Securing Images On Website. - Post ID...

User 132596 Photo


Registered User
4 posts

My new website is a gallery for my original artwork. I was wondering if there is a way to secure the images of my paintings so that they cannot be copied from my website??
User 117361 Photo


Ambassador
6,076 posts

Candice Coey wrote:
My new website is a gallery for my original artwork. I was wondering if there is a way to secure the images of my paintings so that they cannot be copied from my website??

Candice,
Hi - maybe you should try disabling the right click in your pages.
There are so many ways that someone can get hold of your images, it really is very difficult to be absolutely certain about their protection.
Short of putting a nasty semi-transparent SPECIMEN across the front of the image, I guess keeping the images small and a poor resolution helps (although you won't show your art off at its best), and then also accepting that it might happen and not lose sleep over it.
You can have your work copyrighted of course, but that only helps when you catch the individual who has appropriated them.
My husband paints, and the images he now displays on his site, are actually work he used to do which show what he is capable of, but aren't necessarily the works he now sells.
No easy answers here! I can see I have offered you more philosophy than anything!!
Janys
User 160944 Photo


Registered User
143 posts

Some watermarking techniques:

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/watermark-images-php

You can also use Photoshop (Paint Shop Pro) to put digital watermarks in your images - basically putting your copyright info and attaching it to the image. Digimarc (http://www.digimarc.com/watermark/download/) offers some free digital watermarking software. Other than that Janys has the right idea by disabling right click (do a javascript search for some code) or just embedding your info right on the picture if you put it on the web. HTH Kim
User 7250 Photo


Ambassador
163 posts

I've tried to find a waterproof sollution for this problem but didn't find one. I think that there is always a way to steel a picture from a site. Right click protection is no solution either because you can view the source code in the browser and than open the picture directly in your browser. Hiding the source code is also no solution because one can always 'cut' the image out of a website with for instance PSP.

The one thing that works is to make your name a part of the image. I mean to put your name in the picture in a place that can't be removed from the image without disturbing the content of the picture.

The downside of this trick is that there is something that doesn't belong to the actual image in the picture. This can be disturbing the image and its message.

Erwin
I love my CC software!!!
User 150840 Photo


Trial User
1 post

Candice Coey wrote:
My new website is a gallery for my original artwork. I was wondering if there is a way to secure the images of my paintings so that they cannot be copied from my website??

Greetings. Copysafe Pro is the most secure solution available for copy protection of web pages and images from all methods of copying (including Printscreen and screen capture). Copysafe includes all of the features found in Secure Image Pro but also uses a special plugin to trap capture methods. Copysafe images and pages can be easily incorporated into all web projects for online catalogues, galleries, surveys, e-commerce and banking.

Go here: http://www.artistscope.com/

Good luck. Frank
User 117361 Photo


Ambassador
6,076 posts

Greetings. Copysafe Pro is the most secure solution available for copy protection of web pages and images from all methods of copying (including Printscreen and screen capture). Copysafe includes all of the features found in Secure Image Pro but also uses a special plugin to trap capture methods. Copysafe images and pages can be easily incorporated into all web projects for online catalogues, galleries, surveys, e-commerce and banking.

Go here: http://www.artistscope.com/

Good luck. Frank

Frank,
Went to have a look out of curiosity, but as an option, it is pretty expensive. I suppose so much depends on what your "works of art" are worth really. Probably a lot of people on these forums already using CoffeeCup software, are normally looking for less expensive options. Many of us (I for one), have chosen CoffeeCup precisely because their software responds to that particular need. But yes, I agree, the Artist Scope certainly has a number of tempting applications for copyrighting and protecting original works.
Janys
User 42578 Photo


Ambassador
1,176 posts

There really isn't any way to protect an image on the web from being downloaded. To see the image on your screen means it has all ready been downloaded and stored in your temporary files.

The easiest way to somewhat protect it however, is to convert it to a flash image. That way the image is very difficult to extract from the flash file, not impossible but not as easy.

One rule to remember: If you want to keep your images safe from downloading, don't put them on a web page.

Mike...
..........................................
http://www.wpdfd.com
User 117361 Photo


Ambassador
6,076 posts

Mike Crone wrote:
One rule to remember: If you want to keep your images safe from downloading, don't put them on a web page.

Mike...

Mike,
That was precisely my advice!!
Not terribly encouraging for anyone who has prepared a site around the idea of displaying original works of art, but quite efficient as a watertight solution!!

Janys

ps. Are your ears burning - I have just finished writing about you in another post!!!
User 12512 Photo


Ambassador
223 posts

If an image is displayed on the screen then there's no way you can stop it being copied. At the least a simple screencapture will allow your image to be accessed by any number of graphics progs.

The best ways imo, is to physically spoil the image with a watermark or just display a low res thumbnail.

If you have to display the full-size image then there are comercial ways the image can be tracked (via the EXIF for jpeg IIRC?). GettyImages do this. They're having a big push against image theft at the moment. I'm aware of a number of people with invoices from them for the unauthrised use of images. These invoices run into four figures!
User 8660 Photo


Registered User
858 posts

Candice Coey wrote:
My new website is a gallery for my original artwork. I was wondering if there is a way to secure the images of my paintings so that they cannot be copied from my website??

If you don't want your image to be stolen, don't put it on the net! Protection schemes can be bypassed, water marking is only good if you can actually find one of your images being used without your permission and than the prove is up to you, gooood luck.
Alfred

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