Preventing Scanning

Not sure if this is the right spot but:

Is there a way to prevent people from scanning your images?
Like say someone orders a small package....I know a lot do this and will intend to scan it and reproduce.

I know you can watermark a corner, but can you put something on the back that is a "no reproduction" mark that would prevent most shops like walmart, etc from scanning or reproducing it for the customer?

I've seen photos with the backs rubber stamped with such a message. I would think this would prevent most places like Walmart from reproducing it. I doubt it would stop someone with a scanner in their home or office.

You can mark them on the back, but most of the scanner systems in retail stores are unmanned scanners. So thats unlikely to deter theft. Around here the retail stores do a pretty good job of guessing whether something has the hallmarks of being professional work. Decent exposure, control of light, depth of field etc.. and will ask before they surrender prints. So your best bet to prevent theft is to make sure your work looks pro. The second option might be to reconfigure your business model so you rely less on prints and more on delivering printing rights on the disk..

What do you mean delivering them on the disk?

I'd like to change the business model. I went with a pricing structure the previous photographer gave me, which offered some package deals and a few a la carte deals. I noticed a few people only ordered like 1 pic a la carte. Could be due to economics, but could also be (as I guess) that perhaps they ordered 1 and plan to scan it.
I wanted to remove the a la carte option but the school director told me I cant.....

I dont know about your school issues, but the big trend in many markets is away from offering prints and going to a system where you charge a session fee that covers delivery of a certain number of edited images that you provide the customer on a disk and provide them with a release for printing rights. In upscale markets you can still charge for prints, but on the mid to low end its trending away from that model.

I see.
For school situations I can't do a sitting fee. I actually watched a webinar with a lady who does and it's a hugely profitable thing it seems to me but this school would never allow that. Maybe I'll switch from a package deal to a digital deal, and just offer prices based on # of images. That might be a much easier idea and more profitable.

Well I can tell you as a parent if your doing school pictuers, I have never oredered anything less then the cheapest picture when my daughter has school pictures taken. It goes in a frame just so we have one. Otherwise with digital cameras (not just dslr's) most familys get more then enough "good enough" images thru the year. School pictures are not like they used to be.

Littlejon Dsgn wrote in post #15707430
School pictures are not like they used to be.

+1 on that.

I believe I have heard of a paper that has little bumps and a pebbled texture. You don't notice it though under normal situations but once it is scanned that texture just lights up and makes the image quite horrible and speckled.

Kind of like how some watermarked paper works. Looks normal most the time but if you scan it then it just turns into a mess.

Alright so thanks for the comments and info. I can see why people would not purchase a lot of school pics. I suppose with the digital age and more / easier access to photographers there's no need to buy the school pics. I know I hated mine while I was in school.

And on that paper it seems like a fantastic idea. You know come to think when it comes to prescriptions there's all sorts of things that prevent you from scanning and copying them. It only makes sense a paper like this would be valuable to some photographers.

Seems like a thought would be to offer a digital file for a fee, or simply impose a minimum order, or just "packages only" at various prices. I mean seriously, some of these kids get really dressed up and the moms spend a lot of time. It doesnt make sense to go to the trouble and time just for 1 pic.

My daughters school offeres a CD with the image for $25 with print rights ... but thats only an option if you also purchase a package deal .... then you have the option of adding the CD

abbypanda wrote in post #15709373
Alright so thanks for the comments and info. I can see why people would not purchase a lot of school pics. I suppose with the digital age and more / easier access to photographers there's no need to buy the school pics. I know I hated mine while I was in school.

And on that paper it seems like a fantastic idea. You know come to think when it comes to prescriptions there's all sorts of things that prevent you from scanning and copying them. It only makes sense a paper like this would be valuable to some photographers.

Seems like a thought would be to offer a digital file for a fee, or simply impose a minimum order, or just "packages only" at various prices. I mean seriously, some of these kids get really dressed up and the moms spend a lot of time. It doesnt make sense to go to the trouble and time just for 1 pic.

When I was a kid, back in the dark ages, the parents were only offered the choice of a package deal. You could order a larger package, but there was no choice of ordering only a single print. I dont see why you couldnt offer a similar option. A minimum order at some small package price. That might make some parents decide not to order any photos at all, but you would more than make up for that on those that do order as the single print crowd is not really your market anyway.

Use a textured print paper surface. Most of them scan poorly.

I agree with RDKirk, have your lab texture your images. Now a days I use a canvas texture.

The one thing you really have to do is to educate your clients! But even then coping is going to happen.

All good advice here and Gonzo I agree. My first thought was to simply do "package only" deal. One girl from the school was helping and she is the one who alerted me "do you know most people are only ordering like 1 5x7. She sounded like she didnt think that was too good and I was like "well it is what it is this time". I used the structure the past photographer used. I figured it'd make this first transition easy for me. When I approached them about doing package only prints I was met with huge resistance!

I figured they were ordering just 1 so they can scan it. I do know folks generally arent much for school pics...though I tried to do something different than the typical generic school shot. But I cant really blame the parents, I mean if you could order 1 pic and scan it...heck most people would do the same.

I will prob just make a "min order" or use my initial thought of "extra prints available if you order a package only". The CD is not a bad option for kids school stuff either I dont think.