The Digital Slide Mount
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Overview
One of the most promising practices that we have discovered in digital photography is the Digital Slide Mount (DSM). Like the traditional mount on a 35mm slide, the photographer can imprint his name, copyright, and date of creation. But there is a much larger opportunity here for photographers than ever existed with conventional slide mounts.
Three limitations of traditional slide mounts are not applicable to DSMs. The first is the simple lack of space. Even at 6 point type, it's hard to put much information on a slide mount. The DSM has unlimited space. This enables the photographer to write long captions, license, and handling instructions right into the archived file.
The second limitation of traditional slide mounts is that the information on a slide mount does not necessarily follow the image into digital form, as the scanner only reads the film. Obviously this is not an issue with the DSM.
Third, slide mounts are used with 35mm, but less common with larger formats. Since film format becomes irrelevant with digital delivery, DSMs can be used on all digital files.
Here's an example:
Many photographers find that the most profitable method to price photography is according to the license granted. A client may license an image for one-time use in a magazine, for brochure usage for a year or two, or for use in an advertising campaign for a limited time over a limited geographical region - to name but a few options.
Tracking the usage of the image is often left up to the goodwill of the client, as the photographer is not privy to all publications made by a company. Even in circumstances where a client is trying in good faith to adhere to all agreements, mix-ups happen. Materials get sent out at the last minute, people change jobs, and paperwork gets separated from image files. All of these can lead even a good faith client to exceed the license granted.
A DSM that includes the license and photographer contact information can work to the benefit of both the client and the photographer. If the DSM is included in all archived versions of the image file, it is much more likely that the original agreement will be adhered to. A photographer might benefit by additional royalties being paid for usage outside the original agreement. A client might benefit by avoiding an expensive contract or copyright dispute.
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Handling Instructions
In addition to license information, important handling instructions can be included in the DSM. Images are sent to clients in a variety of formats and qualities. It is important to the integrity of a high-quality supply chain for a client to know what he is looking at. The confusion between an FPO file and Final Art could lead to a very sticky situation.
Handling instructions might include a reference to a Guide Print or Proof that came with the delivered file, instructing the Client to refer to it for color guidance. It also might include instructions not to remove the license in any archived version of the file. It might include a disclaimer as to the color of the final output.
We are developing language applicable to
each of the kinds of image that photographers deliver. These
might be divided into:
FPO (For Position Only)
Web Only
RGB Master Files
CMYK
The best method we have found for creating the DSM is through Photoshop Actions. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of the process that must be done on a non-automated basis. One of the first goals of the Digital Standards Project will be the publication of actions that photographers can customize to produce their own DSMs.
At the present, images to be marked with DSMs need to be divided into groups that can be batch processed together. Images must be divided as follows:
Common Size
Common Orientation (Horiz or Vert)
Common Caption/License Information
Common Handling Instructions
This will produce separate actions for images
such as:
Full-Size Digital Camera Originals
Vertical
Licensed to Client x for Usage y
Master file Instructions
These files would be processed separately
from:
Full-Size Digital Camera Originals
Horizontal
Licensed to Client x for Usage y
Master file Instructions
Test Action for download This is kind of a clumsy action to build a digital slide mount. (Vertical 2000x3000 pixel jpeg or tiff original) Just putting it up here to make sure that people can download and run it.
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Development
Needed:
We are looking for additional Digital Slide Mount Actions. Anyone interested in helping out with that, please let us know.
Another missing element in the digital delivery workflow, as it pertains to the DSM, is a way to batch process information from the IPTC data (Photoshop File Info) into the digital slide mount without having to enter it manually. We expect to develop a workflow as follows:
1. Information about the file (including
License), is entered into the IPTC data of the image file. (This
is done through a program like iView at the time the images are
first opened on the computer.)
2. Any time the file is prepared for delivery to a client (either
as an FPO, or as a Master File), this information is extracted
from the IPTC data, and entered into the DSM.
We believe that this may be accomplished using the Metareader from Pixelgenius. If anyone would like to give that scripting a try. Please go ahead and report back here with any success.
One report came back with the conclusion that
The Digital Slide Mount may be accompanied by language in the contract instructing the client to not remove the information from any archived version of the file. This language might read:
Archiving: The photographs are licensed to the client for the uses and duration named on the face of this invoice. Any archiving of the files is licensed for the duration of the contract only. All archives of the file must include: (1) the visible information contained in the "Digital Slide Mount", (the text in the frame of the image file), and (2) the Copyright, Contact, and License information contained in the File Information metadata of the file. Any archiving of the file without this information shall be deemed a violation of the License Agreement and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
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All Text and Images © Peter Krogh