How to place the © symbol on your photos

by Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph

FOR MAC OS X

If you use the Macintosh operating system, affixing the © symbol on your digital photograph is a snap. Grab the TEXT TOOL and place your pointer where you want to start typing, then press the OPTION + G keys. And voila! The © symbol appears. It does not matter if you have the CAPS LOCK key on your keyboard enabled or disabled. Continue adding the date and your name: © 2009 Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph. If you highlight the entire copyright insignia you can then move it around the photograph with Photoshop’s (or Element's) MOVE TOOL.

FOR WINDOWS-BASED PCs

When using Windows, however, the scenario is more complicated. Here are step-by-step instructions for three different approaches to getting the © symbol on your digital photos.

Method I: USING WINDOW’S CHARACTER MAP

Use the START menu to navigate to Programs>Accessories/Systems Tools>Character Map. Pick the font of your choice (Arial is a good one) and then click on the © symbol in the character list. Then click on the SELECT button. Then click the COPY button which places the © character on the CLIPBOARD.
In Photoshop, open a photograph and click on the TYPE TOOL. Select the same font as you selected in the Character Map (in this case Arial), choose a size and other attributes, and then click somewhere on the photo. Select EDIT>PASTE from the menu or press CONTROL-V. The © symbol should appear. Following the symbol add the current year and your formal name: © 2009 Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph. If you highlight the entire copyright insignia you can then move it around the photograph with Photoshop’s (or Element's) MOVE TOOL.

As long as you keep Photoshop open and your PC booted up, the © symbol will remain on your CLIPBOARD. Therefore, when you open another photograph, simply click on the photograph and select EDIT/PASTE from the menu or press CONTROL-V. The © symbol should appear without you having to call up the Character Map again.

Method II: USING A PC KEYBOARD WITH A SEPARATE NUMBER PAD

Open a photo in Photoshop. Select the TYPE TOOL and click anywhere in the photo. Make sure the NumLock light on your keyboard is ON (critical!) Hold down the ALT key and on the separate number pad type 0169, and then release the ALT key. The © symbol should appear. Continue adding the date and your name: © 2009 Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph. If you highlight the entire copyright insignia you can then move it around the photograph with Photoshop’s (or Element's) MOVE TOOL.

Method III: USING A PC LAPTOP or a KEYBOARD WITHOUT A SEPARATE NUMBER PAD

Open a photo in Photoshop. Select the TYPE TOOL and click anywhere in the photo. In this option do NOT depress the NumLock key! Instead, press the FN key and ALT keys together…hold them down while then pressing the alternate characters on your keyboard to make 0169. For example, on a DELL keyboard without a numeric pad you will find these alternate characters in a different color on keys M-J-O (the letter O, not zero) and on the number 9. Then lift up the FN and ALT keys and the © symbol should appear. Continue adding the date and your name: © 2009 Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph. If you highlight the entire copyright insignia you can then move it around the photograph with Photoshop’s (or Element's) MOVE TOOL.