"Watermarking" scans

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Posted By: <b>Glen V</b><p>How do people feel about marking their scans before posting? Some people put text on their scans to identify the owner/company, but not many people seem to do it. It seems like a good idea - keep scammers from selling cards they don't own - but it does take extra work to edit and re-save each scan. Why do or don't you do it? Does it bother you when scans are marked? Other views?

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Posted By: <b>Jason L</b><p>hadn't thought about it, but if someone can share a simple tutorial, I would appreciate it.<br><br>It does sound like a good practice for folks to do, as it would lower opportunity for stolen scans throughout the hobby.<br>

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Posted By: <b>Matt</b><p>I started using Picasa last month, both for viewing on my computer and the corresponding web albums. The integration is great and best of all, it's free. One of the features it has is to allow you to easily include a watermark in all of your album images.<br><br><p><br><br><br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/mwieder/ForTradeSale" rel="nofollow">My Trade/Sale Page</a></p>

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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>I've put coins, even screws and scissors on large eBay photos. The main point is if they want the image, they have to buy the photo.

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Posted By: <b>Laura</b><p>If you have Photoshop it's pretty easy. Get your scan all color corrected, then choose the text tool. Type in your desired text, color it a medium gray, and position it where you want it. Then go to the Layer menu, and choose Layer Style. From the Layer Style menu, choose Bevel and Emboss. Here are the settings I use:<br><br><br><br><a href="http://s469.photobucket.com/albums/rr56/KatyDidsCards/?action=view&amp;current=Watermarksettings.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://i469.photobucket.com/albums/rr56/KatyDidsCards/Watermarksettings.jpg" border="0" alt="Watermark settings"></a>

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Posted By: <b>Frank Wakefield</b><p>Ultimately, a good scan isn't the make or break point of a good scam.<br><br>If someone is after a good scan of something, they can eventually find it, or find a good scan of something else and scam with that. The watermarks don't deter the scamming. If anything, a watermark might actually give a false sense of veracity to a potential buyer, the watermark might make it easier to scam.<br><br>For me putting a watermark on something seems a waste of my time, and an inadequate attempt to stop scamming or claim a proprietary interest. And when I encounter something watermarked, I think the person is fooling themselves with their effort. Once in a while I've wanted a nice scan of a card for record or research purposes, when I then encounter a watermarked card I find it an annoyance. I'd love to see people give up with it and cease watermarking, but I doubt that it will happen.

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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>One practical thing about putting coin on a card or similar item is that it gives a representation of size. If I'm selling e medal or pin, I often picture next to a quarter so the potential bidders know the size. Duly note that many homemade counterfeits are incorrect size, and a penny or nickel placed on a card allows the viewers to calculate the card's dimensions.

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Posted By: <b>Frank Wakefield</b><p>Now I'm all in favor of using the strategy of &quot;Leon's Quarter&quot;.<br><br>A coin or identifiable object is good for that. I've auctioned some maps and I placed a clear ruler atop the map, both to show size and to have it so if someone wanted the map they'd buy it, instead of just lifting the scan. So in a way I'm guilty of what I'd condemned. A coin to one side is different from a watermark, though.

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Posted By: <b>leon</b><p>I think the watermarking is good but a scammer will get around it if he/she wants to. I have never done it on my scans. I know I have had quite a few of my scans used as scams but none have been good. My guess is that my E94 Oh You Fan was used for the recent fake one. When I had listed my Four Base Hits Kelly on ebay, right after that, there was a fake one on ebay....<br><br>As for the quarter...I generally only use it for something that is not well known so the dimensions can be correlated....I have been known to use all denominations....(well maybe not a Susan B Anthony dollar as that would only cause more confusion)...Good question...best regards