Water-marking images on a website

[TenderSurrender]

Hey everyone

Can i get a few of you to browse over to my site and tell me if the water-marking is ok.

E.g Doesnt take over the image entirely and ruin it whilst maintaining a way of people not stealing them!

I recently used some software that batch watermarks things but im not entirley sure that im happy with the results (not the software but the settings)

~~ TS ~~

 

[moss918]

It's a tough one mate. I personally don't like the watermark right in the middle but would say the text is still small enough that it doesn't take over.

The way I think Watermarking looks best and is still effective (Not on bottom corner and easily cropped away) is when it mixes in with the photo. So, for example, if you took one of your skateboard pics and where the board goes diagonally across the frame the writing follows and runs parallel in between the wheels, or written on it as if it's a manufacturer logo (Along a drumstick, curve of a skate ramp, between guitar strings...)

Changing colour to complement each pic is a good move too, but all this obviously takes longer, so it depends on how important it is to you. As I said they are ok at the minute.

 

[MacHeadCase]

TS, I think your watermarks are a bit too important and it distracts the viewer from the actual photo he/she is watching. It would be better if it were semi-transparent and placed in a corner.

Take a look at these pictures in one of my galleries here to see what I mean.

Another way I have found is to upload images in a maximum size of 800 pixels wide (or 800 pixels high, depending if it is portrait or landscape) and at a screen rez of 72 ppi. If they want to rip off my photos, they'll have to work pretty intensively in Photoshop to make it printable and /or bigger.

Is this to stop hotlinking to your server or someone using your photos, claiming they did it themselves?

Let's not kid ourselves, if someone wants to rip you off, they can if they give themselves the trouble. The only way I can see you trying to make it extremely difficult is through software make it hard for them to download the image to the computer, like those Flash-based gallery software: but even then I saw software enabling the user to grab an entire Flash-based presentation of the web and download it to his/her computer.

So the way I see it is this is just to stop or discourage Mr. Jo Blo, not everyone all the time: some will know their way around things to get what they want, no matter what you do.

 

[TenderSurrender]

Hey MHC and Moss

Its mainly to stop them from claiming the work is their own. Im not insane i understand if they REALLY want to, they will but i guess it will stop the majority.

I might have a shot trying out your ideas moss, e.g implementing the water mark in a less obtrusive way such as on the ramps etc. I can do that but with the amount of photos i rotate on there it could take some time *shudders*

Ill also try your idea MHC of perhaps keeping the watermark but changing the transparency so its not so "in your face"

Thanks so much you 2, i really appreciate the time

~~ TS ~~

 

[D3v1L80Y]

I would second (or third) on the suggestion of moving and lessening the watermark. Rather than putting it smack dab in the middle, try putting it off to a corner. Also, try making it a little harder to remove. Simple black text is easy for anyone with little to no skill to remove from a photo. I would recommend using something a little more intricate and more difficult to get around, without obstructing the view of the actual piece.

Something like this maybe:

 

[Screwball6986]

Well digimark watermarks are probably better, if you have the capability, the are unseen and unremovable. I actually used one to sue a said individual and efforts with southwest airlines over this photo http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0915810/L/

You think birds are hard to keep in focus lol try something with an approach speed of 160 Kts

 

[todd51]

Just out of curiosity, did you do your website through iWeb?

If so, how did you get by using the standard template?

 

[MacHeadCase]

Well digimark watermarks are probably better, if you have the capability, the are unseen and unremovable. I actually used one to sue a said individual and efforts with southwest airlines over this photo http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0915810/L/

You think birds are hard to keep in focus lol try something with an approach speed of 160 Kts

Wow! That shot is soooooo perfectly in focus!

 

[TenderSurrender]

Hey Todd,

Yes the entire site is built within iWeb with the default templates. I found it VERY VERY easy to originally create and now even easier to maintain
I can write HTML and used to design sites as part of an AS level I did but as I don't have time to do it now days, I let iWeb do it for me lol

D3v1L80Y -

Would you please send me that water mark you created? or something similar? I really like the look of that one!
I've tried creating my own but I am not a very good designer in that sense

~~ TS ~~

 

[MacHeadCase]

There is this photoshop tutorial (I do hope you have Photoshop...) right here, Watermarking Tutorial. Once you catch the idea behind it you can just apply your own design or just text would do too. But it does look a lot like DB's example.

 

[TenderSurrender]

Cheers for the link MHC, I'll give it a go now (Btw I have photo shop Elements 4.0 thanks to apple )

~~ TS ~~

(p.s I can't add to your rep at the moment, so take the virtual rep for now!)

 

[TenderSurrender]

OK, I've just had a read through the tutorial, it seems easy enough but doesn't mention a way of automating the process.

I'm sure I read somewhere that you could set-up processes within photoshop, is this true?

The thought of manually applying that watermark to the 450 or so images in my library seems daunting. (even more so with me regularly adding to that library lol)

~~ TS ~~

 

[MacHeadCase]

You can create a Photoshop action, that's what I did. And once you load your image you just "play" the action. Lemme check to see a tutorial for creating Photoshop actions and I'll get back...

 

[MacHeadCase]

Ok here's the deal: you simply click on the actions pallette and add a new action. At the bottom you see just like a sound recorder (hover over the buttons and you will see something like Begin Recording button. Click on it and then you follow the steps to the tutorial for watermarking. Once you have finished the watermarking sequence, simply click on the stop recording button.

I could link you to tutorials but they are either of old versions or pretty badly written. Which version of Photoshop do you have?
If you need, I could take screen grabs and upload them here if you want.

 

[MacHeadCase]

Ok got some screen grabs for you...

 

[D3v1L80Y]

There is this photoshop tutorial (I do hope you have Photoshop...) right here, Watermarking Tutorial. Once you catch the idea behind it you can just apply your own design or just text would do too. But it does look a lot like DB's example.

That is kind of uncanny. :black:
I just threw that together in Illustrator and then took it into PS.

D3v1L80Y -

Would you please send me that water mark you created? or something similar? I really like the look of that one!
I've tried creating my own but I am not a very good designer in that sense

I can send you the Illustrator file if you like, TS. All you would have to do is just paste that into PS as a 'smart object', and then you can apply the filters to make it opaque and such.

 

[TenderSurrender]

Hey everyone

I might take you up on that offer D3v1L80Y if I cant manage to design something

MHC, unless im going mad (distinct possibility I am mind you) I cant seem to find the actions palette. Perhaps that's not in the Elements version?

I've attached a photo so you check it out

~~ TS ~~

 

[Stretch]

Do you have a history pallet? The Actions pallet is along that in the full photoshop.

 

[TenderSurrender]

Not that i can see StretchR

~~ TS ~~

 

[Stretch]

Its not in the window menu? Or try Option+F9, that's Adobe's shortcut for it.