# Securing online photos & artwork-what is the key?



## Snowdancer (Sep 23, 2002)

I'm interested in securing posted artwork either on message boards or websites. It's to prevent surfers from stealing the images for their own use/profit.
I've seen photos that have words such as 'sample or the artists name' going across them-how do you do that? :shrug: 

Also I read about layering instead of doing a disable right click. Folks can still right click but when they click on a posted photo with this feature-all they'll actually be filing on their computer is a white box. 
Again; how is that done?

Remember; I'm not real proficient with the high end codes so please put any explaination in as simple of terms as possible.  

Thanks,
Kathy


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Ah there is still ways to get around things. Like just E Mail the entire page to yourself. And once there you then Have It and can right click and put the pic wherever


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

KY Guest said:


> I'm interested in securing posted artwork either on message boards or websites. It's to prevent surfers from stealing the images for their own use/profit.
> I've seen photos that have words such as 'sample or the artists name' going across them-how do you do that?


It sounds like you are asking about watermarking your images.

In order to add a watermark to your artwork you'll need some kind of advanced graphic editing software. Of course the most popular advanced graphic editing software is Photoshop, but if you don't already have Photoshop there's a problem; it costs around $700. But don't fret over that, because there is a Photoshop lookalike that's free, called GIMPShop. Photoshop tutorials are useful for GIMPShop, which is good because there is a lot of Photoshop help online. 

GIMPship can be installed in Windows, Mac, and Linux machines. You can get a free installation file for GIMPShop for Windows by clicking the following link (~7.5 mb):

http://www.plasticbugs.com/blogimg/gimpshop_2.2.8_fix1_setup.exe

Read more about it here:

http://plasticbugs.com/index.php?p=241

Now that you have access to the functionality and appearance of Photoshop, the question of how to watermark your images can be addressed. After installing GIMPShop, follow this tutorial. It provides step by step instructions with images to show you exactly what to click on and do:

http://www.candeekis.com/pswatermark/pswmtut.html

Good luck!


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## giffy (Jul 22, 2005)

In addition to Gimp, another freeware image program is Irfanview 

On watermarking (just my opinion) I think they are annoying and like the other poster stated there are many ways around trying to keep your photos from being taken/copied. 

I really enjoy photography and part of the enjoyment is being able to display some of the photos I took and put them on the web. If I have a photo that is that important to me I just don't put it out there.

giffy

------------------
GiffsFarm


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

disable right click does nothing. The image is in your local cache and can be taken. Watermarking will allow you mark your photo's but again if you can put the water mark in with a program, I can take them out with that program as well. If your talking about family foto's and no commercial stuff then why bother. If your talking commercial then you need to know that you can only slow down people, not stop them from taking your photo's. Even if they do take them there is little you can do without a lawyer and a civil suit. Unless your the RIAA or some big commercial company a ISP isnt going to take down a site using your images even if you are the owner


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

giffy said:


> In addition to Gimp, another freeware image program is Irfanview


I've tried Irfanview in the past but found it to be too basic for my needs, so I migrated to GIMPShop. I wasn't aware that Irfanview was capable of watermarking images, but apparently it is. Here is a tutorial on watermarking with Irfanview.

http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/Stop-Image-Theft-Watermark-Your-Photographs_W0QQugidZ10000000001332718


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## Teresa S. (Mar 2, 2006)

even if you have it set to where no one can save it to their hard disk, they can still take a screenie of the page the pic is on , and then crop the page down to only the picture. sorry.


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## Snowdancer (Sep 23, 2002)

Teresa S. said:


> even if you have it set to where no one can save it to their hard disk, they can still take a screenie of the page the pic is on , and then crop the page down to only the picture. sorry.



I've seen photos' online as well as art that has an almost transparent SAMPLE on a diagonal across the photo. I figured that would slow down all but the most skilled thief since it isn't like just doing a crop.  

I can't find where or how to do that type of mark.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

KY Guest said:


> I can't find where or how to do that type of mark.


I posted links to tutorials on how to make a watermark for both GIMPShop and Irfanview. Did you have any difficulty accessing those tutorials?


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## Snowdancer (Sep 23, 2002)

Nevada said:


> I posted links to tutorials on how to make a watermark for both GIMPShop and Irfanview. Did you have any difficulty accessing those tutorials?



I had a problem with the GimpShop but I already had Irfanview. I just have to take it slow and keep practicing with GimpShop.  Old dog-new tricks. 

Thanks for the links,


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

KY Guest said:


> I had a problem with the GimpShop but I already had Irfanview. I just have to take it slow and keep practicing with GimpShop.  Old dog-new tricks.
> 
> Thanks for the links,


GIMPShop is extremely advanced. It was designed to be used by professionals. Be patient, it's well worth the effort. You might look at eBay for an older version of a Photoshop book too (anything version 5.5+).

The key to overcoming the frustration associated with using GIMPShop or Photoshop is understanding layering and how to use layers to your advantage. Once you get layering straight, everything else seems to fall in line.


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## DrippingSprings (Sep 22, 2004)

well i have downloaded gimpshop THREE times and for whatever reason I cant get the one feature I wanted it for most to work. CLONING. When you look in my toolbox where the rubber stamp looking thing is instead of Cloning it says Paint Using PAtterns or Image Regions. SO I right click on my photo and went to tools and then to Paint Tools and then I found the Clone Stamp Tool. I clock it but thwne i go to the area Im wanting to clone i see the lil rubber stamp but also a slash circle and it wont work.

If I try and use the help it says check your installation no help files. But yet I can find no Help Files anywhere. I even looked on the above site for a link to download them since I have no uninstalled and downloaded gimpshop 3 times and nothing.

My el cheapo Adobe Photodelux can clone so i assumed this "superior" product could to. SO far I like everything about it but the problem with cloning is really bugging me. I use the clone thing to scan old photos and take scratchs and missing color etc spots off of them and reprint them like new again.


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## DrippingSprings (Sep 22, 2004)

here is something all gimp users should refer to 

a complete user manual..hey i can clone now LOL
http://docs.gimp.org/en/


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## Teresa S. (Mar 2, 2006)

Why not open that image into 'ms paint' and add a text across the picture? I.e. SAMPLE...Just a simple thought


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## Arkander (Jun 8, 2006)

There really is no way to keep a determined
attacker from copying your commercial images.

Watermarks and steganography can be taken out
of the image with varying degrees of difficulty.

Otherwise, if you display it on my screen in ANY
fashion, I can hork it easily. Save-As, screen cap,
direct download via 'telnet yoursite.com 80' after
a "View Source".

What I would suggest would be to reduce the quality
of the images you post to your website to the very
minimum color depth and resolution that you can
stand. This makes whatever gets stolen not really
worth the effort, but still shows a sample.

Then, when you sell the real, full-quality images,
put a copyright notice on it in a corner, readable
but unobtrusive.

License the image to your customer such that they
aren't allowed to remove that notice.

$0.02


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Arkander said:


> What I would suggest would be to reduce the quality
> of the images you post to your website to the very
> minimum color depth and resolution that you can
> stand. This makes whatever gets stolen not really
> worth the effort, but still shows a sample.


True, it's not worth stealing. But if the image was posted to promote your work, what does it say about your product? Don't sacrifice your own reputation for security.


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