Problems With Watermarking

Hi, Everyone!!  It seems that a lot of people have been having problems with people “borrowing” their pictures and posting them on other forums without permission.  I’ve noticed some of you have been putting watermarks on your pictures.  Using Live Writer only gives you the option of placing it either on the top or the bottom of your picture and I’ll show you a reason why you may want to invest in a different photo program.  Did you know that you can click on a picture to enlarge it and then right-click it to save it in a file?  If you have a photo printing program that can crop pictures, which you can do in Live Writer, you can crop off the watermark!!  In some pictures, you could lose the integrity of the picture by cropping, but in others, cropping doesn’t affect the picture at all.

I asked Lisa (primsfromabove) for permission to use one of her pictures as an example.

I right-clicked and saved this picture from her blog.

I used Live Picture Gallery and cropped off her watermark and now I have a great picture I can post where ever I want!!  (I wouldn’t really!!!!)

 

I bought a photo imaging program called “Photo Explosion” at Staples for $50 and has a $20 rebate.  Other stores carry it.  I learned about this program from Karen of kmprimitives. She adds an edging feature onto her photos that I loved and this is the program she told me she uses.  Thanks, Karen!!

It has a watermark feature where you can add your mark any where on your picture, choose font style and color and then the transparency of the watermark.

These two pictures are examples of ones I have posted before.

I’ve been torn about putting watermarks on my pictures.  Part of me thinks that I should take precautions to prevent someone from stealing my photos and another part of me thinks that if someone does want to take my photos, what are they going to gain?  Are they going to try to pass off my home as their own?  I don’t think they would be able to keep up the facade for too long before someone would figure it out.  Are they taking them to criticize my decorating style?  Go ahead, I don’t pretend that I have a degree in home design; I decorate my home to make myself and my family happy.  Besides, how many people would want to follow a blog where someone is always criticizing another’s home?  I definitely wouldn’t.

I guess I should be concerned about my tutorials.  Some one could take my projects and pass them off as their own.  I’ll probably try to safeguard those, but if someone really wanted them, I’m sure they’ll figure out a way to get them. And I guess if they can live with themselves, then more power to them!

Those of you that post pictures of items you’re selling should definitely try to watermark your pictures.  Someone had the audacity to take pictures from Janet’s (underthewillow) selling website and use them as their own for items they were selling on ebay!  Can you believe the nerve?!!

My point of this post was to let those of you who are putting watermarks on the tops or bottoms of your pictures to be careful of someone taking them and being able to crop off your mark.

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I’m going to be participating in Colleen’s (andbabymakesfive) Back to School Recipe Pool on Fridays, so check back tomorrow to see what yummy recipe I’ll have to share with you!

 

Until Next Time. . . . .Kris