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reiger

Embedding text (metadata) in digital images using Photoshop

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I found a number of older threads that also addressed the topic of embedded image metadata.

 

http://www.whollygenes.com/forums201/index...ost&p=18746

http://www.whollygenes.com/forums201/index...ost&p=15497

 

I created an XMP Custom File Info Panel for Photoshop. This File Info Panel is meant to capture metadata about a genealogy/family history photo. The metadata property names on the File Info Panel are based on my interpretation of the recommended primary citation for a photograph (private possession) (annotated, with provenance) as described on page 95 of Elizabeth Shown Mill's "Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian" and on my interpretation of recommended primary citation for an Electronic File (Image from Private Files - Annotated), Mills, "Citation!", page 81. I added a few more property names for location and date the photo was taken and keywords (to ID people by number rather than by name), the name of the person who provided the description, a surety for their description, and an informal description.

 

Data entered into the panel will appear not only in Photoshop but also in Adobe Bridge and other products that recognize XMP-based data like Photoshop Elements. The data will be read-only in Elements. Image application Breezebrowser will not display the custom data. Those are the only applications I tested. Maybe other applications that support XMP display the data as well. Here's an image of the panel as it appears in Photoshop.

 

File%20Info%20Panel%20Sample.jpg

 

 

I've attached the panel to this post, so if you want to use it please feel free. If you find the panel useful or if you have suggestions for improving the panel please contact me or post here.

Thanks for your time.

Ron

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following was taken from "XMP Custom Panels," Adobe, Oct 2003.

Each time an Adobe application opens the File Info dialog, it scans all the files in these directories and appends them to the file list. If more than one of the description files has

the same panel name, the one found in the last file to be loaded is added, and others are ignored.

Changes to the contents of the directories do not require you to reload an application; changes are automatically reflected in the dialog the next time it is opened.

 

The panel description and localization dictionary files must reside in the following locations for use with Adobe Creative Suite applications:

Mac OS X

{Root Volume}/Library/Application Support/Adobe/XMP/Custom File Info Panels

{Home Directory}/Library/Application/Adobe/XMP/Custom File Info Panels

Windows

\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels

\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels

 

 

The panel description and localization dictionary files must reside in the following locations for use with Adobe Acrobat 7.0 or 6.0:

Mac OS X

{Root Volume}/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Custom File Info Panels

{Home Directory}/Library/Preferences/Adobe/Custom File Info Panels

Windows

\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\\Custom File Info Panels

\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Adobe\Custom File Info Panels

File_Info_Panel.zip

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I use a canoscan LiDE 600f. It had its own software it opens the photo with. The meta data seems like a good idea, but do i need to buy photoshop to do it? I can price it locally. Also do all the photos need to be stored in the same directory? Currently i have them organzied in surname subdirectories of my projects file which is subdirectory of TMG. I do know lots of folks in my family with photos I covent (hence the scanner). Would like to try this method of data storage for when i scan them to record data, including who identified the people in case of errors.

 

jrw

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I use a canoscan LiDE 600f. It had its own software it opens the photo with. The meta data seems like a good idea, but do i need to buy photoshop to do it?

 

To use custom File Info panels you'd need Photoshop. It's an expensive application to buy just for adding metadata. There are other solutions though. See below.

 

Also do all the photos need to be stored in the same directory?

 

No, the photos can be stored in multiple directory structures and multiple drives. That will be true for any solution you find I think.

 

I searched around for a cheaper solution for embedding user-customized metadata in photos.

 

IDimager will do the trick. It costs $0-89, depending on which version you want. All versions will embed custom xmp data.

IMatch 3, $60, will let you add custom metadata. It allows you to catalog and edit photos as well.

Kalimages, $47, is a cool image cataloging application that supports custom xmp-based metadata.

 

I'm sure there are more solutions out there. I'll keep looking. The three applications use xmp files to import/export metadata templates. It's a different solution than using a File Info panel, but it gives identical results. I've attached a sample file so you can see what the way these other applications support embedding xmp metadata.

sample.zip

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I have not created a working namespace URI or rdf ala http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/ for this panel/xmp file. As you can see below I re-used lots of pre-existing property names and dumped all my new property names into the photoshop namespace. I don't know if this approach has drawbacks.

 

 

Date Scanned: ------------------------- xmp_path: 'CreateDate' -------------------------------------------------------- Pre-existing property name

Provider: -------------------------------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'Credit' --------------------------- Pre-existing property name

Provenance: ---------------------------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'Provenance'

Description Provided By: -------------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'DescriptionProvidedBy' --------- Pre-existing property name

Description Surety: -------------------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'DescriptionSurety'

Complete Subject Description: ------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'Description' ---------------------- Pre-existing property name

Informal Subject Description: -------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'Caption' -------------------------- Pre-existing property name

Media Description: --------------------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'MediaDescription'

Annotations: --------------------------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'Annotations'

Special Editing/Alterations: ----------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'SpecialEditing'

City/County: --------------------------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'City' ------------------------------- Pre-existing property name

State: ----------------------------------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'State' ----------------------------- Pre-existing property name

Country: -------------------------------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'Country' -------------------------- Pre-existing property name

Photo Date: ---------------------------- xmp_namespace: photoshop, xmp_path: 'DateCreated' --------------------- Pre-existing property name

Keywords: ------------------------------ xmp_path: 'Keywords' ---------------------------------------------------------- Pre-existing property name

 

Does anyone know if it is better to create a new namespace URI, namespace, and assign the custom fields (Provenance, MediaDescription, DescriptionSurety, Annotations, SpecialEditing) to the namespace? Is there a problem if I leave the custom fields to photoshop namespace?

Edited by reiger

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