Internet is a platform to share anything you want: articles, images, videos, statuses, etc. At the same time whatever you update online (technically) becomes internet’s property or rather a free access to anyone who wishes to use your work. Whatever goes online stays online!
You can’t prevent everyone from using your posts. If you don’t want the users to download or steal your images, the best and most effective way is not upload them online! You can’t completely eliminate others from using your images. However, you can work on a few techniques to make it really hard for others who try to steal your images.
1. Add Watermark
Watermark is possibly the most effective and simple way of ensuring image protection. Watermark is a visual copyright placed on an image. The bigger the watermark is, the harder it becomes to steal the image or download them without authorization. However, it is a visual distraction for users who try to view the image.
2. Post Low Resolution Image
Posting a low resolution image is another way of protecting the images. Uploading an image with 550 pixels saved with 72 dpi is a perfect size to upload and makes it look decent while viewing online. At the same time, the image leaves more or less no room to work on for people who download.
3. Disable Right-Click on Webpages
Most people copy images by just right clicking and downloading the images. If you post images on your website, you can prevent “right clicking” by placing the images as background to tables. You can do it easily by following a simple code in CSS. Alternate way to prevent right clicks by using a JavaScript. These scripts override the right clicks when someone tries to copy the image.
4. Indexing Technique
People can misuse your images only when it comes under the search engine indexing. You can protect your images from being indexed by the search engine spiders. Using a non-index (noindex) and un-follow (nofollow) tags eliminates the entire webpage from getting indexed. However, if you want only the content to be indexed and not the image all you need is a Meta tag. The Meta information prevents the spiders from indexing just the image.
These are some of the techniques you can follow to protect your images from online thefts! If you really wish to share your images on a public forum, you have to take all the possible steps to protect them. Though these take time, you will not get a nasty surprise when you see your image on a different website!
We’ll be using a wordpress plugin for image watermarks. Looks like the safest solution.
Some very important tips here to protect your image copyright. Adding watermarks and disallowing the right click button are my two favorite techniques I personally use for Web designing.
Calgary Web Designer
Generally I add my site link in picture. You added some good tips to prevent image theft