How do you prevent screen grabs of photographs?
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Cannot prevent screen grabs of my uploaded and displayed photographs. Even photos in a slideshow can be grabbed if the user hits the pause button to drag and drop to desktop. WordPress also does not provide watermarks, which would help. But the main thing is to provide, if not already available, a basic option that disables the viewer’s ability to drag and drop an image from a WordPress member’s website. If I missed it, then somebody please point the way.
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There is no way to prevent screengrabs of anything on the internet I’m afraid.
Every photographer/artist needs to decide if the benefits of having their work on the internet outweigh the risks. In general, creating watermarks in your favorite image editing program is the best combination of protection and visibility.
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Thanks for replying to my question. Since you are identified as ‘Staff’, I don’t doubt that is the case here on WordPress, that your system, as presently configured, cannot prevent screengrabs. But elsewhere that is not quite true.
For instance, Zenfolio prevents screengrabs. I know, because I set up a site there for my photos after I realized belatedly that WordPress doesn’t. Sure, someone determined can still grab an image–they can do a screenshot and edit that to ‘grab’ the image. But there is also an option to apply watermarks if you’re really paranoid and want to go the extra mile.
Here, I was hoping to learn you can do that, because if you can, then I stay here with my photos.
Since you are ‘staff’, would you consider raising this issue with the engineering team behind the WordPress site? It may not be that difficult an option to provide us users. And you could publicize it as a great new feature.
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I think the feature you are thinking of is not “screengrab”, which is typically used in the same way “screenshot” is, but rather “disable right-click”. And I would caution you about putting much faith into that sort of thing. It takes mere seconds to get around it and only stops the laziest or most ignorant of thieves.
As for your suggestion, I will pass it along. There are many photographers here and some of us feel strongly about the subject.
However, given the prevalence of editing software these days, your best bet is to get your watermark set prior to uploading anywhere. Rather than relying on any webservice to do it for you. That way you stay in complete control of how your image looks.
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I’m talking about plain ol’ drag and drop to grab an image from any website, such as WordPress, whether you right click on it or just hold down and drag. If disabling that prevents the laziest and most ignorant of thieves, then that’s a vast improvement over the current status. Which is why, I gather, you say you will pass my suggestion along to those who make decisions about such things, since, as you say, “There are many photographers here and some of us feel strongly about the subject.” I sure do, enough to go elsewhere. BUT I WANT TO COME BACK. The other site has its problems, too–with other issues. So create a WordPress ‘disable image grabs’ option and update my site here. This should not be too hard to figure out for your engineers; they just have talk to check out Zenfolio, which happens to partner with WordPress, so maybe they’ll swap you some code. ;->
The watermark option they provide is terrible, btw. If I ever do go ‘public’ again with my site on WordPress, then I would like to add that feature.
Steve
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Oops. Typo. I meant to write: “So create a WordPress ‘disable image grabs’ option and I WILL update my site here.” — Not “. . . option and update my site here.” Which would be asking you to do a bit too much.
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If you use the Duotone theme right click is disabled via CSS. It’s not available on any other themes. As rootjosh explained above anyone can find instructions on the internet and get around it in less than 20 seconds flat. What’s best is watermarking your images or not placing any images and/or text you don’t want stolen on the internet at all. http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com/2007/10/19/watermark-your-blog-images/ See also http://en.support.wordpress.com/prevent-content-theft/
For clarity you can read what Staff said here about Duotone https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/how-to-disable-right-click-on-photos?replies=5#post-1659713 but in the end the effect still means the answer is the same one I posted above.
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