Comments on: How to Shrink Wrap Your Images http://skinnyartist.com Live your Art Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:25:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Drew http://skinnyartist.com/how-to-shrink-wrap-your-images/#comment-276 Drew Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:50:47 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?page_id=1037#comment-276 Thanks Sharina for stopping by and for taking the time to share your thoughts. I know with a four-month-old that time is a luxury, so thank you for sharing a little bit of that time with us (just make sure you cover his/her eyes over the naughty parts ;) ) Good luck on your mom's site and I hope to hear from you again soon! Thanks Sharina for stopping by and for taking the time to share your thoughts. I know with a four-month-old that time is a luxury, so thank you for sharing a little bit of that time with us (just make sure you cover his/her eyes over the naughty parts ;) )

Good luck on your mom’s site and I hope to hear from you again soon!

]]> By: Drew http://skinnyartist.com/how-to-shrink-wrap-your-images/#comment-275 Drew Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:47:33 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?page_id=1037#comment-275 You're absolutely right Eli. In order for any browser to display the image, it has to be able to download the image which means that the person seeing it, already technically has it on their computer---they may just not know it ;) I agree that cloaking your source code is an option, however, what usually happens when you start trying to conceal your code/images inside a javascript file is that, all too often you end up looking like an idiot to those people who may have Javascript turned off in their browser, because now your page looks "broken" and poorly coded. It's kind of the same thing you get with putting with putting your images in a Flash file or disabling right-clicking on your page. You end up irritating the 95% of your visitors who have no interest in stealing your work and the 5% of those who do, will know enough to extract the file anyway. The thing I like about techniques like shrink-wrapping is that you aren't really trying to stop them (because that's not really going to happen anyway) as much as fool these parasites into thinking they got what they came for, and not realize the truth until later when hopefully they've forgotten where they had found the image in the first place. Having said that, I would really be interested in hearing more about your idea of using a CSS class, because that wouldn't necessarily effect your casual visitor. If you happen to have an example of this either on a existing page or simply a snippet of code, we'd love to see it. Great comment! You’re absolutely right Eli. In order for any browser to display the image, it has to be able to download the image which means that the person seeing it, already technically has it on their computer—they may just not know it ;)

I agree that cloaking your source code is an option, however, what usually happens when you start trying to conceal your code/images inside a javascript file is that, all too often you end up looking like an idiot to those people who may have Javascript turned off in their browser, because now your page looks “broken” and poorly coded.

It’s kind of the same thing you get with putting with putting your images in a Flash file or disabling right-clicking on your page. You end up irritating the 95% of your visitors who have no interest in stealing your work and the 5% of those who do, will know enough to extract the file anyway.

The thing I like about techniques like shrink-wrapping is that you aren’t really trying to stop them (because that’s not really going to happen anyway) as much as fool these parasites into thinking they got what they came for, and not realize the truth until later when hopefully they’ve forgotten where they had found the image in the first place.

Having said that, I would really be interested in hearing more about your idea of using a CSS class, because that wouldn’t necessarily effect your casual visitor. If you happen to have an example of this either on a existing page or simply a snippet of code, we’d love to see it.

Great comment!

]]> By: Eli Peters http://skinnyartist.com/how-to-shrink-wrap-your-images/#comment-270 Eli Peters Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:37:48 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?page_id=1037#comment-270 You are gonna be like "duh, we know" but I am going to write it anyway - anyone that is familiar with browsing knows that they can read any source code and on line 106 you offer the image up there... http://skinnyartist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/hndsup3-300x199.jpg I would extend the technique by obfuscating that part of the code...either putting it inside js, php or css as a class. Making it a laborious task will deter all but the most keen of hackers. You are gonna be like “duh, we know” but I am going to write it anyway – anyone that is familiar with browsing knows that they can read any source code and on line 106 you offer the image up there… http://skinnyartist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/hndsup3-300×199.jpg

I would extend the technique by obfuscating that part of the code…either putting it inside js, php or css as a class. Making it a laborious task will deter all but the most keen of hackers.

]]> By: Sharina http://skinnyartist.com/how-to-shrink-wrap-your-images/#comment-164 Sharina Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:19:56 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?page_id=1037#comment-164 Thanks for such an informative site, I keep meaning to go get some work done and maybe lunch, and keep finding one more article to read! Anyways, “stop-the-thievin-bastards.gif” gave me such a good laugh it caused my four month old baby sitting in my lap to look up at me and giggle. So, I had to comment. I'm working on building and trying to help promote my mom's website and work: www.paulaomurphy.com and eventually for myself too :) Thanks again! Thanks for such an informative site, I keep meaning to go get some work done and maybe lunch, and keep finding one more article to read! Anyways, “stop-the-thievin-bastards.gif” gave me such a good laugh it caused my four month old baby sitting in my lap to look up at me and giggle. So, I had to comment.

I’m working on building and trying to help promote my mom’s website and work: http://www.paulaomurphy.com
and eventually for myself too :)

Thanks again!

]]> By: Drew http://skinnyartist.com/how-to-shrink-wrap-your-images/#comment-69 Drew Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:21:42 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?page_id=1037#comment-69 First of all, I wanted to thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. As far as your question goes, I'm afraid that I can only give you a partial answer. . . Maybe some of the other Deviants who visit this site regularly can help us out here, since I'm not a Deviant myself, but I would be really surprised if you would be able to shrink wrap your images because it would require some HTML coding in order to setup the "image sandwich" that we talk about in the tutorial. I'm not sure if Deviant or any of the other gallery sites allow you to edit the HTML on your pages like that or not. This of course is one of the trade-offs of using a gallery site like DeviantART, RedBubble, or even Flickr. Gallery sites like these are great for getting more people to see your work because they not only get a lot of traffic, but they also allow other users to link to your page as well. At the same time, you are also leaving it up to them to secure your images (usually with watermarking), which like all of these methods is only marginally effective. If you want to have more control over your images, your best bet may be to create your own gallery website so that you will be able to use or combine any of the image protection systems that we talked about. The downside to this, of course, is that you'll not only have to build the site yourself, but you'll have to go out and get your own traffic if anyone is going to see your work. Help us out here fellow Deviants! First of all, I wanted to thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. As far as your question goes, I’m afraid that I can only give you a partial answer. . .

Maybe some of the other Deviants who visit this site regularly can help us out here, since I’m not a Deviant myself, but I would be really surprised if you would be able to shrink wrap your images because it would require some HTML coding in order to setup the “image sandwich” that we talk about in the tutorial. I’m not sure if Deviant or any of the other gallery sites allow you to edit the HTML on your pages like that or not.

This of course is one of the trade-offs of using a gallery site like DeviantART, RedBubble, or even Flickr. Gallery sites like these are great for getting more people to see your work because they not only get a lot of traffic, but they also allow other users to link to your page as well. At the same time, you are also leaving it up to them to secure your images (usually with watermarking), which like all of these methods is only marginally effective.

If you want to have more control over your images, your best bet may be to create your own gallery website so that you will be able to use or combine any of the image protection systems that we talked about. The downside to this, of course, is that you’ll not only have to build the site yourself, but you’ll have to go out and get your own traffic if anyone is going to see your work.

Help us out here fellow Deviants!

]]> By: Soloo http://skinnyartist.com/how-to-shrink-wrap-your-images/#comment-68 Soloo Mon, 09 Aug 2010 03:23:26 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?page_id=1037#comment-68 I've read both of your articles on image protecting, and I would like to know if there's any way I can shrink wrap images and still put them up on deviantART as a shrink wrapped image. I know a lot of people who have their art stolen, and I don't want that to happen to me. I'm aware that this isn't 100% foolproof, but it would at least make me a little bit more comfortable knowing that my images are a little more protected. Thanks in advance! I’ve read both of your articles on image protecting, and I would like to know if there’s any way I can shrink wrap images and still put them up on deviantART as a shrink wrapped image. I know a lot of people who have their art stolen, and I don’t want that to happen to me. I’m aware that this isn’t 100% foolproof, but it would at least make me a little bit more comfortable knowing that my images are a little more protected. Thanks in advance!

]]> By: How to Create (and destroy) your Reputation as an Artist http://skinnyartist.com/how-to-shrink-wrap-your-images/#comment-23 How to Create (and destroy) your Reputation as an Artist Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:31:58 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?page_id=1037#comment-23 [...] visit on a regular basis.  Give them a valuable resource or tool they can use.  Things such as how-to tutorials, interviews, and other website tools and resources.  Also keep in mind that the many of your [...] [...] visit on a regular basis.  Give them a valuable resource or tool they can use.  Things such as how-to tutorials, interviews, and other website tools and resources.  Also keep in mind that the many of your [...]

]]> By: Protect your Images Online – Stop People from Stealing your Stuff! http://skinnyartist.com/how-to-shrink-wrap-your-images/#comment-19 Protect your Images Online – Stop People from Stealing your Stuff! Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:08:19 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?page_id=1037#comment-19 [...]  If you are interested in finding out more about how this is done, I would invite you to visit our How-to Shrink Wrap Your Images tutorial page for quick [...] [...]  If you are interested in finding out more about how this is done, I would invite you to visit our How-to Shrink Wrap Your Images tutorial page for quick [...]

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