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Question from Sabrina: “How do I go about putting a copy right logo on my photos? Is that necessary? is that the same as putting a watermark on your photos?”
Brian: You can automate the process on exporting in Lightroom. Or you can set up a bunch of recorded actions in Photoshop, and then automate it to all your photos.
Cate: Do you mean what buttons you push to get the (c) actually or just if a copyright is the same as a watermark?
Lavish Lens: I think she needs steps as to how to get the watermark on her photos. Brian- can you do a step by step?
Karen: I think she’s referring to the copyright/ownership claim that can be added to the metadata. I use Adobe Bridge to add my copyright info.
Denise: I use photoshop to watermark. I know that copy right is different, but I am content with watermark. Id love to know how to copyright mark them
Suz: Bridge or Lightroom both do great work for this
Dave: I created a custom brush with our copyright info. there are plenty of good tutorials on creating PS brushes on the net. So I when i edit the photo, I add a blank layer, and use the brush tool to add the copyright and then adjust the opacity of the layer so it’s visible, but not too intrusive. Yes, this can be called a watermark on general terms, but don’t confuse it with a “Digital Watermark” which inserts a cryptographic signature into the image file so you can prove that it is yours if you have the need to investigate someone else stealing your work.
Jacqueline: Do you have a buisness license and do You have copyright law? Also in Photoshop there is a copyright (c) that you just simply click on and add! Play with Photoshop to find it! I’m not sure which drop down its under :/
Brian: @Karen This is what I do, I don’t know if it’s an available option in your camera. But on a Nikon D700, you can set up copyright information, artist, name etc right in the camera. This will embed your name and information in the EXIF of every image that you create.
In Lightroom:
1) Click File -> Export
2) Scroll down to ‘Watermarking’ and check the box.
3) Click on the Drop down box and select ‘Edit Watermarks’
4) Follow the dialogs, and customize your options. (You can even go ahead and create a graphic in photoshop, and use that as your watermark.
5) Now when you export all your images that you export will have your custom watermark
In Photoshop:
1) Make sure that your ‘Actions’ Tab is visible. Click ‘Window’ -> ‘Actions’ (or Alt+F9)
2) Then click on the ‘Create New Action’ button in the bottom
3) At this point your are recording. Add your watermark to the image.
4) Then stop recording.
5) Then To automate it to all your images; click ‘File’->’Automate’->’Batch’
6) Then you can select your action and files.
Brian: Personally I use LR 99.9% of the time. So I don’t use the Photoshop method ever. But that’s just personal preference.
Sabrina: So let’s say one day I would like to make a business of this. I’ve noticed some photographers just have a watermark on their photos and others have copyright logos, so to clarify my question, is it necessary to copyright or would a water mark suffice?
Andrea: I use a water mark only and most others I see do the same but for example in the subject/ comment line on FB I put copyrights reserved blah blah
I don’t put it on the image
Karen: @Brian, I shoot Nikon too but I never thought of doing that in camera! Thanks for the tip.
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