EXIF data
August 14, 2013 4:43 AM Subscribe
Will editing a photo in a program like Photoshop destroy the original EXIF data from that photo? If I cut and pasted part of a photo and saved it as "NEW" what would the EXIF data of that "NEW" photo show?
Concerns about cell phone photos EXIF data showing location information on the photo are my worry.
Concerns about cell phone photos EXIF data showing location information on the photo are my worry.
If you paste a photo into a new file, most of the time the EXIF data will be that of the new file, i.e. blank.
(I do the opposite - I paste my stitched-together panoramics into a resized copy of the first picture in the set, to apply all its EXIF data.)
posted by notsnot at 5:06 AM on August 14, 2013
(I do the opposite - I paste my stitched-together panoramics into a resized copy of the first picture in the set, to apply all its EXIF data.)
posted by notsnot at 5:06 AM on August 14, 2013
You can also save files without metadata in Photoshop and I'm sure in similar programs.
posted by asciident at 5:10 AM on August 14, 2013
posted by asciident at 5:10 AM on August 14, 2013
I just checked using an old version of Photoshop (CS). Exif metadata from the camera was replaced with Exif data from Photoshop.
If you want to check this stuff yourself, I recommend using Imagej. It's a free (and quite powerful) image analysis software. It also comes with an Exif reader plugin, which will summarize the Exif metadata for you.
posted by kisch mokusch at 5:11 AM on August 14, 2013
If you want to check this stuff yourself, I recommend using Imagej. It's a free (and quite powerful) image analysis software. It also comes with an Exif reader plugin, which will summarize the Exif metadata for you.
posted by kisch mokusch at 5:11 AM on August 14, 2013
If you are worried because of the Facebook warning that exploded on all our walls yesterday...
posted by COD at 5:40 AM on August 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by COD at 5:40 AM on August 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
If I cut and pasted part of a photo and saved it as "NEW"
The new file would not contain the original file's EXIF data in this case (but would contain some new EXIF data generated by Photoshop).
If you open a file, modify it, and resave it, it may contain some EXIF or none at all, depending on how it was saved: Photoshop's "Save For Web" strips out all EXIF data; a plain "save as" includes some EXIF from the original photo (including the camera model and I believe location information) as well as some photoshop-specific data.
You can also use programs such as ImageOptim to strip EXIF data from existing files.
posted by ook at 6:14 AM on August 14, 2013
The new file would not contain the original file's EXIF data in this case (but would contain some new EXIF data generated by Photoshop).
If you open a file, modify it, and resave it, it may contain some EXIF or none at all, depending on how it was saved: Photoshop's "Save For Web" strips out all EXIF data; a plain "save as" includes some EXIF from the original photo (including the camera model and I believe location information) as well as some photoshop-specific data.
You can also use programs such as ImageOptim to strip EXIF data from existing files.
posted by ook at 6:14 AM on August 14, 2013
Best answer: Many of the answers in this post are at least partially wrong. Which programs preserve what EXIF data when is complicated.
If you absolutely want to be sure you're stripping EXIF data, use software specifically designed to do that.
If that seems like too much trouble, it's possible to get Photoshop to strip the EXIF data. The details of how it handles that data are complicated and vary by program version. This 2011 discussion has useful information on Photoshop.
After you find a tool you think is removing EXIF, you can test it with on online viewer like this or this.
posted by Nelson at 8:06 AM on August 14, 2013 [4 favorites]
If you absolutely want to be sure you're stripping EXIF data, use software specifically designed to do that.
If that seems like too much trouble, it's possible to get Photoshop to strip the EXIF data. The details of how it handles that data are complicated and vary by program version. This 2011 discussion has useful information on Photoshop.
After you find a tool you think is removing EXIF, you can test it with on online viewer like this or this.
posted by Nelson at 8:06 AM on August 14, 2013 [4 favorites]
One easy way to strip the EXIF data is to do a batch conversion in Irfanview (which everyone should have anyway). While I have no doubt that Photoshop can do the same, Irfanview is free and the conversion process is very straightforward (there are checkboxes for removing EXIF and other camera data from the image). You can also do things like re-size the pictures or change the filename (which can be useful as often the filename will include things such as the time or latitude/longitude when the picture was taken) at the same time if you like.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:52 AM on August 14, 2013
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:52 AM on August 14, 2013
If you have a copy of Microsoft Photo Editor (the old one from like Windows 95 or so, not Microsoft Office Picture Manager), it seems to strip EXIF data with any modification and saving of the file.
I've always moved a copy onto my newer computers and it seems to work fine.
posted by Doohickie at 9:57 AM on August 14, 2013
I've always moved a copy onto my newer computers and it seems to work fine.
posted by Doohickie at 9:57 AM on August 14, 2013
Response by poster: The link Nelson posted for this online exif data viewer is a great way to see what data is in a photo. Thanks to all who helped.
posted by BillyAnne at 3:54 PM on August 14, 2013
posted by BillyAnne at 3:54 PM on August 14, 2013
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posted by Sophont at 4:59 AM on August 14, 2013