Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Saving EXIF data

When photo editing, EXIF data can be lost if an image file is not saved correctly. EXIF refers to settings and scene information recorded by a digital camera and embedded within each file.

The method to preserve EXIF data varies among editing programs, so check your manual. Photoshop 7 was used to illustrate one of the ways to preseve data in a jpeg.

1. To preserve EXIF after editing an image, use the Save AS command (not Save or Save for Web) from the File menu. The Save As dialog window opens.
2. Select JPEG from the Format drop down menu, give the file a new name, then click the Save button.
3. Next, select quality settings between one and 12 (1= Lowest quality/most compression - 12 = Highest quality/lease compression). Select a number that gives you a good balance between image quality and file size.

The EXIF data will remain embedded in the new file. As a reminder, always edit copies of originals. If you make a mistake, start over using another copy of the original.