Thread: Can i leave a hidden watermark on my works?

I created a few logos as a sample for someone to choose from. The person didn't pay and is still using one of those samples. When i asked him to remove same, he told me to proove the ownership.

Now, thats a bad situation, so what i was thinknig is, if it was possible to have some sort of hidden watermark/ copyright which is only known to you, so you can atleast proove it to be yours.

Anyone have a suggestion or clue regarding this?

Yes you can do this. I have to go look for my tutorial, so I'll be back.
I watermark ALL samples, and let customers know that they'll receive the "real thing" after payment.

here's one

http://photoshop911.typepad.com/help...arking_ph.html

I have the visible WM in the corner of all my pics but then I also embed the info in the EXIF data as well.

oooops, I forgot to look

Originally Posted by timsdd

here's one

http://photoshop911.typepad.com/help...arking_ph.html

I have the visible WM in the corner of all my pics but then I also embed the info in the EXIF data as well.

He asked for 'hidden watermark ' .

The above is a tutorial of a normal watermark, not hidden.

I think hercules asked about a watermark which is not visible for normal users, only to someone who aware of it.
File info (Alt+Ctrl+I) will be a good solution , I think.

Originally Posted by designer007

He asked for 'hidden watermark ' .

The above is a tutorial of a normal watermark, not hidden.

I think hercules asked about a watermark which is not visible for normal users, only to someone who aware of it.
File info (Alt+Ctrl+I) will be a good solution , I think.

Good point.

I know, I did not qualify that. You could just turn the 'opacity' down such that it's invisble or nearly so to the eye but it would still be there.

Originally Posted by timsdd

Good point.

I know, I did not qualify that. You could just turn the 'opacity' down such that it's invisble or nearly so to the eye but it would still be there.

That's what I do

Originally Posted by Ohiosweetheart

That's what I do

I guess his request is something which even i missed out on first reading but when read hidden, i can see why he needs that. He doesn't want anyone to know there is watermark and if needed, he can use that to proove his work. Visible watermark is a diff. thing altogether.

If anyone has any information or tutorial to support his request, please share. I would also need such assistance here.

Originally Posted by champion

I guess his request is something which even i missed out on first reading but when read hidden, i can see why he needs that. He doesn't want anyone to know there is watermark and if needed, he can use that to proove his work. Visible watermark is a diff. thing altogether.

If anyone has any information or tutorial to support his request, please share. I would also need such assistance here.

Visible watermark is a diff. thing altogether.

I will respectfully disagree....the layer from which you create a visible watermark...you can adjust the layers "opacity" such that it would be invisible to the eye but still exist within the PSD file as a separate layer.



to reiterate another of my points, I also add the © information to the images EXIF (metadata) information.

I am also aware of this paid service but know very little about it:

from: http://www.digimarc.com/comm/images.asp

Digital Images
Improve the Protection and Management of Digital Imagery
These days, digital images can be used everywhere — with or without consent. Digital watermarking allows you to add a layer of protection to your images by identifying copyright ownership and delivering a tracking capability that monitors and reports where your images are being used.

not sure if it's subscription based or image specific....




So in PS, you'd open an image, select "Filters" and at the bottom it says "Digimarc"

So I just tried it, it's a demo of course.
It brings you to an online information page:

THANKS FOR TRYING MYPICTUREMARC WATERMARKING!
You have successfully embedded and read a sample digital watermark in your image. Through MyPictureMarc digital watermarking, you can link your images to any web page you specify, just as you were linked to this page.

Best of all, the information you embed in your digital watermarks is dynamic, meaning you can change it any time without having to re-watermark any of your images.

Not only do digital watermarks let you include copyright and link-back information, but also they can be used to track where your images are being used across the Internet with MarcSpider Tracking services.

Click here to find out about which Digimarc digital watermarking option works best for your needs.

pricing info: http://www.digimarc.com/mypicturemarc/buy-now.asp

if you're good with the command line, you can use imagemagick utilities to batch process files.

Originally Posted by chovy

if you're good with the command line, you can use imagemagick utilities to batch process files.

Code:

convert -size $img_dim xc:none -fill grey \
            -gravity NorthWest -draw "text 10,10 '$copyright'" \
            -gravity SouthEast -draw "text 5,15 '$copyright'" \
            miff:- |\
      composite -tile - $img_logo $img_wm

Originally Posted by chovy

Code:

convert -size $img_dim xc:none -fill grey \
            -gravity NorthWest -draw "text 10,10 '$copyright'" \
            -gravity SouthEast -draw "text 5,15 '$copyright'" \
            miff:- |\
      composite -tile - $img_logo $img_wm

/me loves imagemagik!

Thanks for the tip