Images can't contain money?

[Trent Tompkins]

I wanted to put a "$100 Challenge" graphic on a website. I took a screenshot, went to paste it, and got a message from Photoshop saying it can't print bank note images.

Fair enough, but I'm not trying to PRINT it, I'm not even trying to SAVE it, I'm trying to open it so I can put it into an image! No one at Adobe thought there might be a legitimate reason to put money in an image?? (Save money, make money, win money?)

I can open it in MS Paint. That'd be fine if I wanted TO ACTUALLY PRINT IT, but I wanted to use it as the basis for an image. I can't even paste in a screenshot that contains part of a bill. 

This should have been better thought out. Someone managed to save the picture of the bill I screenshot 'd, and unless EVERY image editing software in the world has this "feature", it's not going to stop real counterfeiters. Plus, a $100 bill has an ACTUAL hologram, printing it on my HP Photosmart isn't going to fool anyone.

Plus, this "feature" barely seems to work. I was able to [steps to work around CDS removed by moderator]. It doesn't make sense, [steps to work around CDS removed by moderator] print it right from Photoshop. Guess I'll go be a billionaire now because I bypassed this security feature - except, oh wait, my desktop printer doesn't print HOLOGRAMS.

This is like stopping mass shootings by only letting people buy 1 bullet at once. At least there is a work around. But a better approach would be to let people paste in money, but require that they edited it or saved it in a low resolution. My guess is that anyone who wanted to use Photoshop for actual counterfeiting would need to print bills in multiple passes, but I would think replicating the paper and hologram would be so much of a challenge that just getting a program to print the bills would be comparatively simple. 

[Stephen Marsh · Accepted solution]

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/cds.html

[davescm]

As per the link provided by Stephen, you may want to direct your request to the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group.

Dave

[c.pfaffenbichler]

At least one work-around exists (as you have figured out yourself already), so while your (and other Photoshop users’) frustration is undeniable the issue doesn’t seem worth getting worked up about. 

If you feel strongly enough about it you could post a Feature Request (mark it »Idea« instead of »Discussion«) asking for a review of the process but I doubt Adobe will be able to accomodate you because they have to »play ball« under rules they cannot unilaterally change … 

[davescm]

An idea/feature request is highly unlikey to be implemented given that '...Adobe has included CDS in Photoshop at the request of the CBCDG.'

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/cds.html

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Does anyone know if Photoshop’s competition (Affinity Photo, Gimp, …) implemented a similar mechanism? 

[Trent Tompkins]

Yeah, it's not a huge deal, but I think this is going to cut down more on Photoshopped pics of people ballin' than it will stop actual counterfeiting. I was actually given counterfeit bills once, but they were old style 20's, and they only fooled me because there were 3 in a stack of $2,000.  I guess my buddy got paid for an ounce with counterfeit $20's, and mixed them in with the other money, so then we didn't know who exactly did it. But we just destroyed the bills and started watching better when we got cash from people, because we didn't know who exactly did it, but it was a short list. He wanted to buy one of those pens gas stations have, but I don't know why, because the bills were super easy to spot. They didn't even use a paper cutter, you could see the scissor marks on the edges, it was the quality you'd expect from someone who had nothing better to do than try and scam free pot.

I'm just surprised I never heard anything more about it. I think the bills were so bad the bank figured whoever was making them would just get caught on their own.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were actual programs written to print counterfeit bills, probably made to work with one or two special types of printers. Because you would need more than just CMYK, you'd want a printer that could print metallic inks.

Oh well, back to work... 

[Haybro]

Yeah I found this out the annoying way. I was trying to do a money background for a cash for cars ad and much to my surprise editing a picture of money stacked in a way that most of the bills are incomplete anyway as they were just spread around a table, was "super against the rules!!!"

I guarantee this isn't stopping counterfeiters and it's just irritating advertisers in any field that has anything to do with sales or money.

If a counterfeiter can figure out all the security details in a real bill and reproduce those, I think they can figure out how to print it without photoshop, that's literally the least hard part.

[jane-e]

...was "super against the rules!!!"

By @Haybro

Did you follow the link from Stephen and Dave and learn that it was the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group (CBCDG) — and not Adobe — who developed a counterfeit deterrence system (CDS) to deter the use of personal computers, digital imaging equipment, and software in the counterfeiting of banknotes?

You can also read these FAQs to learn more:

https://rulesforuse.org/en/frequently-asked-questions

Jane

[Alex377]

Thank you for sharing this information! It’s great to learn that the CBCDG, not Adobe, developed the counterfeit deterrence system for banknotes.

[jane-e]

You're welcome @Alex377! 

Jane

[Lumigraphics]

There are plenty of fake banknotes and movie currency etc that you can use legally.