Yee ha, I am finally remembering to ask this question. I usually think of it after I've signed off. How are you ladies and gents printing your name over the pictures you post? I think it's a good way of protecting pics so they can't be claimed by others. Thanks!

The following are instructions that cali4dawn provided:


OK- Here you go. Stamp them with whatever you like. Just stamp them and be consistent. Even the bad ones. I tell everyone starting out, get in the habit doing this. You may think your pics aren't worth stealing today, but you'll get better.

Since I do not have a stamp on one of the pictures in the sample, I did not use pictures of any of my cakes. Hopefully no one wants to steal the picture I used!

Stamped for maximum protection:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/265808017/282525987DxEuoP

Stamp while trying to not block the main subject matter:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/282526108/282526108IGtORr

what happens when you do that:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/282526187/282526187CidGAJ

If anyone needs instructions on how to stamp, I have 2 tutorials. One is stamping your art with Print Shop (most publishing programs will follow these procedures). The other is stamping your Art with PAINT- which comes with every PC.

Print Shop tutorial starts here:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/265808017/265829408Dqqnov

PAINT starts here:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/265808017/265829408Dqqnov

Good luck!!

That's good advice, but be forewarned that anyone with a little website/photo editing software savvy can still easily claim a "stamped" photo if s/he wanted to. I learned this after writing over some of my own photos for my website last summer and later deciding that no, don't want the text to overlap the photos after all. It took me maybe 5 minutes to alter Cali4Dawn's "protected" photo just now--Not to freak you out, Dawn, I never would steal! This is just to show you to be careful!



Granted, most people are honest and many probably don't know how to do it if they wanted to, but just be careful. I really don't think there's as much security online as we all like to think (and certainly as we all deserve). That's my 2 cents, as they say.

Hey CarolAnn~ Tina here.. I figured the stamping out last weekend. It was easy once I figured out my new scanner! If you need any help let me know ok. I'll be happy to help you out like you always help me. Just email me. I have been so busy making cakes this week that I forgot to answer your email. SORRY!! Let me know ok.
Your friend, ~Tina~
ps.. I'll be gone tomorrow, I'm taking a CPR course at the FD. But I'll check my email tomorrow afternoon to see if you emailed me!

I know it can still be stolen... but I have all I can do to get newbies to stamp at all... one baby step at a time! Please don't scare the newbies in to not posting there pictures at all.

You can copyright protect even further by prohibiting the right click "save as" function.

Actually no. I just ran a google search and in one step found how the bad guy (and us) can get around that.

http://blogs.msdn.com/lisawoll/archive/2004/07/28/200009.aspx

Nothing is fool-proof. But even this article says this (stamping) is the best way to safeguard your pictures. Mine are easily removed because I'm using a program that allows them to be removed easily. You can get more sophisticated and purchase higher end (and costly) programs.

But whether this is fool-proof or not, you still need to do it. Nothing in life is 100%. But this will stop most people and slow down the rest. The dead bolts on your door and even the very expensive security systems will not ultimately keep out the bad guy if he wants in, right? But we still install and use them. It's all about deterring the criminal, not stopping him/her.

Exactly, Dawn, that was just the point I was trying to make: Do what you can, just know that you're not completely protected. It's important to make an effort, and it's also important to know just what you're (not) capable of. Superman knows he can't handle Kryptonite, right? (I hope I got that right; It's been awhile since I've thought about him. LOL) Anyway, I didn't intend to scare anyone, but rather, to give the heads-up to these ways around it.