Writing on a photo

[Keltic Ice Man]

Well not quite writing on a photo, but marking it in some way.

I often provide pictures from shoots; weddings, birthdays etc. and was wondering the best way to mark the back of the photo so that if they took it to there local supermarket to get copied they would know there was a copyright on it.

I have tried an inkpad, but the ink didn't dry very well.

I'm currently using stickers with my logo on, but wondered what others do.

Thanks

Allan

 

[erg121]

I used to put a small watermark on the photo's in the bottom right hand corner, nothing to intrusive.

 

[Keltic Ice Man]

thanks for the idea, but i must say I'm not too keen on putting something on the customer side of the picture. As who knows how they might mount it.

Any other ideas?

 

[Kerioak]

I put a small signature on the customer side of the image and sometimes a sticker on the back. Paintings always (nearly) have the artist's signature on them and as photography is an artform I feel we should do the same

 

[Yv]

When I have had prints done at photobox, they have imprinted the file name of the photo on the back and time and date, so it is pressumably possible. an easy way would be to change the file name so that your name is the file name, if that makes sense...for instance 'CopyrightKelticIceMan_0001' and then ask your printer if they can provide that same service maybe?

 

[SimonTALM]

The stuff I get back from Loxley Colour have "Professional Photographs are subject to copyright" already printed across the back of the prints (part of the photographic paper). The also do the printing the file name thing as well so you could have both.

I would guess stickers are probably your best bet although I don't know how they may affect the images photographs in the long term, so personally I don't use them on the photo itself (although I do put them on the mounts, but this is so that they know where to come to get reprints in the future).

 

[whitey]

i got some clear stickers made on ebay, got 200 i think for £4/5

 

[Nixtoo]

Make sure any stickers are acid free, alternativly have a stamp made up and use some thing called stazon ink, that will not harm the photograph. There are lots of products designed for the scrapbooking world (see ukscrappers.co.uk) that will be fine to use. Personalised stamps are avalible really cheaply from ebay.

 

[Keltic Ice Man]

a friend that makes cards mentioned Stazon. Has anyone tried it? Does it dry on the photo ok? and does it then stay put, or smudge?

I like the idea of renaming the file before printing. Good idea as many companies print the filename on the back.

 

[Nixtoo]

Stazon shouldn't smudge its designed for use on non porous surfaces like acetate, its very fast drying, its on my list of next craft purchases, so i'll try it and let you know! Also its not water soluble so one its on its staying put!