Watermarking Your Images: A Smart Idea

By Author: Jenny Virtas
Total Articles: 1
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Here's an experiment you can do on the Internet. Take a picture of something - anything you want - and upload it to the Internet. Wait about a week then do a search for images using keywords that would describe your image. Chances are good you'll see that image in more places than where you originally placed it. And you'll be unlikely to get any credit for the image even though you own the copyright to it. This is one reason why watermarking can be very useful.

Copyright & Watermarking

Images found through Google Image searches and other methods are sometimes though to be public domain meaning they can be used in almost any way without infringing on anyone's copyright. While this is not the case, tracking down the culprits after the fact can be next to impossible. Protecting your rights from the beginning is the best approach and that's what watermarking can do for you.

Watermarking can also serve other purposes. With the right program, you can add messages to your images to create funny images, such as the LOL Cats and the De-motivation posters. This can be done much easier than you might image and ...
... is a great way to get creative with your digital photographs.

Of course, watermarking needs to be done with software or a program designed for this purpose. Some of these programs also provide other useful features that can help you.

Picking Your Software

Bytescout Watermarking is one of the most versatile programs on the market for this purpose. The program makes adding this copyright protection easier by having built-in watermark types that you can add with just a few clicks of the mouse, including diagonal stamps, DateTime stamps, tiled text, and more. Additionally, some of the most common watermarking messages, such as DO NOT COPY and PRIVATE, are available as rubber stamps that can be quickly applied to any JPG, GIF, TIF, or PNG image. You can also preview the image with the added watermark before saving the file to make sure you're happy with the results.

To make your watermarking easier, Bytescout Watermarking also allows you to resize the text of your added mark to better match the size of your image. That way if you're using a small image you don't overshadow it with text. Images can also be preserved in their original file format or you can convert them into another supported file format. Additionally, the program works with your existing Windows Explorer photo viewing program so you can add the watermarks easily and quickly.

Another advantage of the program is it does give you the opportunity to get more creative with your photos. Built-in presets for the de-motivation posters and LOL Cats area included to make adding those elements to your images simple. The program comes in both a regular version and a Pro version so you can choose which of the options is best suited for your needs. The Pro version provides more control over watermark placement and offers other advanced features. Regardless of which version you choose, using watermarking on your images is definitely a good idea.