Watermarking photos

[samz54]

There are a few sellers using my photos as their own. Unfortunately, I didn't have any of my images watermarked. I already contacted the sellers and asked them to remove my photos. One of them asked for my copyright certificiate....this upsets me since I spent a lot of time taking my own photos. I talked to ebay in trying to get their listings end so we'll see what actually happens...

Is there a program that I can use to automatically watermark all my images?

[midohioimports]

Under the new seller agreement, all of our photos are up for grabs all the time for use in the Ebay catalog. We used to be able to opt out. Not any more.

[tatertot2u57]

I put my name across the photo using photoshop and the type tool.

You need to read the guidelines here  per the opacity , size, etc. 

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/pictures.html#adding

this at least will still be allowed for now but copying my writes up is going to be a real PITA to me for will no longer be able to use the html to stop that ! 

[rei-npkrlma]

"Is there a program that I can use to automatically watermark all my images?"

Irfanview - free - has watermark ability. You just use a separate image, set the opacity and you've got your image water marked.

Last year I read somewhere that greedy google won't "accept" water marked images, but personally, I don't give a rats pa-toot what google does or doesn't do. They're not any small sellers friend, anyway.

[emerald40]

I also use photoshop.

One photo can take up to an hour just getting the right shot of a diamond ring.

No way is someone going to spend just a minute of their time stealing it.

I asked the question on the board yesterday, and while the mods said they did not think it was a good idea they did not outright ban it.

[megadestroyers]

Watermarking is not copyright.  ebay goes as far, now, to require listers to opt out of their use of your photos for their own catalog, with no mention of copyright.  That should tell you.

Take good pics.  Take plenty.  Allowed 12 free.  Move on.

[mscarlett1450]

I watermarked my photos through a setting on eBay.  I noticed awhile ago that all my marks were gone.  I went to my settings to put them back on but couldn't find it.  Is it gone or am I looking in the wrong place?

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

I edit all my images in Picasa, which includes 2 options to add a copyright line. The first method is to add text (any color) to the image at an acceptable opacity and at any place. The second is to check the box to add a line of text (black) near the bottom of an image before exporting the finished version.

Watermarks can be cropped away. Text placed within the image itself cannot. And, yes, eBay allows a copyright line at 50% opacity as long as it doesn't obscure important details of the product.

Since most of my items are OOAK, I generally don't bother with a copyright line on images. (I do place a copyright line near the bottom of my template).

By the way, you automatically hold the copyright to your own photos and descriptions. No "certificate" required!

~~C~~