I recommend adding copyright and contact information to your photos with a preset as you import them into Lightroom, so that when you share photos with the outside world, this data automatically tags along with them and people can get in touch with you if they come across your photos and want to use them. For photos already in Lightroom, it’s not too late — you can also add this information in the Library module.In this video tutorial, I show you how to:
- Create and update a copyright and contact information “metadata preset”
- Apply your preset to photos as you import them
- View copyright and contact information for your photos using the Metadata panel in the Library module
- Apply your preset to any selected photos in the Library module.
Note that this copyright and contact information tags along with your photos in the file properties data — it is not written across your photos. To write information onto your photos themselves, use the Watermarking functionality in the Export dialog.
(For highest resolution viewing, after hitting Play, click on the sprocket wheel (
) in the bottom right and choose 720/HD.)
For those of you who prefer written instructions rather than watching a video, here’s an article from a few years ago explaining how to create and apply a copyright metadata preset.
Once you export a copy of your photo, here’s how you can verify that the copyright information is there: on a PC in Windows Explorer / My Computer right-click on the photo and choose Properties. You’ll find the information on the Details tab. On a Mac, in Finder right-click on your photo and choose Get Info.
[sc:signup]Related Post: Video Tutorial on Watermarking Photos
I’m getting a new pc with two hard drives. My images are on an external drive (G) What if my new pc wants to call the external drive (H) ? How do I reeducate Lightroom?
Might be easier to change the drive letter from H to G.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-add-remove-drive-letter#1TC=windows-7
Thanks Sam. I’m running 8.1 and it say for 7, but it should still work.
Thanks for this fresh start. Happy New Year!
Here’s also how to do this also on your blog, camera, Capture one and other paces.
http://blog.depuhl.com/how-to-change-your-copyright-notice/#comment-9855
Although if you’re like me and everything comes into LR first then LR is all you need.
I just realized that I have imported many textures from others. I thought I could select all and delete the preset but LR tells me these instructions are “mixed”. Since I won’t be showing these textures by themselves, I’m not going to worry about it. How can I remember when I import to delete the copyright. Maybe I should not use a copyright preset on import. Or maybe I should have a different preset for those images that are not mine? I would then need to have that metadata panel open when I import so I can select the appropriate copyright info.
Hi Marilyn,
I’m not sure what you mean about importing textures and deleting presets. On the copyright, when you import you can switch the dropdown choice to None if you are importing photos that aren’t yours. This way if the photos already have copyright info from the author, you won’t wipe it out. If you do apply incorrect info, you can delete it using the Metadata panel in the Library module. Switch the view to IPTC to see the information.