Tracking your photos with Photoshop and Google Alerts

Sound Of Vision · 04-17-2008, 04:34 PM #1 (**permalink**)

Almost everyone who uses internet eventually uploads/publishes some stuff. Photos and art are most common. And since this forum contains lots of posts with photos of your work or photo tutorials, I think this might come handy (at least to those who have PS...).

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 HELP function on your software)

For instance, i might use "©Sound_Of_Vision_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:©Sound_Of_Vision_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]

Obreathemykiss · 04-17-2008, 05:00 PM #2 (**permalink**)

That rocks. Thank you for that!

Brittni · 04-17-2008, 05:11 PM #3 (**permalink**)

LOVEEEEEEEEE IT

Thanks for posting so much! What a true hidden treasure!

redambition · 04-18-2008, 06:59 AM #4 (**permalink**)

excellent. thanks for the tip!

VeXedPiNk · 04-27-2008, 01:32 AM #5 (**permalink**)

Great to know!

MissChriss · 04-27-2008, 08:16 AM #6 (**permalink**)

Cool!

MissChievous · 05-06-2008, 05:22 AM #7 (**permalink**)

I knew this was possible but didn't know how! Thanks so much, I will def be doing this, my pics have been re-hosted without my permission many times. The drawback is that people who know a bit about Photoshop can easily remove all the exif embedded data if they want to so it's not foolproof I think.