If you send other people photos or drawings or paintings you made on holiday or business trips or presentations such as Powerpoint or Mosaic or Keynote (on Apple) you might wish to watermark them.
You might find that putting on a copyright mark prevents your pictures being uploaded to some media.
Two ways I know of for doing this.
1 Text Box
The easiest way. Add a text box over the photo. Type in the words 'Copyright' followed by your name. Save.
I'm using the word copyright spelled out because some of the people to whom I'm sending photos, and somer readers of websites, are not even very clear on copyright and symbols.
2 Photoshop Elements
Use a photo editing system such as Photoshop Elements and add the copyright symbol. The simple Photoshop Elements can probably be bought for under £100. They keep updating it. My friendly photographer says he buys every other version.
When you buy Photoshop Elements you are sent two installing discs and instruction books. One installing disc is for Apple system. Instructions are also on the web.
First you insert the disc to install. This is why I need a laptop with a slot for inserting discs. I had a MacBook Air without a disc slot. It was a real nuisance.
First you have to install the installer. I got a message saying cannot install. Probably because the disc had not ben recognised. I waited. The installing whirred. I watched the download bar. Time passed. Ten minutes to go, nine, eight, seven, back up to eight. It's not me, and it's not you. Don't panic. That's the way it is.
You are asked to insert your buyer's number, serial number. I thought that would be on the box. It is on the package inside the box. Copy that out.
I am using just the simplest version, which is cheaper. The professional version is too expensive for me and my business. In any case it is so complicated at this stage it would confuse me.
Within Photoshop Elements, you have lots of choices to make. When you click on the watermark symbol you get boxes to fill in or select. You might want to adjust the opacity (opposite of see-through or transparent). Increase the font size - according to the site of your photo. Make the font bold or a bolder font.
At the end nothing happens until you have selected your choice in all the boxes. Then you need to be sure you have remembered to click on done or accept at the bottom of the screen. Sometimes I find the done box is not visible and I have to scroll down.
Saving Watermarked Photos
My professional photographer helper saved all my watermarked photos in a separate file labelled watermarked. He names the file images. I asked, 'Why not just call it photos?' He answered: 'Because you might save items which are not photos, such as illustrations, for examples, charts or drawings.'
Images
My caricatures are currently all saved as photos of caricatures. Maybe later, I'll get proficient at drawing on a computer, and filing my computer drawings. At the moment I'm drawing on the computer and using my mobile to take a photo of the drawing, which is automatically saved in date order, in case I lose the online drawing or delete it.
Little steps, little advances, a little learning every day.
Angela Lansbury, author, photographer and illustrator (caricatures and more).
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