In message , Terry Pinnell
writes:
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote:
For .jpg image files, I can add text notes to them very easily: in
IrfanView, I just (open the image and then) type I (info) then C
(comment).
This doesn't work for the .png file format.
_Does_ the .png format _have_ a metadata text field? If so, what utility
lets you see it, and ideally edit it?
[]
A decade or two ago I invested a lot of time using IrfanView's Comment
dialog to add info about many of my JPG photos. But occasionally I would
forgot that my other frequently used image editing program PaintShop Pro
8 unceremoniously destroyed them.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uhsoy8hwu6...oyed.jpg?raw=1
(The much more recent version, PSP 2018, just deletes the comment
entirely.)
Similarly, PSP destroys any IPTC data.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/huwlfei503...oyed.jpg?raw=1
Clearly, the wonderful PSP is far from wonderful for any data other than
the pixels! I have heard of other utilities that don't retain some or
all fields, too. Since I use Irfan for all my image needs (I'm not sure
if I've even got any others installed on this machine - no, just
checked; three duplicate detectors, two EXIF editors, but no other
actual image manipulation), they're safe with me.
I think I've heard that the venerable Paint that comes as part of
Windows, has finally added other formats (than .bmp) in Windows 10; if
someone reading this has 10 and it does do .jpg, it'd be interesting to
know if _that_ changes/destroys .jpg comments.
IV save options of course were set to preserve Comments, EXIF and IPTC:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jr4zo7o5lb...ions.jpg?raw=1
PSP also lost original EXIF data, such as info important to me like GPS
coordinates etc.
I just took another look at Properties. The comment 'Test comment' I
added in IV does not appear using Win 10 FE R-click Properties.
Nor here in W7. I just tried adding a comment in Explorer, and it
doesn't appear in Irfan's Comment box - but now, in the Irfan Properties
box, the EXIF info button has appeared, and the comment added _is_ there
under "XPComment" in that area. What's more, the Irfan comment is still
there - so at least Explorer doesn't destroy the other comment field,
unlike you tell us PSP does.
But interestingly some of the test info I had added in the IPTC dialog
*does* appear. However, that doesn't include the caption description,
which could have been an alternative to Comment, unlike Author or
Copyright.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f42it7l42d...ties.jpg?raw=1
Terry, East Grinstead, UK
So .jpg files have at least three Comment spaces: as visible in Irfan,
there's the Comment button, but also under EXIF there's XPComment (which
appears not to be editable under Irfan!), and under IPTC there's
"Caption (description)" (which Irfan _can_ edit). In contrast, .png
doesn't appear to have any of them - but does have a field under EXIF
Pilot (under the EXIF tab).
I've just added comments using EXIF Pilot to a .jpg; it let me add them
under EXIF ad IPTC (but seems not to see the Irfan Comment field). Now
opening that file in Irfan: under EXIF, the comment is there - but under
"UserComment"; the one I added in Explorer is still there, under
"XPComment"! At least the IPTC one is in "Caption (description)".
And/but when I look in Explorer, _that_ now shows the comment I'd added
in EXIF Pilot, although the comment I'd added in Explorer previously is
still in the file as seen under Irfan. OK, I edited the comment in
Explorer, and looked in Irfan again - now (under EXIF) it shows the
comment I edited in Explorer under XPComment, but the UserComment field
has disappeared.
My brain hurts ... (-:
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
Cumulatively, however, they do get my goat, on my wick and up my nose, to the
extent I am angry enough to stick a wick up a goat's nose and to hell with the
consequences. - Eddie Mair, RT 2016/2/27-3/4