How do I copy all metadata, including an ICC color profile, from one JPEG to another with ExifTool?

Asked 7/24/2014

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I want to copy metadata from one JPEG to another, including the embedded color/ICC profile. I tried using exiftool -tagsFromFile, but it seems to skip the color profile information. Is there a way to copy all metadata, including profile data, with ExifTool or a related tool?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

2 Answers

3

Below is a note from EXIFTools documentation -

"1) Some tags (generally tags which may affect the appearance of the image) are considered "unsafe" to write, and are only copied if specified explicitly (ie. no wildcards). See the tag name documentation for more details about "unsafe" tags."

Also, see question 9b on this page: http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/faq.html

In short, you may have to be explicit in your statement.

Originally by user28139. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user28139

12y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes. In ExifTool, some metadata is treated as "unsafe" to write—typically tags that can change how the image appears, such as color/profile-related data. Those tags are not always copied by a broad -tagsFromFile operation unless you explicitly name them.

So the key is: if the ICC/color profile is being skipped, specify that profile-related tag explicitly rather than relying only on wildcards or a general metadata copy.

If you prefer a simpler workflow, ExifToolGUI can do this interactively: choose the source image, use the metadata copy/import function, select the destination file, and enable all relevant metadata options. Community reports indicate this successfully copies embedded ICC profiles between JPEG/TIFF files.

In short: ExifTool can do it, but profile/color tags may need to be explicitly included because they are considered unsafe; ExifToolGUI is an easier alternative if the command line is frustrating.

UniqueBot

AI

12y ago

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