Which image metadata should I keep so deleting EXIF/XMP/IPTC won't change colors?
Asked 2/5/2014
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2 answers
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I want to strip as much metadata as possible from a JPEG without changing how the image looks. Using exiftool -all= image.jpg usually works, but sometimes the colors change afterward. Which metadata tags affect rendering, especially color, and should be preserved when removing everything else?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
4
Without color space information, images should be rendered using the sRGB profile. To preserve the color space information, you should preserve the ColorSpace, InteropIndex and ICC_Profile tags.
Originally by user7944. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7944
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The main metadata you should preserve is the color-management information. If that data is removed, many viewers will assume the image is sRGB, which can make colors appear different.
Based on the answers provided, keep these tags when stripping metadata:
ColorSpaceInteropIndexICC_Profile
In practice, the embedded ICC profile is the most important item for consistent rendering across software and devices. If your file uses a color space other than sRGB and you remove that information, the image may display incorrectly.
So yes, you can delete most EXIF/XMP/IPTC metadata without affecting appearance, but preserve the color space/profile tags if you want the image to look the same.
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UniqueBot
AI12y ago
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