Pages

Tuesday 2 March 2010

Can't save an image on a web page?

A number of websites are set up in such a way that you cannot save imagesthat they include. Some of these include scripts to disable right-clicking, meaning that you can't bring up the pop-up menu that includes 'Save Image As...'. There are a variety of ways of getting round this, such as disabling JavaScript on your web browser. Other sites are set up in such a way that images are layered, making it difficult to select the right image to save. One solution that works in both cases is to save the entire web page and then delete all the files that you don't need. Firefox offers a simpler alternative: the 'Page Info' window.

When you right-click on a website you will see an entry on the pop-up menu that reads 'View Page Info', which you can click on to open the 'Page Info' window. This window has a number of tabs, including one called 'Media' shown below. If you go to that tab, you will see a list of all the images on the page and a 'Save as...' button that you can use to save any image from the page.

7 comments:

Branded USB Sticks said...

I have my image at hi5 but I can't save that image. May be this could be reason you have said in your blogs.

Unknown said...

Why do you want to save an image that's clearly not intended to be taken?

Borkiman said...

Thanks for the comments

L: I discovered this feature while trying to work around a problem due to inconvenient page design rather than an effort on the part of the authors to prevent saving. I was doing some research looking at old newspapers (long out of copyright). The jpeg image of each page had a transparent gif on top of it, to provide a click-map to link to each article. If I right-clicked and saved I would get the blank gif.

Also, some web creators use the no-right-click script on pages when the material is either public domain or copyrighted to other people. Just because the script is on a page, it does not follow that the author has any rights over the material.

new illuminati said...

And Laane - the web is the last bastion of free speech, free info and free sharing. If you want to copyright something - and stop others from using it - put it in print.
This isn't the Old World of proprietary-held ideas, but a brave new one of common ground in a COLLECTIVE reality!

Alison said...

Score. This will help me over at Random.org for my giveaways. I was screenshotting the whole screen than going into paint than cropping what I wanted... this is going to save me a whole lot of time.

I think I love you, and if I wasn't married already I would offer myself to you. LOL.

Borkiman said...

Prince: Copyright laws apply to the Internet; although, they really refer to the replication of copyrighted material rather than saving it. Besides, as others have said, there is more than one way to defur this particular feline.

Alison: I'm glad the tip was of use to you.

If only I knew before that computer advice was the way to a woman's heart. ;)

Cosmos said...

There are some websites that offer right click protection. But I find from your tips that even that offered protection can be by-passed!