Protecting image from editing

[sinja]

I am very new to Photoshop, and not familar with all commands. I created an image in Photoshop [7.0, if it matters] that has both graphics and text. I merged all of the layers, so that now I only have a single background layer. I want to be sure that no one can go in and un-merge the layers, and modify the text. Have I done that by merging the layers, or is there another command I need to apply? I want this to be a read only file. Thanks for your help!

[devolution365]

What file type will you be saving the image as and where are you planning on putting it?

[diversteve]

Once you've merged (or flattened the layers and then saved it as a jpeg, no one can "un-merge" it. If it's a .psd (Photoshop native format) I think there's a way to unmerge it later. But no one posts .psd files anywhere, just jpegs and tiffs for printing.

However anyone can save your image and then overwrite your text with their own. This is harder if the background is visible between the letters, but not impossible. If you do a Save For Web at 72pixels resolution - all a computer monitor displays anyway - no one will be able to make any kind of quality print if that's your concern.

No matter what any of the photo-protect websites tell you, there's no way to keep people from copying your images since every PC has a printscreen button, that will save the contents of the screen into the clipboard which can then be pasted into Photoshop.

my .02

[sinja]

Steve, thanks a million for the input!

[PapaBob]

Sinja: It is hard to add to Steve's excellent post. PSD files will preserve layers so save in psd if you want to go back and work on your image. Jpegs do not preserve layers and are essentially flattened images.

If your concern is copyright, there are some threads in the forum that discuss digital watermarks like the digimarc.

---Bob

[doole]

One thing, though: don't submit your work in full res. If they want that, they gotta pay. :)