How to make a PS image UNEDITABLE?

[Feinwerkbau]

Hi Friends,

I did a search but came up with nothing. If this has been posted before under a different title, please dun flame me.

Is there any way that I can make a PSed photograph UNEDITABLE?

Is is meant for hi-res printing, or for placing into another document with other pictures, but I dun want anyone changing anything in the file.

Anyone knows how? I already tried saving it as a PDF file and activating the high level security features (without password), but when I re-open the file, I find that I can still make changes.

TIA for your help!

[loupgarou]

I believe there is no such thing.

as long as you can see it on screen,. someone can press print screen button, then paste the output into photoshop and start working on it.

digital watermarks will stop them from plagiarising but not copying/altering.


--
depends on what you want to do. you can pass them the file and get a MD5 hash of the file, so that you will not accept modifications if the hash is different.

[Feinwerkbau]

Thanks for the reply.

So basically there's no way I can protect the image, digitally of course...

BTW, what's a 'MD5 hash' of a file mean? Does this require a seperate programme or an additional plug-in? Please pardon my ignorence...

[mpenza]

hashing is a way to ensure that the file is unchanged. you need to store the hash securely for verification. if a PS image is edited, the hash will be different from the hash derived from the original image. however looking at the edited PS image alone won't review you that it's edited.

[sriram]

In addition, any editing / other software you use must support the hashing (there are command line tools such as md5sum etc which return the hash of a file). People can bypass it by simply using a different editing software such as paint shop, gimp, etc. Basically, there's nothing you can do except giving out low res, small images.

[onelove]

there is NO WAY TO protect your images online ... the only is not to post them at all ... hashing or whatever only prevents ... but there's one thing call print screen rite?

[moos blues]

quite scary when you think about it...

read the article of hackers REVERSING edits done in PS... like blacked out pictures and so on..... with suceess to what extent that would have to been seen....

[onelove]

Originally Posted by moos blues quite scary when you think about it... read the article of hackers REVERSING edits done in PS... like blacked out pictures and so on..... with suceess to what extent that would have to been seen....

hmm which article? got website?

[reno77]

Originally Posted by onelove hmm which article? got website?

BBC posted some blacked out photos of the footballers who were involved in a rape case last year. By increasing the levels in the photos you could see their faces enough to recognise who they were.

[Feinwerkbau]

This is all flying abov my head...

Howver, I have no choice but to send a hi-res file via email at client's request for third party usage.

It's the third party that I have grave concerns about...

Oh well, what to do, if even the most 'protected' files can be reversed 'processed' nd so on, I guess it's a new form of working hazards we have to cope with...until someone writes a much more powerful programme to protect original images.

[singscott]

I love that if a third party do that and I come to know about. Sure sue their ass off. There where the copyright act come in. When we sell an image we not selling the physical stuff like the print only but also the rights to use that image or part of it. If there people use our image but didn't pay for usage or our knowledgement then let us discover it. It will pay back time.

Makansutra's presenter Sato is a good example. He a Singapore base professional photographer, when M1 use him to shoot for "local" Ad. But M1 decided to use the image for a international Ad without Sato aknowledge. He went, frought and won the case.

So leeching and other usage even a part of your image withou your release of aknowledgement is infringemnet of your copyright! But first you have to be aware that it has happen in the place

[sammy888]

Originally Posted by Feinwerkbau Hi Friends, I did a search but came up with nothing. If this has been posted before under a different title, please dun flame me. Is there any way that I can make a PSed photograph UNEDITABLE? Is is meant for hi-res printing, or for placing into another document with other pictures, but I dun want anyone changing anything in the file. Anyone knows how? I already tried saving it as a PDF file and activating the high level security features (without password), but when I re-open the file, I find that I can still make changes. TIA for your help!

There is no way you could safe guard your graphic design or work done in Photoshop or any graphic program for that matter. You just have to be more on guard with what you are willing to share with others or when paid to do certain photo or design work. There is always the chance that your work will be used beyond what you were paid to do or in the case of you giving your picture or design to a firend and he/she inturn might use it to sell as a whole or in part to someone else to use. YOu just have to make it that much harder to discourage people from using it. For me when you see me put up any pictures to share with folks here or other site, I make sure I have my copyright placed on the picture itself..and usually at a location that is hard to miss or are crucial portion of a picture so it render the picture find to see but of no use to other people trying to steal it to use. And also for those pictures I think are my best looking ones, i never publish them at all. If I do, it will be those second best looking ones of the same shot, for example.Those better ones are reservde for my own design work at my office or to sell. Of course if you think that putting watermark on your picture ..right across the picture espcially will spoile the look and "story" well, I rather that I show you abit then to let someone leeched the picture to use in some website as part of their website design. I try to make my picture as unappetising to leech whenever I can. Just half-fade your watermark/copytright on the picture would still be fine and not compromise your picture that badly. The good thing is that for web base site like this where you exhibit some of your work, it is restricted to being abuse for website use due to their smaller low res specs. I am more concern about my hi-res work being use for publication and non-electronic media projects.

Also, just to let you know...even if you managed to use Adobe Acrobat (PDF) to lock the picture/text of your work with password. I have a few software that actually helped me to hack and unlock them...easy! Anyway..so long as it can be viewed on your computer monitor...you can always capture for sure.

Third party usage can also be hard to detect especially if it was use overseas in some obscure publication..etc. That is why I always believe in not compromising on your costing for your work. I hate it when everyone is undercutting each other by doing work for close to not making anything. All that hardwork for nothing. Just to close a deal you sell your work for a lot cheaper as the client bargain you down. And then they could be using your work to do alot more stuff that you might not be aware of. I would rather charge more but I let you have all the freedom to do as you wish with it. That way I get to sleep more peacefully

That's my take on the issue. You win some..you lose some. Just make sure you win alot more then you lose most of the time.

[user111]

just delete it

[chisiang]

Don't forget about Digital water mark. It is secretly embeded into pictures and not visible. But I think you need to pay for the software and services. Can't really remember liao. They will spider the net looking for pictures with the water mark signature and if it is not licensed to use it, they will inform you.

[loupgarou]

chisiang, digital watermarking adds noise to a picture. try out I think photoshop already comes with it (not the search feature, but the ability to add your digital watermark). so that even print screen will capture the watermark.

---
HOWEVER, if they do blur on a picture, then the watermark would be mostly gone (but picture also mostly useless.)

[Feinwerkbau]

I think Sammy888 has pretty much summed up the situation concerning professional hi-res work.

Seems like we have very little on our side at the moment to safe-guard our work when we live in the digital domain...

[onelove]

Originally Posted by loupgarou chisiang, digital watermarking adds noise to a picture. try out I think photoshop already comes with it (not the search feature, but the ability to add your digital watermark). so that even print screen will capture the watermark. --- HOWEVER, if they do blur on a picture, then the watermark would be mostly gone (but picture also mostly useless.)

big watermarkings spoils your picture ...
also they really want , they need not blur the picuture ... they just heal it

[ParkertR]

Quote: Don't forget about Digital water mark. It is secretly embeded into pictures and not visible. But I think you need to pay for the software and services. Can't really remember liao. They will spider the net looking for pictures with the water mark signature and if it is not licensed to use it, they will inform you.

however, if its on ur screen and you do a print screen... you lose the digital watermark. :S it's actually impossible to safeguard ur pictures... unless you put a HUGE WATERmark that kinda ruins it and makes it impossible to edit out :P haha

[nickmak]

Why not have smaller files? I usually use 800x600... yea I know its kinda big still, maybe halve that size and tada! You have a smaller picture that is rather more trouble to edit and print right?

Just my opinion...

[oeyvind]

Output to Photoshop PDF format, and set the right security option.