

** not an official answer, but I know the guy who worked on firstawards.org, so ..

Originally Posted by Eugenia Gabrielov

I think what you need to ask yourself is which is more important...your watermark, your text or your pictures. If your school or team or sponsor has a legal requirement that you watermark your documents, then do so. However, it is also a possibility to stick on the safe side and not include one.

I feel that this year's submission guidelines may not allow for that much flexibility. This may be something to submit for a Q&A answer.

[Dorienne]

Thanks everyone! I think we may just submit a plain entry. I don't think it'd be a good idea to waste good picture amounts on just decorations.

[Eria4044]

Originally Posted by Dorienne Plait

Thanks everyone! I think we may just submit a plain entry. I don't think it'd be a good idea to waste good picture amounts on just decorations.

It depends on how they classify pictures. It's a good idea to play safe, in case they classify anything other than text as a picture. Just a thought.