watermarks - visible and invisible

[jimlightsmith]

I am about to open an account with PBase and am considering the use of watermarks for protection of my images. Does anyone have a recommendation for a way to do this? It seems to me that a visible watermark would discourage those who might want to "take" the image. (I know it is copyrighted, yet still can be taken and used elsewhere.) It would seem a visible watermark would discourage theft and an invisible watermark would allow me to prove I am the "author".

I've heard about Digimarc. Has anyone used them? Other options? Comments?

Thank you!
Jim

[pdbolton]

Suggest you read the thread in the Questions & Answer section on "Disabling Right Click". Might give you some help and give you some insight on how some people feel about the subject. As for me, I put a copyright on all my surfing images as well as diabling right clicking. Like I said in my reply in the thread - I do it as a deterrent. If you're going to take my images, you're going to have to do a little work to "doctor them up". I am also fooling around with a way to put a hidden watermark in the image. I have looked into Digimarc but its a little on the expensive side but I believe there is and artist in pbase who is using it but I can't remember who.
Like someone said, the only way not to have your images stolen is to not put them on the Internet. But I just can't sit around and do nothing about it, that's kind of like throwing in the towel.
Do what you feel is necessary to give you some peace of mind but it's fun to throw them the "old curve ball" now and then.
Welcome to pbase.

Paul D. Bolton http://www.pbase.com/pdbolton

[geoff_c]

I use Faststone photo resizer.

**FREE** and very easy way to visibly watermark your shots, also with a facility to add a hidden watermark. The added bonus is that it will also downsize your shots so that you can maximise your space on Pbase.

Check out the shots on my profile - I still manage to sell watermarked shots, I just supply a clean version once the purchaser has made conact.

Geoff

[gilp]

If somone needs a pic so badly that they are willing to use a heavily compressed, 60Kb image.... I say let them.

watermarks.... that's funny.

[mikeangstadt]

If you happen to be familiar with GIMP (an image editor like Photoshop), I've just started using a watermark script I found on the web:

http://wtanaka.com/node/7552

It lets you insert up to four watermark images (one for each corner of your photo) and lets you set the transparency level of those images.

I've just been using it to put my name in the bottom right or left corners of my photos. I wouldn't get too uptight about people stealing your images. If you're worried about that, you shouldn't be putting them on the internet to begin with.

[valeriecook]

I would love to be able to disable right click - I went to your gallery and was able to right click on one of your great surfing pics and save it - I am using mozilla browser. Did you disable right click of these??? Maybe it only works in IE
Thanks,Val

[pdbolton]

The only 3 galleries I've put it in so far are the surfing galleries for 17 Jan 08 Parts 1, 2 & 3. It doesn't work on the thumbnails but it works on the other 3 sizes (small, medium & original), and it works in Mozilla as that is what I'm using now. I'll have to check it with another computer system to see if it works or if it only works with my system. It's not a sure fire theft preventative measure. Like I said, I'm going to use it as a deterrent especially with the surfing galleries and I'll eventually put it in all my sports galleries. As much time as I spend at the sea wall when the surfs up or at the track with the carts & bikes, you'd think these people would approach me and inquire about getting a picture I took of them. There's nothing more discouraging than to go to a "friends" apartment and see one of your surfing pictures hanging on "his" wall and you know that you didn't give it to him and he didn't ask you for a copy of it. I would rather discourage someone from taking what I worked hard to produce and instead have them approach me personally and ask for one. I'm an easy going guy, we can work something out. Just ask, don't try to deceive me.

[dougj]

We can not stop the downloading. IMO the best thing to do is post small, low rez images, this is all that's need for the web anyway, and there isn't too much that can be done with it when downloaded. Secondly use a watermark, but this distracts from the image.

Paul, FWIW I tested one image in your 17 Jan 08 Part 1 gallery:

Browser - Save As (rt click) - drag to desktop (left click)

Fire Fox - no - yes
Opera - yes - no
IE7 - no - no

Naturally, the image can be downloaded by viewing the page source and going directly to the image. A screen capture probably defeats all of mouse click disables as well.

Just my personal opinion, I don't care if a friend or colleague downloads & uses an image for their own personal use. Commercial uses I expect to get paid for. I offer this as something to consider, we each have different beliefs & objectives, none of which are wrong.

[whig]

I would love to be able to disable right click

Forget it... you can't disable right click and even if you found way to do it peoples can still copy/download your photos if they can see them on their computer screen.