Copyrights

    Did you know copyrights protect your work? In this weeks Digital Design and Publication, we learned about publishing resolution and the importance of respecting copyrights and how you can protect your work as a designer. 

    When you create a design and are ready to publish whether it is print or screen, it is important to select the right image size and resolution. There are different methods to check the resolution of an image. The easiest method is Photoshop of course, but if you do not have access to the program an alternative is to zoom into the image at 400%. If the image appears crisp at 400% then it is high resolution, if it appears blurry or pixelated then that is how it will print. A high resolution is usually 300 DPI (Dots per Inch) in print or 72 PP (Pixels per Inch) for web.

    Once you have determined the resolution of your image and are ready to publish or print there are different means to protect your work. The most common method is to copyright it. The law protects your designs from being wrongfully used without your permission. If your work is used or published, you must consent to it prior to being you and the publisher must give the designer credit. The design may not be used in any business matter to create a profit unless authorized by the designer. An alternative method is Metadata, you can add information to the image. The information that can be added is copyright, how, when the image was taken and who the creator is. 

    In conclusion, it is important as a designer to protect your work and if you use other designers work be sure to respect the law. If a design is free, it does not mean you can use it however you like.