Completely Erasing Content from an Image

[DoubleDee]

I just bought SnagIt for Mac a few weeks ago.

One of the things I use SnagIt for is taking screenshots of e-mails that I wish to post on my website.

Because these e-mails are sent to me, I need a way to complete remove my PERSONAL E-MAIL before I either save the screen-capture as an Image (e.g. .png) or as a PDF.

Is there a way to be 110% certain that some whiz cannot reconstruct the original screen-shot using something like Photoshop, and thus exposing my e-mail??

I played around with SnagIt's Erase and Pen tools, and then used "Flatten", but I am uber paranoid that my e-mail is still hiding underneath things somewhere...


Sincerely,


Debbie

[DaveMaxwell]

If it's saved without layers, there's no way of recovering the original image without having access to your machine (assuming you never closed the application and still had the image open)

[DoubleDee]

If it's saved without layers, there's no way of recovering the original image without having access to your machine (assuming you never closed the application and still had the image open)

Some more questions...

1.) Have you ever used SnagIt before?

2.) Would it be fair to assume that choosing "Flatten" would remove the layers and make it just one image?

3.) And would the be some way I could check the saved image just to be sure? (I don't have PhotoShop, but maybe I could try it in something like GIMP?)

Sincerely,


Debbie

[DaveMaxwell]

Some more questions...

1.) Have you ever used SnagIt before?

For several years. I've since found other options to perform the same functionality now, but I used it for a number of years...

2.) Would it be fair to assume that choosing "Flatten" would remove the layers and make it just one image?

That's exactly what it means. It takes the overlaid layers and forms one solid image.

3.) And would the be some way I could check the saved image just to be sure? (I don't have PhotoShop, but maybe I could try it in something like GIMP?)

If you really want, but unless you've got an image editor that can open the proprietary format (which is the only place the layers are actually preserved), you're not going to see them (if they're not flattened out). And even then, you may not see them - for example, Paint.net can save layers to pngs (it's ugly but it works), but they are not visible in the adobe products.

I wouldn't worry about it. If you're that worried about it, then make sure you crop out the identifying portions. Or make sure the identifying portions aren't visible before using snagit.

[DoubleDee]

For several years. I've since found other options to perform the same functionality now, but I used it for a number of years...

Okay.

Off Topic:

SnagIt for Mac is a real letdown... They charge $50 for an app that has 1/3 of the features as the Windows version has...

That's exactly what it means. It takes the overlaid layers and forms one solid image.

I have heard from someone else that using things like the "Blur Tool" can be reverse engineered...

If you really want, but unless you've got an image editor that can open the proprietary format (which is the only place the layers are actually preserved), you're not going to see them (if they're not flattened out).

Wait, so you are saying that if I blur out some text, and save it as a PNG - but I don't flatten it first - then I wouldn't see the blur effect?

I wouldn't worry about it. If you're that worried about it, then make sure you crop out the identifying portions. Or make sure the identifying portions aren't visible before using snagit.

I'm that worried about it.

I want to take an e-mail I received and put it up on my website, but I don't want my PERSONAL EMAIL to get displayed, or hacked some way!!!

Someone mentioned it might be better to use the "Cut Tool" in SnagIt so I remove the email and corresponding pixels. But, again, I fear that things could be reverse engineered...

(I'm really paranoid about Photos and Images, because I don't understand the technology well, and because they can contain hidden data like Malware, GPS Info, possibly Layers, and so on...)


BTW, would it be safer to do editing in something like GIMP or PhotoShop, which are probably more robust than SnagIt?

Sincerely,


Debbie