Protect online images

Fen

New member
Speaking as a web designer, programmer and photographer... There is no way to protect your images online.

These methods don't work:
- turning off right click with Javascript
- putting a transparent GIF on top
- setting the image as a background to a table
- closed indexing with a robot.txt file
- disabling IE Toolbar
- putting images in a Flash file

The reason why - all the images and Flash files are downloaded in to your browsers CACHE folder. They can just be copied from there and used for whatever you want. Flash files can be de-compiled and the images resources lifted straight out.

The only way to deter people copying the images is to put a logo or copyright notice over the image. Which will probably ruin the image!

Basically... if it can be viewed online, it can be copied.
 
Fen - I know you're technically correct. Images can't be protected from someone with the technical knowledge and know-how to do this.
Then again, that's like telling me that I can't make my house safe. Doesn't mean that I'm not going to lock it up when I leave. Honestly, if you were to ask me to go into my browser cache and grab a Flash file, de-compile it and lift out the image resources, I'd probably give you a funny look...

...these procedures make sure to keep the honest (or relatively honest) people that way.
 

Fen

New member
I agree, the more you do to make it difficult (or rather time consuming) the less chance someone will bother.

:)
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
You can use photoshop to create the copyright symbol with your name and then use it.
I use Aperture 3 and I have the option when exporting a jpeg file to have the filigram (french name for it) on or not.
I believe Lightroom has the same option.
 

Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
Marcel is correct, depends on the software, some allow insertion of small .png images. Most photo editing programs offer watermarking, more simple programs allow you to insert text. I use lightroom and have multiple watermarks for size, color and location.
 

Rick M

Senior Member
Thanks guys!

Currently I only have the D3100 software, I like it, but guess I may need to upgrade to something with that option.
 
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