Full Guide to Image Metadata

According to T-Sciences, the human brain processes images 50 thousand times faster than text. And statistics from Social Media Today indicate that sites focusing on visual content increase traffic 12 times faster than their text-oriented competitors. So, it's no surprise that images account for 75% of modern websites' content and are among the most common file types on the Internet. 

At the same time, pictures are more difficult to work with than text, which allows you to search for information by keywords. Machine vision systems that can describe image content are still being tested and have limited functionality. Therefore, you should use alternative methods to manage graphic content. 

We're talking about image metadata, which makes life much easier for creators, website owners and administrators, coders, designers, marketers, and all those who work with lots of images. We're going to tell you what image metadata is, what it looks like, and how it's used in practice.  

What Is Image Metadata

A metadata image is a summary of file content. It is the most concise description that allows you to quickly find the materials using standardized search requests. It is used for managing digital assets, for example, to sort photos by the date they were taken or by the names of the people in the frame. When you extract metadata from image using a specific program, you can also automate workflows. For example, archive all photos older than 30 days or sort graphic elements by client company brand. 

What is image metadata? It is most often represented by information that describes the circumstances of file creation. It can be:

• the camera model used for filming;
• the type of software for processing digital graphics;
• image format and encoding method;
• the date and exact time of creation, as well as the date of last modification of the file;
• image resolution;
• the memory space occupied by the file;
• information about the content author and owner;
• type of license to use and distribute the file;
• GPS coordinates at the time of filming;
• camera settings;
• a thumbnail image for previewing. 

But if you check image metadata, you'll see that the list of fields can be much longer. Moreover, you have access to both standard and custom fields to add your personal details. Earlier, we explained how to add metadata to photos to make it easier to manage digital assets. 

Main Metadata Categories

Since the concept of metadata of image is broad, it is further subdivided into several categories. The main classes of file information are:

Technical Metadata

It shows what device was used to create the image and what software was used to process it. For example, the model of a digital camera or smartphone, the name of a graphic editor, etc. 

Structural Metadata

It indicates the position of a particular file in relation to other digital assets. It can be the order of photos in a photo shoot, the number of graphic elements on a website layout, or the name of a marketing campaign to which a banner belongs. 

Administrative Metadata

It contains information about the possibility of using files for certain purposes. When you view image metadata, you can find the name and contact information of the author, find out if the file is copyrighted, and determine under what license the file can be distributed. 

Descriptive Metadata

It facilitates the search for the right materials and their use in automated workflows. This information is usually added manually when you edit image metadata. For example, it can include notes, comments, custom tags, and publication permissions. 

As the amount of graphic content on the Internet is constantly growing and file formats continue to advance, metadata is also evolving. When you see metadata of images in the new standards, you can find the following categories

• Accessibility information;
• Codes for use in automated business processes;
• Data on content generation by artificial intelligence;
• Descriptions in natural words and sentences for sorting with AI tools;
• Rules for archiving digital assets, etc. 

Image Metadata Formats

The most popular standard today is EXIF metadata. It was created in 1995 by the Japan Electronics and Information Industry Association (JEITA). Almost all digital cameras, smartphones, scanners, video surveillance systems, and other devices capable of capturing images use it. With the help of EXIF metadata viewer programs, you can get the information you need from files of various formats — JPEG, GIF, WEBP, TIFF, BMP, and others. 

The EXIF standard has a fairly extensive list of metadata fields. The current version of EXIF 3.0 describes the technical parameters and settings of the camera, up to the position relative to the horizon and the background light level, if the device collects such information. You can also find out the file size and location, discover the author's and owner's contact information, and view comments and ratings.

Among the popular alternatives are the following standards for encoding auxiliary information in files:

• XMP metadata — uses XML markup, which allows you to organize databases and facilitates data upload to various applications. In terms of content, there are no fundamental differences from EXIF. This format is most often found in files created with Adobe software.
• IPTC metadata — a special standard for journalism and the media industry. Compared to EXIF, it contains extended information about copyrights, licenses, authors, and owners. In the basic version, it has additional fields for a textual description of the file content.
• DNG metadata — descriptions of "digital negatives" created by Adobe specifically for RAW files from modern high-resolution cameras. It contains the same fields as EXIF but adds advanced camera settings necessary for processing photos in graphic editors. 

How to View and Edit Image Metadata

In a separate article, we explained in detail how to remove metadata from photos to protect your privacy. Here are the key points about accessing this information in files. 

How to View Metadata of an Image in Windows:

1. Find the file on your device. 
2. Hover the cursor over the icon and right-click. 
3. Select Properties from the shortcut menu. 
4. Click Details tab. 

There, you can see the metadata of the image. Some fields can be edited, though you won't be able to change the technical settings. To remove sensitive information, go to Remove Properties and Personal Information menu by clicking the button at the bottom of the window. 

How to View image Metadata in Mac OS:

1. Find the file. 
2. Open it with the standard Preview application. 
3. In the menu at the top, select Tools section, and then Show Inspector.

Note that in standard Mac OS applications, you can remove image metadata with the coordinates of the shooting location in the GPS tab. The values in the other fields cannot be changed without additional software. 

How to View Image Metadata on Android and iOS:

• Launch standard Gallery or Apple Photos app;
• Open the image you need;
• Press Options button;
• Select Details. 

Please note that users of mobile gadgets can find image metadata that describes the technical details of the file and camera settings. To find other information and edit it, you'll need a third-party app. 

How to View Image Metadata with Free Online Pics.io Metadata Viewer

If you're looking for an image metadata viewer online, you should check out Pics.io. It is incredibly user-friendly and you don't have to provide your information or create an account:

1. Open Pics.io metadata viewer in your browser.
2. Drag and drop a file or click Open File from Computer button and find the image you need. 
3. Wait a few seconds. 

To the right of the image, you'll see a table with all the available information about the file. You can view, copy, or delete image metadata for free. Moreover, this tool supports different file formats and you can also remove metadata from videos or PDF, for instance.  

Metadata in Digital Asset Management

Digital asset management (DAM) platforms are used to work with many files, organize, manage, search for them, and retrieve them. Such software is useful both for businesses and individuals working in different industries, including photographers, designers, layout designers, retouchers, marketers, etc. 

Metadata is one of the foundations of any DAM system as it helps to organize and search for any file. Pics.io offers advanced metadata tools and features such as creating custom metadata fields, tagging files, etc.   

Conclusion

Metadata is an essential tool for managing digital assets. It allows you to find and select images based on various criteria, such as technical characteristics, authorship, distribution rights, order in collections, etc.

Popular desktop and mobile operating systems have convenient tools for viewing and even editing individual metadata fields. However, to work with all the fields, add custom information, and process files in groups, you'll need specialized image metadata extractor software. Digital asset management platforms offer the whole new approach to metadata. They are built on metadata and offer multiple tools to view, edit, and remove metadata for any file type. 

Did you enjoy this article? Give Pics.io a try — or book a demo with us, and we'll be happy to answer any of your questions.