# Other people unable to print my photos



## TonyUSA (Dec 16, 2016)

Hello,

If I post my photos online such as web or facebook.  How can I prevent from other people to print my photos.  If they want the print they have to contact me.

Thank you,


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## Gary A. (Dec 16, 2016)

Once an image is online, you lose all control.  You can make it hard and harder to steal, but never impossible.


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## Ysarex (Dec 16, 2016)

TonyUSA said:


> Hello,
> 
> If I post my photos online such as web or facebook.  How can I prevent from other people to print my photos.  If they want the print they have to contact me.
> 
> Thank you,



You can't. Period.

Joe


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## 480sparky (Dec 16, 2016)

It's easy:


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## JonA_CT (Dec 16, 2016)

Facebook compresses everything so much, I'm not sure they'll get a nice print out of it anyways, if that helps.


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## Ysarex (Dec 16, 2016)

You can't. Period.

Joe


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## 480sparky (Dec 16, 2016)

Ysarex said:


> You can't. Period.
> 
> Joe
> 
> View attachment 131682



Not many, however, have the ability to do that though.


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## Ysarex (Dec 16, 2016)

480sparky said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > You can't. Period.
> ...



I'll take that as a compliment, and forgive me for editing one of your photos, but under the circumstances it seemed acceptable. What we both did there was fun.

You're right, many people resort to watermarks including the disruptive type used by stock agencies. They are an effective deterrent against petty thieves but they won't deter the determined.

Joe


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## Ysarex (Dec 16, 2016)

480sparky said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > You can't. Period.
> ...



A follow up note: My wife looked over my shoulder and asked what I was doing so I showed her the thread. She then showed me an assignment (she tutors grade school kids) one of her pupils just received in her "Technology Class" -- 7th grade. As part of the assignment the kids are told to go to the internet and "get photos" to use for illustrations in a power point presentation they have to create. No mention of course about copyrighted material. So my wife's comment was, "yeah and the schools are training them to steal."

Joe


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## 480sparky (Dec 16, 2016)

Ysarex said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> > Ysarex said:
> ...



I get ya.

However, there are some other sneaky ways to mark your images.


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## Ysarex (Dec 16, 2016)

480sparky said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > 480sparky said:
> ...



Indeed there are. They won't catch theft for personal use but a steganographic water mark will catch a commercial use thief after the fact and they can't be removed.

Joe


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## 480sparky (Dec 16, 2016)

There's also some who get creative in 'hiding' their watermarks in plain sight.






Let's see who can spot this one first.


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## Ysarex (Dec 16, 2016)

Sparky Popcorn!

Joe


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## TonyUSA (Dec 16, 2016)

Thank you very much everyone.


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## snowbear (Dec 16, 2016)

TonyUSA said:


> Thank you very much everyone.


Maybe try this:


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## bogeyguy (Dec 16, 2016)

on the left box, looks like a light bulb of sorts.


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## 480sparky (Dec 16, 2016)

Ysarex said:


> Sparky Popcorn!
> 
> Joe



Yeah, it's popcorn all right.  But where's the watermark?



bogeyguy said:


> on the left box, looks like a light bulb of sorts.



No, that's a blemish in the glass. Like someone shot it with a BB gun.


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## Ysarex (Dec 16, 2016)

480sparky said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > Sparky Popcorn!
> ...



On the side of the box -- 480 Sparky.

Joe


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## TonyUSA (Dec 18, 2016)

Thank yo everyone for your input.


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## TonyUSA (Dec 18, 2016)

Okay, If anyone can print from the web site.  How can this type of business still in the business.  Please see link below.  Please advise.  I am interesting to do something like this in the future maybe in a year or two.

Here is how they do it.  If the customer want them to take picture then the customer have to pay up front say $25.  Then the photographer will take some pictures and will give the customer password to go into their website to take a look at customer pictures about 4 days later so the customer can choose and order the photos that the customer like.  In this case, the customers have to go into "MY PROOFS" and click on meet that they were in then the customers can click on their photo then it will take them into his/her photos for them to pick and order.

Thank you,


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## Ysarex (Dec 18, 2016)

TonyUSA said:


> Okay, If anyone can print from the web site.  How can this type of business still in the business.  Please see link below.  Please advise.  I am interesting to do something like this in the future maybe in a year or two.
> 
> Here is how they do it.  If the customer want them to take picture then the customer have to pay up front say $25.  Then the photographer will take some pictures and will give the customer password to go into their website to take a look at customer pictures about 4 days later so the customer can choose and order the photos that the customer like.  In this case, the customers have to go into "MY PROOFS" and click on meet that they were in then the customers can click on their photo then it will take them into his/her photos for them to pick and order.
> 
> ...



A business like that restricts access to the photos via a password. You can't see them at all unless you can log in. If I can see them I can take them, but in this case it would be necessary to hack the password or website security to gain initial access. That's a different ball game.

Joe


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## TonyUSA (Dec 18, 2016)

[/QUOTE]A business like that restricts access to the photos via a password. You can't see them at all unless you can log in. If I can see them I can take them, but in this case it would be necessary to hack the password or website security to gain initial access. That's a different ball game.

Joe[/QUOTE]

Thank you.  Sorry, I didn't make it clear.  The photographer will give the password to the customer.  So let say, this customer got password from photographer.  After customer log in and see his/her photos.  Then customer can pick photos, order the photos, and pay photographer online.  If the customer can print his own on that website, so how the photographer can make money from customer.


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## 480sparky (Dec 18, 2016)

TonyUSA said:


> Thank you.  Sorry, I didn't make it clear.  The photographer will give the password to the customer.  If the customer can print his own on that website, so how the photographer can make money from customer.



Why are you uploading your images to a website where you cannot control what the customer does with them?  At least in terms of ordering prints?


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## Ysarex (Dec 18, 2016)

TonyUSA said:


> Thank you.  Sorry, I didn't make it clear.  The photographer will give the password to the customer.  If the customer can print his own on that website, so how the photographer can make money from customer.



Not all customers want to cheat. Not all customers know how to cheat. And access my still be restricted. In the situation you describe the customer may be shown only a low-res version of the photo. The higher-res version used for printing never being made available for viewing on the screen.

Joe


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## KmH (Dec 18, 2016)

TonyUSA said:


> If the customer can print his own on that website, so how the photographer can make money from customer.


That's exactly why so many photographers new to the business of doing photography aren't in business very long.
There is no way to prevent those that have access to the online photographs from copying those photos and having them printed, as well as giving the photos to relatives and friends.

As a general rule, retail photographers that are able to stay in business proof in person, not online.
Retail photographers that proof in person usually have a much higher average sale than photographers that post proofs online.


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## TonyUSA (Dec 18, 2016)

Wow!  Thank you for everyone value info.  You guy are the best as usual.


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## ZombiesniperJr (Dec 18, 2016)

480sparky said:


> There's also some who get creative in 'hiding' their watermarks in plain sight.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Found it


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