Create a Copyright Template in Lightroom and Bridge

A How-to on Creating a Copyright Template/Preset

Before I begin, check out the updated list for photo workshops. More details may be found on our website.

I start my blog, originally written several years back, © Is for Copyright, with, “I know I shouldn’t be, but I am always surprised at how little people know about copyright. To me and many others — pros and amateurs — the little “c” in the Copyright symbol is part of the basic ABCs of photography. You can find all sorts of appropriate principles for A and B, but C is definitely for Copyright.”

We do not import any of our images without attaching our copyright notice to it, and we strongly recommend the same practice to our workshop participants. There is too much theft out there. “What’s mine is mine, and by the way, what’s yours is mine, too,” seems to be the way the world has been going for quite a few years now.

So, if you have not yet done so, you need to create a copyright preset (lightroom) or template (Photoshop/Bridge). These examples are for Lightroom, but we’ll also give instructions for Photoshop, done through Bridge. And for those who use other imaging programs, look up “presets” or “templates”s under Help in the menu, and use this as your guide.

Your copyright notice is very important. It lets would-be infringers know that you take your copyright seriously. See © is for Copyright, if you haven’t already read it.

This is very important, as there are only three legal forms of a copyright notice, and even seasoned photographers often list their copyright incorrectly. Arghhh! Also, for those who don’t know how to make the © symbol, directions are here for that, too. Or because of the vagaries of various laptop keyboards, just copy this © and paste it into your own copyright notice(s). Remember (c) is not acceptable as the copyright symbol. You really need that “c” enclosed in a circle … ©!

Making a preset or template for your copyright notice is actually easier than you might think. For those who come to our workshops, please set yours up before you arrive, and I will double check it to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Macs and PCs use different terms and procedures for executing certain tasks sometimes, but the principles are the same. These directions are for PCs, but those of you with Macs will know what to press or select instead.

LIGHTROOM DIRECTIONS

If you do not have any images “in” Lightroom, “import” just one from this year. I use quotes, as your photographs are not actually imported into Lightroom or any other imaging program, only thumbnails for the images and the ability to work on the photographs. Your photographs are exactly where you put them, either in a folder in your computer or on your external hard drive. For those to whom this sounds like some obscure language, there are some great tutorials on different functions and aspects of Lightroom by Adobe developer and guru Julieanne Kost listed on our Resources page.

Now that you have at least one image from the current year visible in Lightroom, make sure you are in Library module, grid view (multiple images showing on “light table” in center), and click on the image to select it. If you have a folder with more than one image, click on any image in the folder. (Figure 1)

Figure 1

In the right panel (check out some Lightroom basics on our blog if the panel doesn’t show), scroll down to the Metadata section and make sure it is open (click the triangle to the right of “Metadata” if it is closed). (Figure 2)

Figure 2

Click on the up-down arrows to the right of the field on the left and select EXIF and IPTC. Now click on the up-down arrows to the right of the field labeled Preset and select Edit Presets … at the bottom. (Figure 2)

If you are making a preset for the first time, None will be listed in the Preset field rather than my TBC © 2013.  Arnie has his own copyright notice, so we differentiate between the two, but that is not likely your scenario.

The fields are already filled in below (Figure 3), because none of our images is without a copyright notice.

Hopefully, you will follow this same example. Be sure to click on the Check None button at the bottom left before you start filling out fields. The critical sections are the ones highlighted in yellow. The other sections and fields are a matter of personal preferences. Those who come to our workshops get a template/preset they can use as a base.

Make sure that only the fields you fill out are checked on the right.

If you lease usage to your images, we highly recommend that you fill out ALL the fields noted below as I have done.

For those who have already made a copyright preset, click the down arrow to the right of the Preset field, and select your saved preset, then mimic, where appropriate, the example below, substituting your own information for mine. Because the images are small, you will find “translations” below Figure 3.

Figure 3

FIELDS

IPTC Copyright Section

• Copyright
  © 2014 Margo Taussig Pinkerton. All Rights Reserved.
• Copyright Status select
  Copyrighted
• Rights Usage Terms
  for those who lease usage of their images:
  Only those specifically granted in paid-in-full invoice.
  for those who merely share on the Internet:
  No rights granted without prior written permission.
• Copyright Info URL
  Use your website copyright page or your Digimarc link. If you have neither, leave this blank and unchecked.

IPTC Creator Section

At the very least, put some basic contact information.

• Creator
  Margo Taussig Pinkerton
• Address and Phone Information
  If you lease usage to your images, we strongly recommend that you fill out these fields. Don’t forget to use initial caps and not abbreviate, except for States/Provinces and countries. Be sure to add country code before telephone number (1- for US, for example). Generally, I do not recommend putting in your cell phone. The idea of Spammers eating up my minutes is not appealing! However, if you share your images in any way electronically, you need to put some form of contact information, and the e-mail form below is a good way to do this.
• Creator E-Mail
  Note form to foil Spammers; any real person with a real brain can figure out what your e-mail is, and if they can’t, you don’t want to be dealing with them anyway!
  TBC (at) BCphotoadventures (dot) com
• Creator Website
  http://www.BCphotoadventures.com

IPTC Status Section

• Instructions
  © 2014 Margo Taussig Pinkerton.  All Rights Reserved.  From Barefoot Contessa Photo Adventures.  For usage and fees, please e-mail TBC (at) BCphotoadventures (dot) com or contact us at Your Street, Your Town/City, [2-digit abbreviation for State/Province]  [ZIP/Postal Code], [2-digit country code]  or at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx before 9 p.m. [your time zone] time, GMT-5 [or your Greenwich Mean Time].
• Creditline
  © 2014 Margo Taussig Pinkerton.  All Rights Reserved.

When you are finished, click on the Done button at the lower right. Macs have a slightly different way of doing this, and you Mac owners will know what it is.

Whether you are starting from scratch or editing an existing template, you will need to click on the drop-down arrow at the top next to Preset: and select one of the following:

Save Current Settings as New Preset… in which case a window will pop up and you will type in something simple such as 2014 Copyright and click on Create or the Mac equivalent for doing so. (Figure 4)

Figure 4

or

Update Preset “[Name of your preset]” in which case, you will see (edited) after your preset name. Click on the drop-down arrow and select Update Preset “[your preset name]”. (Figure 5).

Figure 5

Up to now, you have only created or modified your copyright preset. It’s time to apply the preset to all your images in that folder. In Library module, grid view, select All your images (CTRL-A for PC and CMD-A for Mac), and in the right panel, just under the Metadata heading, click the up-down arrow beside Preset (Figure 2) and select your own copyright preset.

Ta-daaa! After a moment, you will see your copyright information populate the appropriate fields under the Metadata bar in the right panel. Be sure to both Save (CMD-S or CTRL-S) all the images, then Deselect (CTRL-D or CMD-D) all of them, lest you mistakenly apply your next rating to all your images instead of just one!

Caution! Only do this in Lightroom. Do not use that Deselect shortcut for any other programs, as it may result in deleting selected files! If you do this by mistake, or any other task by mistake, your best friend is Undo (CMD-Z or CTRL-Z) right away!  It also works in most other programs.

Now, every time you import your images through Lightroom, you may apply your copyright as part of the import process in the Apply During Import section in the right panel of the Import window.

PHOTOSHOP/BRIDGE DIRECTIONS

First, you will need to go into Preferences > Metadata and be sure that IPTC Core is checked. (Figure 6)

Figure 6

Click on OK or comparable command in Mac.

Now, go to Tools in the Menu bar at the top. (Figure 7)

Figure 7

From there, select Create Metadata Template. (Figure 8)

Figure 8

Fill out the fields, the highlighted ones at a minimum, according to the specs in the Lightroom directions and Figure 8 above. Then click Save and give it a name such as 2014 Copyright.

If you already have a metadata template, update it using the above specs, then click Save. A window will pop up warning you there is already a template of that name. (Figure 9)

Figure 9

Don’t panic. As long as you are editing the wording in your template, you really do want to override the previous version, so click Yes!

When you bring your photos onto your computer or external hard drive, you can use the Bridge Advanced Dialogue and select the appropriate year template to apply to your files (images). (Figures 10 and 11)

Figure 10

Figure 11

Again … Ta-daaa! You’re all set to go in Photoshop and Bridge!

Don’t forget that before January 1 of each year, you should return and edit your preset or template and so that it shows the new year in all the appropriate fields, then save it as a new preset or template, per the instructions above.

Congratulations! You have taken an important step in protecting your images from would-be thieves.

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