EXIF data and Photoshop

August 8, 2005 6:18 AM

Photoshop advice please. Is it possible to edit EXIF data?

I have a photo, EXIF data included and complete, at 1600x1200. But the image needs to be resized to 600x450. But a simple resize won't do because I only want a portion of the original image. Here's what I did.

I created a "file>new" and set the canvas size to 600x450. I resized the original image to 1000x750 (so that the portion of the photo, the subject matter I want to preserve, is about the size that I ultimately want it to be). Then, on the original photo, I selected-all and copied... went to the new canvas and pasted the image as a new layer. Now on the new canvas, I grabbed the layer and dragged it around until it was "centered" the way I wanted it.

So basically I ended up with a new image that was slightly smaller than the original image and cropped into a smaller canvas. I don't doubt that I've done this the hard way, maybe not. But I did end up with the image I wanted. Problem is, the EXIF data on the new image is today's date, etc... instead of the original EXIF data. My photoblog depends on accurate EXIF data.

How can I fix this?

If I knew how to create a "select box" (if that's what it's called) at a perfect 600x450, then I wouldn't have this problem... I wouldn't have to create the new canvas. I hope all this makes sense.

posted by Necker to computers & internet (25 comments total)

The function you're looking for is "crop" - I'm not familiar with PS itself (too expensive for me!) but I'm pretty sure that it has an option to do this...
posted by Chunder at 6:26 AM on August 8, 2005

You could just edit the EXIF data of the file back to the original information before saving it. I think it's in File >> File Info, although I haven't used Photoshop in a while.

You can also edit EXIF data straight from Explorer in Windows XP... right click, select Properties, then the Summary tag.
posted by selfnoise at 6:28 AM on August 8, 2005

And yeah, you're making things way too hard on yourself. Just crop it.
posted by selfnoise at 6:28 AM on August 8, 2005

And yeah, you're making things way too hard on yourself. Just crop it.

But how do I crop it to exact specifications (600x450 in this case)? The only way I know how to crop is to draw a "crop box", then click on image > crop.

You can also edit EXIF data straight from Explorer in Windows XP... right click, select Properties, then the Summary tag.

Tried that. But the "advanced" information appears to be unchangable, which is the part I'd like to change.
posted by Necker at 6:37 AM on August 8, 2005

If you just crop the photo the way you want it at original size, is that size larger than 600x450? If so, just crop it the way you want it first using the crop tool, then perform your resize. Be sure you're working on a copy of the photo, just in case something goes horribly, horribly wrong.
posted by Moondoggie at 6:37 AM on August 8, 2005

I'm not sure what version of photoshop you're using, but in the versions up to 7 (haven't played with the CS versions) the crop tool is the third tool down from the top of the toolbar on the left side of said toolbar. You can create your area with that and hit enter (or return if Mac) to crop. If you want to see what size your crop is beforehand, make sure your "Info" window is showing. It will show you the width & height you're cropping.
posted by Moondoggie at 6:39 AM on August 8, 2005

That's true. I could resize the original image from 1600x1200, to 1000x750. Then I could draw a box around the area I want and crop it. But how do I draw a 600x450 box?
posted by Necker at 6:40 AM on August 8, 2005

AHHHH... thank you. I'm far from handy with this thing. I knew I was doing this the hard way. The only way I knew how to crop an image was with the marquee tool, then image>crop.

Thanks Moondoggie!
posted by Necker at 6:42 AM on August 8, 2005

No problemo, Necker. Here's more information on resizing and cropping from Adobe themselves.
posted by Moondoggie at 6:44 AM on August 8, 2005

Crop:
Hit the C key. You'll drag out a bounding box. Decide on what you want to keep. Hit the checkmark in the info bar at the top of the screen (alternatively, press the enter key.)

Also, go to the menu bar, use the help feature, look up crop.
posted by filmgeek at 7:00 AM on August 8, 2005

When using the marquee tool, you can specify Normal, Fixed Aspect Ratio (so you can always have 4x3 sized images, for example), or Fixed Size, so you can specify exactly 600x450. The option for it looks something like this. The Crop tool may have this option too, but I never use it, as I prefer the Marquee, Image>Crop method.

A truly flexible way to do this would be to use Fixed Aspect ratio, and put in 4x3 ratio, crop out the area you want, and then resize using Image Size to 600x450. That'd be a lot easier than resizing, then cropping, which is what you're doing.
posted by zsazsa at 7:00 AM on August 8, 2005

zsazsa, your link is "forbidden" (for me anyway).
posted by Necker at 7:04 AM on August 8, 2005

The crop too does have the option to set a fixed size, as mentioned by zsazsa. It's a useful feature.
posted by Nothing at 7:05 AM on August 8, 2005

Necker: oops, that's what I get for direct linking to images on someone elses's site. Here's a copy.
posted by zsazsa at 7:10 AM on August 8, 2005

Problem solved. Thanks very very much.
posted by Necker at 7:13 AM on August 8, 2005

To add to what zsazsa's said, when you have something that you want to end up at exactly 1021015x650916, it's not always possible to put those numbers into the Fixed Aspect Ratio box. You have to actually divide them out (I'm not math-oriented, so I don't know what the actual procedure is called, LCM? LCD? LSD? PCP?) to get smaller numbers that are allowed in the boxes, like 4x3, 16x9, etc.

But, yep, this is definitely the way to go:
1. Decide on final size
2. Determine what the aspect ratio of final size is (or if the numbers fit in the Fixed Aspect Ratio, just use the final size numbers)
3. Put answer from 2 in Fixed Aspect Ratio box for Marquee tool.
4. Draw around shape.
5. Crop
6. Image Resize to final size (you should only have to enter one of the numbers, the other one would automatically fill in, since you used the right aspect ratio).
posted by odinsdream at 7:29 AM on August 8, 2005

Another method to do the exact crop would be to drag and drop the background layer (ie blank white) from your 600x450 image onto the full size photo image, then use the colour selection tool to select the white in that layer, then hit crop (after dragging the selection box to the desired spot), then dump the white layer.

The methods people have already mentioned are quicker in this instance, but the more ways of doing each thing you know, the easier it will be to work out how to do the next thing you need to find a way to do.

As to editing EXIF data, I don't think it can, though I'm using an older version of Photoshop.
posted by -harlequin- at 8:20 AM on August 8, 2005

BTW, your digicam probably came with some half-assed (or maybe even good) photo software. I find that these programs while much simpler than photoshop, are generally more EXIF-aware, so it might be worthwhile to actually dig up that CD and install the software and see if it allows EXIF editing (or more to the point, makes it possible, even if you have to bend the rules or abuse it to do it :-)
posted by -harlequin- at 8:24 AM on August 8, 2005

Since the question's been answered, I hope no one minds a quick PS piggyback question: anyway to lock a layer or set and have it respond to NOTHING until it's unlocked?

I fight with the "You can't touch that layer! It's locked!" dialogue box pretty much hourly. I'm on v.8 (CS) and I get mad having to curse it so often. I sit there and yell, "I know it's locked. I LOCKED IT! I did that so I wouldn't be able to fucking touch it! Now can I touch the layer on top of it?" ... and then I try and it warns me again.
posted by dobbs at 8:45 AM on August 8, 2005

I use this set of command line tools to edit my EXIF data.
posted by daveirl at 9:54 AM on August 8, 2005

dobbs, have you tried turning off "Auto-Layer Select" for the tools you're using? I find having that turned off makes things a lot less confusing, since I usually hand-pick layers before clicking on the image anyway.
posted by odinsdream at 10:20 AM on August 8, 2005

There is a much, much easier way to crop to a specific size with Photoshop.

1. Select the Crop tool (C)
2. In the property bar, enter your final dimensions, in this case 600px by 450px. You can also change the resolution, if necessary.
3. Click and drag on the image to define the area to be cropped. The bounding box will be constrained to the aspect ration defined by the property bar.
4. Hit [Enter] and you're done. Cropping and resizing all at once.

posted by Monk at 10:28 AM on August 8, 2005

You got your answer a long time ago, but here are my pointless two cents anyway. Here's how I would do it.

1. Double-click the "Background" layer to make it into a regular layer.
2. Go to Image > Canvas Size…
3. Input 600 x 450 for your new dimensions.
4. Resize & drag around your photo layer within your new, smaller canvas area 'till it looks the way you like.

The only advantage to doing it this way (vs. a standard crop) is that you can still move the image around afterwards to fine-tune it.
posted by designbot at 2:07 PM on August 8, 2005

I'd also agree with odinstream: "Auto-select layer" should be off 90% of the time. You can get the same basic function with more control by right-clicking on the canvas, which lets you select any layer under the cursor.
posted by designbot at 2:11 PM on August 8, 2005

selfnoise: You can also edit EXIF data straight from Explorer in Windows XP... right click, select Properties, then the Summary tag.

I thought of suggesting the same thing, but unfortunately that doesn't let you edit the photographic EXIF details, only the basic "Description" fields which pertain to any file.
posted by bruceyeah at 7:36 PM on August 8, 2005