TIP - Copyright

This post is in response to a question by phaseoutgirl (Cecilia) who hosts a blog called 'Dance with the Sun' (what a terrific name; doesn't it just invite you to visit?). She wished to know how to post a copyright note at the bottom of her pictures, similar to how David manages to copyright his own pictures. So let's deal with that first:

Thyson being introduced to a baby lovebird!
Photograph © 2007 Terry Fletcher

 

Follow the normal steps you use to post a message and an image, by using the 'Compose' (WYSIWYG) editing window. After you've inserted the picture and arranged it to display where you want it, hit return once and type in your copyright information. Then highlight those words and select 'center' and the text 'font-size-colour' you want it to display in (note: If you didn't already know, you can get the © symbol by simply using the key combination "Alt+0169" on your number pad - doesn't work with the numbers on the top row of your keyboard!).

Done!

Not one to stop with just a single example (hey, that's my weakness and you'll just have to put up with it) I decided to add these, too:

 

 

If you use a graphics programme that supports 'layers' (Photoshop, etc.), you can type in information as in the example above and superimpose it over the original picture.

• the first is Cecilia's copyright info on a transparent background so that it can be copy/pasted over any of her photographs just by lifting it off this page (go for it, Cecilia!).

• the second is displaying the same information over a gradient background composed of the colours from the background colour of my page and that of Cecilia's page to show that, regardless of the background, the lettering always shows through clearly.

• the third displays the same info over a gradient of white leading to the background colour of Cecilia's page background, showing that regardless of what the background colours are, the lettering will always show up clearly.

If you use this idea you should make the lettering white (hex #FFFFFF) and give the layer drop shadow properties of the following:

Opacity=100% | Angle=120º | Distance=1px | Spread=0% | Size=1px

and you will find that wherever you place the copyright information on your picture it will always show through.

That's all, folks!