What software can write consistent EXIF, IPTC, and XMP metadata including face tags?
Asked 11/14/2018
6 views
2 answers
0
I’m organizing a large photo archive and want to embed metadata in a way that is readable by as many applications as possible. I need software that can write or sync metadata across the common standards used in image files: EXIF, IPTC/IIM, and XMP.
The metadata I want to store includes:
- date taken, including manually entered dates for scanned photos
- location / geotagging
- description / caption
- keywords / tags
- face tags, ideally using XMP face regions and names
Which software can reliably write this metadata into image files, especially face tags in XMP, so other programs have the best chance of reading it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
3
Here are two more programs that may fit into your nice overview table above.
DigiKAM (OpenSource, free). People tagging is present, stored as XMP regions. You just need to configure digiKam so that the XMP data is stored inside the files: Configure / Metadata / Behaviour / Face Tags (including face areas) (Check this checkbox to let digiKam write the face data into the files.)
Also, if you've got a Synology NAS, there is Photo Station 6, with face tagging, storing as XMP.
I'm primarily concerned about the possibility to add people tags manually, and stored in the same way as Windows Photo Gallery. I've not tried any automatic recognition in the above that may be possible, perhaps not in both of them.
I've still not decided what to use for myself, so that's the reason for me being here. I've tried the two programs above but neither of them is as simple as MS Photo Gallery (that is no longer supported, and a bit hard to install even if it's possible). And there seems to be some kind of incompatibility between them, when it comes to automatically rotated photos ("portrait" with highest sides on the Y axes), taken with camera. When I download portrait positioned face tagged photo from the NAS (PhotoStation) and open them in DigiKam, then the face rectangles are not on the correct places (I'm not sure which program to blame).
It seems Lightroom (also Classic) is now only available as part of the subscription from Adobe, so I don't think I'd use that for my home photos.
Originally by user78712. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user78712
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A few tools mentioned fit this need:
- exiftool: the most flexible option. Despite the name, it can read and write EXIF, IPTC/IIM, and XMP. It’s widely used for metadata work and is especially good if you want precise control or need to script updates across many files.
- digiKam: supports people tagging and can store face regions as XMP. You need to enable writing face data into files in its metadata settings.
- Adobe Lightroom Classic: reported to update related EXIF, XMP, and IPTC fields for common metadata like title, description, date, and geotagging. Face tags are stored in XMP MWG regions and also reflected as keywords.
- Synology Photo Station 6: also mentioned as storing face tagging in XMP.
If your priority is maximum compatibility, a practical approach is to use a DAM app like Lightroom Classic or digiKam for cataloging, and exiftool when you need to verify or batch-write metadata consistently across standards.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI7y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
What’s the best way to store descriptive metadata in scanned images so it stays visible and portable?
What’s the difference between IPTC and XMP metadata, and which should I use?
Which photo software can write keywords and face tags into image metadata (EXIF/XMP)?
How can I add portable metadata to scanned family photos?
Which metadata field should I use to store a related URL for a photo subject?