7 replies to this topic

[mizako]

Hi guys,
I am working on a Web page for a photographic center. They want to show photographs but they do not want people to be able to download it. Because some of these photographs are propietary. Is that possbile?. Can anyone tell me how can i manage to do that on a Web?
thanks in advanced for your help!!

SAC

[serverph]

that would be entirely impossible. once a browser reads your webpage, the images are downloaded to your visitor's PC, and these can be readily accessed via the cache folder. more likely, if they are using IE, they just have to point at the image, and a 'save image' will appear and they can store the image on their folder/directory of choice. likewise, they can simply press 'print screen' command, and a snapshot of the image is made, paste it on a graphic app like photoshop, then save it. so you see, there is no way you can protect it from being downloaded/grabbed by others if you make it available online. the only protection you can make is to embed watermarks on your image so that editing it to suit their needs would take up a lot of their time. but even that can't deter a determined person.

basically, if your client doesn't want these photos to be used by others, keep them offline.

[err]

i ever seen that website. there seems like a mask upon the image apear, so we cant 'save picture as..' or something like that. it will be only 1 x 1 pixel image stored on your pc.
another way is using print screen, but needs much time to do.

[maddog39]

Well I have heard of Java Scripts that can actually disable computer features, however I donot know what this is and I dont know of any website that would. But if you searched around a bit you might be able to find a javascript site with free scripts and what not. They sould have something on disableing browser features like that.

[SpiltBlood]

serverph, on Jan 27 2005, 02:54 PM, said:

that would be entirely impossible. once a browser reads your webpage, the images are downloaded to your visitor's PC, and these can be readily accessed via the cache folder. more likely, if they are using IE, they just have to point at the image, and a 'save image' will appear and they can store the image on their folder/directory of choice. likewise, they can simply press 'print screen' command, and a snapshot of the image is made, paste it on a graphic app like photoshop, then save it. so you see, there is no way you can protect it from being downloaded/grabbed by others if you make it available online. the only protection you can make is to embed watermarks on your image so that editing it to suit their needs would take up a lot of their time. but even that can't deter a determined person.

basically, if your client doesn't want these photos to be used by others, keep them offline.

you could also take a screen shot and open paint and poof you win.

[ElBandoneonWEbsite]

yeah I've seen some website that have image downloading disabled but, well there's a lot of way of getting around it and donwloading the image anyways, so it is kind of impossible to block everyone from donloading the picstures or graphics, the only thing i can think of is, reduzing the size of the image or the quality and if the website is about selling pictures and all that, well have the reduzed size/reduzed quality pictures on the website and then upon request send a better quality picture to those who requested it, but yeah they might just you know steal, but at least your going to have their e-mail address...

[bjrn]

You can't prevent downloading, because (as has been pointed out) browsing is downloading.

What you can do are a few things to make it harder.
You can disable right-clicking, which can be bypassed easily.
You can use a tool (which I'm sure isn't too hard to find) which converts an image into a huge table, with each pixel becoming a table cell. Of course, people can still take a screenshot.

If you really don't want people to use your image, run all images through your favourite image editor and put "SAMPLE" across the image in any level of opacity you like. That way people can still see the picture, but no one will be inclined to use it.

[Parubilla]

Well I don't know if this applies to web, but there are times when Screen shot is disabled as well, for example when you play a dvd movie in your computer if you take a screen shot of it, a blue screen appears where the image of the dvd is suppose to appear, so maybe that is possible in web too or I don't know if I'm just being crazy hahaha:P