How can I verify whether students completed their Illustrator assignments themselves or modified the provided End files?

​@Kwadwo29527087b8wy 

I just opened the End file for Lesson 1 (Ps 2025) and went to File menu > File Info.

Basic tab:

• Creation date: Sep 8, 2023 at 20:34:53
• Modification date: Oct 18, 2024 at 01:57: 23
• Application: Ps 25.1 [bunch of numbers] (Macintosh)

Raw Data tab:

• <xmp:CreatorTool>Adobe Photoshop 25.1 (20230905.m.2316 979c86d)  (Macintosh)</xmp:CreatorTool>
• <xmp:CreateDate>2023-09-08T17:34:53-07:00</xmp:CreateDate>
• <xmp:ModifyDate>2024-10-17T22:57:23-07:00</xmp:ModifyDate>

If some of this information is identical, they copied the End file. You’ll have to make a “cheat sheet” for yourself for each End file, then look in the Info tab for each student.

Is this what you are looking for?

Jane

Photoshop can save a History log for files, either as metadata or as a text file.
Enable it in Preferences > History & Content Credentials.
The Detailed option will provide the most detailed log.

To view the log (when saved as metadata), go to File > File Info > Photoshop.
Here’s an example from a detailed log:

2026-09-03T18:13:35+02:00    File D:\Dropbox\Generator II\Bok\Omslag\_dsf7121-Harpefossen-hf2 21-100-1-upscale-2x.tif saved
2026-09-04T13:55:16+02:00    File _dsf7121-Harpefossen-hf2 21-100-1-upscale-2x.tif opened
Open    false
true
D:\Dropbox\Generator II\Bok\Omslag\_dsf7121-Harpefossen-hf2 21-100-1-upscale-2x.tif
59
false

New Levels Layer
Make adjustment layer    Using: adjustment layer
Type: levels
Preset Kind: Default

Modify Levels Layer
2026-09-04T13:59:36+02:00    File D:\Dropbox\Generator II\Bok\Omslag\_dsf7121-Harpefossen-hf2 21-100-1-upscale-2x.tif saved
Set current adjustment layer    To: levels
Preset Kind: Custom
Adjustment: levels adjustment list
levels adjustment
Channel: composite channel
Gamma: 1,03

Save

​@Conrad_C  Were you involved with the iIlustrator books?

I would investigate the metadata and also compare the submitted file's internal object structure against the original End file. Identical object arrangements, hidden objects, naming conventions and unusual construction details could strengthen a finding.

For future assignments, asking students to save successive milestones as separate files or use Illustrator cloud documents with Version History would provide a better record of progress. Cloud Version History preserves saved versions, although not every individual editing action.

There may be hidden evidence of a document's origin, but there is no reliable hidden audit trail in an ordinary Illustrator .ai file that proves how the artwork was created or who created it.

A free tool called ExifTool can inspect the XMP metadata in an Illustrator file.

For example:
exiftool -a -G1 -s -XMP:all student.ai

And of course, an obligatory Fail for anyone found to be copying/not submitting their own work.