LAB 11 2007

Part 1 - FORMS

Forms on web pages (note how many derivates of the word form can you find below) ---

Forms are essential elements of web sites and were formative in the development of the Internet we know today. It is because of them that we can search databases and buy stuff online, among many other tasks. Like much of web design, forms aren't so bad once you get familiar with them.

The idea behind forms is simple. As a designer, you specify what kind of form element you want (a text entry area, a checkbox, a radio button, a submit buton). After the user has submitted the form, the information from the form is posted _somewhere_. Usually, the form information is handed off to another application that then converts it into another format (like pushed into a database) while also informing the user what the result of the submission was. On Submit, the form information can also be used to do something else to the browser.

Formal introduction to forms:

http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/interact/forms.html#h-17.1

Copy and paste the example form data into a well formed HTML document.

Part 2 -DIGITAL WATERMARKING

Start by reading the wikipedia entry on Digital Watermarking.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_watermark

Also, please take a look atthis article related to digital imaging projects:

http://ahds.ac.uk/creating/case-studies/tracing-copyright/index.htm

You can now experiment with various watermarking technologies.

You can place an invisible watermark on an image using Adobe Photoshop. In order to do so, open Photoshop help and search on "Digital Watermark". Please read the sections on "Adding digital copyright information”, “Before adding a watermark”, “Embedding digital watermarks”, “Displaying file and image information”, “Digimarc filters”. In order to make this work as it is supposed to, you actually need to sign up with Digimarc and register yourself on their database. This, unsurprisingly, costs money. The options on expense range from $79-$499 per year to use digimarc technologies. Read about what you get here: http://www.digimarc.com/mypicturemarc/buy-now.asp

Now, go to Filters->Digimarc and try looking at the embed watermark options. As mentioned, you cannot embed until the you pay Digimarc, but you can see how to do it at least. You can Read Watermarks too, which is free. Try to find a Digimarc watermarked image ---- there is one here: http://www.digimarc.com/tech/dwm.asp

Save one of the pictures and open it in Photoshop. Click the “Read Watermark” link and see what you get!

You can place a visible watermark on an image using various programs. One is ImageMagick (go here: ftp://ftp.fifi.org/pub/ImageMagick/binaries/ for the binary executable for Windows). You are not required to test this, but if curious download the application and see if you can figure out how to do this. For an example, scroll down on this page to images that have the sfphotography.com visible watermark: http://www.edgilmoregraphicart.com/photo/bridges/p2.html