Tracking your art/pictures/work online with Google Alerts + Photoshop
There is a simple way to protect your image without a big visible (and ugly) watermark..
METADATA...
Metadata is essentially information embedded into your media that stays there.
Through Photoshop (most versions CS, CS2, CS3 for sure) all you have to do is go:
FILE> FILE INFO, and it will bring up all your embedded info. Simply embed a copyright warning in the correct box (if in doubt, use the HELPfunction on your software)
For instance, i might use "©Slash_Eater_2008"
Now my image is protected with an invisible, digital watermark.. but lets not stop there.. Lets have the internet tell us any time someone posts my image with my invisible copyright!
Google alerts!, one of the best kept secrets on the interwebs.
From here, i can enter into my Search terms:©Slash_Eater_2008, tell google to notify me once weekly (more if you are a big shot) and have them sent directly to your email!
Just like that, you are informed of every infraction that takes advantage of your work!
[source]
METADATA...
Metadata is essentially information embedded into your media that stays there.
Through Photoshop (most versions CS, CS2, CS3 for sure) all you have to do is go:
FILE> FILE INFO, and it will bring up all your embedded info. Simply embed a copyright warning in the correct box (if in doubt, use the HELPfunction on your software)
For instance, i might use "©Slash_Eater_2008"
Now my image is protected with an invisible, digital watermark.. but lets not stop there.. Lets have the internet tell us any time someone posts my image with my invisible copyright!
Google alerts!, one of the best kept secrets on the interwebs.
From here, i can enter into my Search terms:©Slash_Eater_2008, tell google to notify me once weekly (more if you are a big shot) and have them sent directly to your email!
Just like that, you are informed of every infraction that takes advantage of your work!
[source]