Password Protection in Photoshop?

I

Isollde

Genkai Conqueror
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Hey guys,

wondering if anyone can help me out with this.. I needa know if there is any way to protect work done in photoshop so that it cannot be altered. Whether it be by password or whatever. Any way that I can protect my work so it can't be altered without it being a real pain in the fuckin ass.

Thanks in advance.
 
The only thing I could suggest is "watermarking" your artwork. There's various ways to do this from making an obvious watermark to making one that is barely visible.

(If thats what you were looking to find, there's many tutorials you can find if you google)


Ultimately though, there isn't a way to guarantee your work can't be altered because a person can always "screenshot" whatever is on their monitor (your artwork) and edit/use the image.
 
Zerayla said:
The only thing I could suggest is "watermarking" your artwork. There's various ways to do this from making an obvious watermark to making one that is barely visible.

(If thats what you were looking to find, there's many tutorials you can find if you google)


Ultimately though, there isn't a way to guarantee your work can't be altered because a person can always "screenshot" whatever is on their monitor (your artwork) and edit/use the image.
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Reason why I'm asking is because I'm planning to leave my job end of this month. I was told that I'd be getting 30 hours minimum and now that all of my boss' graphic design work, he's decided he can't afford me and will only allow me to work 15-18 hours a week..

so I want to make it so that if my work I've done needs to be altered he won't be able to. Because, frankly, this is just horse shit.

I guess I'll water mark the shit out of everything, and compress the files out of their layers. :/

Thanks for the info Zer.
 
I know it can be done in Adobe Acrobat with PDF files, via the Document -> Security --> Restrict Opening and Editing…function.


Maybe there is something similar in PS.


good luck.
 
I don't know how it's done, but I've been to graphic artist's websites before where there is a block over the artwork so that you can't copy/paste, save as or print the work. I don't know how it's done, but I was pretty impressed by the site's security.

I don't know if they have anything similar in photoshop, though I'd assume they have to somewhere considering the amount of usage their software gets in the design world. When I get home, I'll look in some of my old notebooks and see if I can find anything out about it.

If all else fails:

https://www.legalzoom.com/legal-copyrights/copyrights-overview.html

...It's something you should probably look at doing anyway for yourself since you are looking at making a career out of it, and since you are using it so heavily for your job now. I don't know the costs involved, but at least if someone alters your work without your express permission, you have some actual recourse. I have a really good friend who is a graphic artist. If you'd like I can ask the route he took with protection for his work?
 
Zyndara said:
I don't know how it's done, but I've been to graphic artist's websites before where there is a block over the artwork so that you can't copy/paste, save as or print the work. I don't know how it's done, but I was pretty impressed by the site's security.

I don't know if they have anything similar in photoshop, though I'd assume they have to somewhere considering the amount of usage their software gets in the design world. When I get home, I'll look in some of my old notebooks and see if I can find anything out about it.

If all else fails:

https://www.legalzoom.com/legal-copyrights/copyrights-overview.html

...It's something you should probably look at doing anyway for yourself since you are looking at making a career out of it, and since you are using it so heavily for your job now. I don't know the costs involved, but at least if someone alters your work without your express permission, you have some actual recourse. I have a really good friend who is a graphic artist. If you'd like I can ask the route he took with protection for his work?
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I'd really appreciate that, Zyn. :)
 
I knew your manager was a douche after you posted the first time. I think you are SOL regarding ownership of your work at the company. I believe all that work you did is company property. I would just take the original files save them to disk(take disk home), compress layers and leave those with the company and leave it at that. I think if you mess with/add watermarks and such, they may be able to come after you for sabotaging company property(not sure though, I'm not a lawyer). Either way good luck.
 
I don't think there is anything that can be done. Even for websites that don't allow us to save images, we can still print the screen and crop out the image, or find it in the temp folder.
 
I figured there wouldn't be anything I could do, but I thought I'd post here since if anyone would know someone here would.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input.
 
Anttaru said:
I don't think there is anything that can be done. Even for websites that don't allow us to save images, we can still print the screen and crop out the image, or find it in the temp folder.
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Not entirely accurate.

A few of the more programming-savvy webmasters I have seen for artists' websites have had print-screening disabled on their sites (this also extends to alt-printscreening, but doesn't work for printscreening a virtual machine instance), or also have the thumbnails only displayed on the page, and have a flash applet popup on a mouseover.

The way some digital artists protect their wares is quite fascinating.
 
no argument there :thumbsup:
 
Continuing Bluefrost's thoughts!

Tristam Green said:
Not entirely accurate.

A few of the more programming-savvy webmasters I have seen for artists' websites have had print-screening disabled on their sites (this also extends to alt-printscreening, but doesn't work for printscreening a virtual machine instance), or also have the thumbnails only displayed on the page, and have a flash applet popup on a mouseover.

The way some digital artists protect their wares is quite fascinating.
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More so to the point, and you're tech savvy enough to know this, if it is displayed in any format that isn't Flash or Silverlight, the image itself can be gotten. Even some flash loaders call the server to download the image into their queue and the packets can be read to get those image locations.
 
I'd say my only concern with what you're doing would be any Intellectual Property Agreement you may have with your employer. For example, the company that purchased the company I work for requires everyone to sign an IP Agreement basically stating that anything we create that is worth money while employed by them is owned by them. For some companies that means even if I'm a janitor and I work in my off-work hours on a cure for HIV, if I'm successful, the company owns it that vaccine and all profits gained. For others, it only includes things you do while "on the clock" or if they paid for your education/training.

If you have a contract, I'd read through it first, because he could be able to take legal recourse against you if you don't give him full rights to anything you made on the clock. I do hope everything works out for you though, but large companies can be real jerks about IP, especially if you plan to leave. If you don't have a contract, put your name all over everything.

The legalzoom.com idea also looks good for future projects. Its always good to have a thorough understand of who owns what when you work in an career field such as graphic design.
 
Arianelle said:
I'd say my only concern with what you're doing would be any Intellectual Property Agreement you may have with your employer. For example, the company that purchased the company I work for requires everyone to sign an IP Agreement basically stating that anything we create that is worth money while employed by them is owned by them. For some companies that means even if I'm a janitor and I work in my off-work hours on a cure for HIV, if I'm successful, the company owns it that vaccine and all profits gained. For others, it only includes things you do while "on the clock" or if they paid for your education/training.

If you have a contract, I'd read through it first, because he could be able to take legal recourse against you if you don't give him full rights to anything you made on the clock. I do hope everything works out for you though, but large companies can be real jerks about IP, especially if you plan to leave. If you don't have a contract, put your name all over everything.

The legalzoom.com idea also looks good for future projects. Its always good to have a thorough understand of who owns what when you work in an career field such as graphic design.
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It's a very small company. No contracts were signed. Techinically I wasn't even hired to do graphics. I was hired to answer the phone, deal with teh customers, and accounts receivable.

To give you all an update on the situation:

I spoke to Hans today, about the hours cut. Conversation went something like this:

Me: So yeah, we discussed last month that I would be getting 25~30 hours a week.

Hans: Yup, I cahnged my mind. Now that you did all the graphics I needed I don't need you more then 18 hours a week.

Me: Well, I'm going to look for a new job then.

Hans: Okay, well can you do graphics for us part time?

Me: Yeah, but not for $10 an hour.

Hans: oh..

-_-; Fucker thinks he's gonna get his shit done for cheap..

Well i compressed all the work I did into 1 layer PDF's and I've taken all the original layered work. The staffing agency I go through has no clerical jobs available right now, but I'm just going to look for something on my own.

It really does suck because I enjoyed working here, but as I've already been screwed over pretty royally here, I think it's better I just cut my losses and try and find something else.

Thanks to all who gave me their input and advice on the matter.
 
If you were hired to answer phones, then if you really wanted to get him, you could get into it with him over back pay. Especially if a graphic designer there makes a lot more than a phone answerer.

Its what i'm going through at my job right now, and its kind of a pain in the butt, but when i get an extra check for almost a 1000 dollars it will be worth it.
 
Makelith said:
If you were hired to answer phones, then if you really wanted to get him, you could get into it with him over back pay. Especially if a graphic designer there makes a lot more than a phone answerer.

Its what i'm going through at my job right now, and its kind of a pain in the butt, but when i get an extra check for almost a 1000 dollars it will be worth it.
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Yes but see, he's a cheap ass, so "back pay" would never happen. He really thinks that I'm going to come in an do extra graphic work for him after I quit for 10 bucks an hour..
 
Isollde said:
Yes but see, he's a cheap ass, so "back pay" would never happen. He really thinks that I'm going to come in an do extra graphic work for him after I quit for 10 bucks an hour..
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It really just depends on your drive to get what you want. Its not in your job description to do the work he wanted you to do, so legally you get paid as much as someone else where it is in their job description.

It doesn't really matter how much of a cheap ass he is when he faces a judge.

Especially good if you are going to quit anyways, because its like an extra pay check to hold you over until you get a new job.
 
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