Ps 2024 Export PNG Now Retains Resolution Metadata But JPEG Doesn't

@Sam Gannaway - Ps 

Thanks, I agree, if the change is documented, it can't hurt. The presence of resolution metadata is so minute, it shouldn't be argued that it will unduly bloat the file, even if it is irrelevant for device display. You are also correct that it's how smart objects work, this isn't just for print-related files.

(Repeating myself to give the full story.)

A little while back we received a report of inconsitency related to a smart object linked to a jpg file.  The smart object layer would appear to change size when updating the jpg by Save As versus Export As.  Yes, the difference there is due to the lack of resolution metadata.  Through that investigation, I learned not only that Ps will assume 72/ppi if that information is missing but also that assumption is part of the jpeg specification.  I also learned that the Place command uses the physical size to determine the intial scale of the smart object.

Since this assumption is not obvious or called out at the time of application, we have the above confusion.  To resolve this and aim for consistency, we decided to include the physical resolution on JPG files from Export As.  Yes, this is a change from the history of Export As.  I have put forth an update to the helpx page for Export As.  Quick Export is based on Export As, so it will behave the same.

Lastly, I agree that the metadata controls leave a lot of room for improvement in Export As.  I will continue to advocate to provide more control.

Security

Stability

Benefit to the user

easy of use

consistency

ease of maintenance/extension

IMHO, allowing more control over metadata is a winner all around.

Hi Sam, I follow your reasoning, however, including resolution metadata for either PNG or JPEG breaks the many years of behaviour from when Export As was first implemented. This would need to be documented.

Additionally, would Quick Export behave any differently, i.e. as it does with ICC profiles?

Yes, I agree that Export As should have more controls available.  In the mean time, we need to decide how to proceed here. 

Through this investigation, I learned that Ps will assume 72ppi if no metadata (XMP or file-specific) exists.  That assumption causes some confusion especially with placed images (smart objects).  Knowing that we have those kinds of bug reports, I'm inclined toward adding the resolution metadata for JPG by default to match the current state for PNG.

Export should be BETTER than Save for Web. All of the granularity should be included, and additional functionality (how about full scripting, even if its only via UXP.)

I'm a product photographer and use SfW in production because Save As and Export lack the features I need.

@Sam Gannaway - Ps 

Thank you for the reply.

Export As has always removed unnecessary metadata to reduce file size for web/device viewing. That's the context that I have understood from Adobe's perspective. That Export As only has limited metadata functionality compared to Save for Web (Legacy) is another discussion.

Despite Adobe's vision of what Export As is designed for and the features that it offers or doesn't offer, end users don't always understand the nuances of regular save as vs. web optimisation and complain that their exports don't contain resolution metadata.

We all know that you can't make everyone happy, so if you now change things so that both JPG and PNG retain resolution metadata then some will not like the change to historical behaviour.

Export as ideally would offer a checkbox to include or exclude resolution metadata alongside the existing radio button option for metadata inclusion (or perhaps use a another radio button option or a dropdown menu).

I don't have the context of why it was excluded originally.  Looking at it now, I would add it for jpg.  

A new release, 25.11.0 – same problem.

PNG includes resolution info when it shouldn't (based on legacy behaviour which sets expectations).

JPEG excludes resolution info, just like it always has.

Bump...