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giorgiog65005265
Known Participant
May 7, 2026
Question

Saving as GIF loses all EXIF information forever.

  • May 7, 2026
  • 6 replies
  • 96 views

I usually start with a RAW file. Then save it as TIF16 and finally convert it to 8 bit and save it as JPG. If, by mistake, I save it as GIF, then all EXIF data is gone “forever”. If I UNDO the operation and go back to the 16 bit version, the elimination of the data is NOT undone. At this point I have to close everything, re-open the TIF16, convert it to 8 bit and save it again as JPG.

I don’t know if this is really a BUG but it wold be great if EXIF data could be part of the UNDO process as well!

By the way: (suggestion): It would be great too if there was a key combination to SAVE AS TIF or SAVE AS JPG directly, without going through the dialog box, choose the file type, click OK, etc. This place is where the above mistake usually happens!

      6 replies

      Sameer K
      Community Manager
      Sameer KCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      May 21, 2026

      Hey, ​@giorgiog65005265 & ​@rayek.elfin. Welcome to the Photoshop Community. I’ll clarify this for you. 

       

      When you export to GIF in Photoshop, the metadata is actually written into the file — Photoshop just can't display it when you re-open the GIF [0]. You can verify the metadata is present using Bridge or ExifTool.

      The original source file (PSD/TIFF) is not affected by exporting to GIF — only the re-opened GIF appears to lack metadata within Photoshop.

       

      Apart from what you see, could you record your screen when you recreate this, and verify if the metadata is present in any 3rd party metadata viewer.

       

      Thanks!
      Sameer K

      rayek.elfin
      rayek.elfin
      Legend
      May 23, 2026

      I tested this again: opened a DNG raw file in Photoshop. Reduced to 8 bit. Saved via Save As-->GIF.

      Result: the GIF file loses all meta data. Checked in IrfanView, PhotoLine, and FastStone Viewer in their meta data EXIF/IPTC property viewers.

      To confirm I also opened the file in exiftool: same result. Metadata and EXIF data is empty.

      So your assertion:

      When you export to GIF in Photoshop, the metadata is actually written into the file — Photoshop just can't display it when you re-open the GIF [0]. You can verify the metadata is present using Bridge or ExifTool.

      is utterly wrong. Please check this again for yourself. And stating that:

      only the re-opened GIF appears to lack metadata within Photoshop.

      is untrue as well. It doesn’t “appear” that way: the metadata is removed from a GIF file.

      Since the GIF standard originates from 1987 this file format is technically incapable to save EXIF metadata.

      The reason why you might be seeing EXIF metadata when selecting a converted GIF file in Bridge might be due to a sidecar file that is saved with the gif file. Not completely certain if this is the case for you or in Bridge - I have not tested it and I do not use Bridge myself.

      In any case GIF files CANNOT have EXIF metadata embedded in them. Please read up on this yourself ​@Sameer K  and please change/amend your answer.

       

      rayek.elfin
      rayek.elfin
      Legend
      May 9, 2026

      I can confirm this behaviour:

      1. open a DNG
      2. Adobe RAW opens, and confirm
      3. save as tiff (EXIF metadata maintained)
      4. switch to 8 bit
      5. save as jpg (EXIF metadata maintained)
      6. save as gif (EXIF metadata removed)
      7. undo to step 2: 16 bit version saved as tiff once more (EXIF metadata maintained)
      8. switch to 8 bit and save as jpg (EXIF metadata removed)

      Really odd behaviour: aside from the undo issues here, I would expect Photoshop to keep the EXIF data until the file is closed.

      But it doesn’t. Merely saving as a gif destroys it in memory as well.

      I am not aware any other image editor that behaves like this: saving a file should not affect the version that is currently open - only the version that is saved.

      Very, very odd.

      G
      giorgiog65005265Author
      Known Participant
      May 8, 2026

      N.B. I am on Windows 11

      Stephen Marsh
      Community Expert
      Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 7, 2026

      ​@giorgiog65005265 

       

      I have followed your steps and can’t reproduce this issue, I even closed and reopened the jpeg saved from the gif undo history steps and the metadata was intact.

      G
      giorgiog65005265Author
      Known Participant
      May 8, 2026

      On my setup all GPS data, Author, Copyright, Camera info, RollAngle, PitchAngle, etc. is gone.

      The simplest case:

      1. Open a JPG (File->File Info: all the data is there) 
      2. Save as  GIF (File->File Info: all the data is still there) 
      3. Save again as JPG (File->File Info: all the data is still there) 
      4. Close and reopen the JPG (File->File Info: MOST DATA IS NOT THERE) 

       

      G
      giorgiog65005265Author
      Known Participant
      May 8, 2026

      If you can’t reproduce it, could it be some settings in my Preferences?

      Stephen Marsh
      Community Expert
      Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 7, 2026

      Thanks for the clarifying steps. I’ll look into it.

       

      I thought that you might be saving as GIF and reopening the GIF, as this file format doesn’t support metadata that would make sense… But using the undo key is a surprise to me that this would be an issue.

       

      Yes, actions remember the file path, but they don’t have to record the file name. A modal override can be added to make the save step interactive so that you can set the name and path while taking advantage of having the file format options pre-selected.

       

      Scripts are more flexible, they can use the current name or rename and save anywhere, either automatically or with user input to select destination folders or names, they can even save multiple formats in a single run.

      Stephen Marsh
      Community Expert
      Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 7, 2026

      I’ll try to reproduce, can you please confirm with sequential numbered steps? Please make it clear when you’re closing and opening and saving different file formats.

       

      Actions or scripts are the best ways to consistently save different formats with specific settings bypassing dialog windows.

      G
      giorgiog65005265Author
      Known Participant
      May 7, 2026
      1. Open a RAW file in Adobe Camera Raw
      2. Open it in Photoshop as a 16 bit Color RGB file
      3. Save it as a 16 bit TIFF by pressing CTRL+S and then choose TIFF from dialog.
      4. Turn it into an 8 bit image
      5. Save it as a GIF (EXIF now gone) with SHIFT+CTRL+S
      6. UNDO with CTRL+Z (it becomes 16 bits again)
      7. Turn it into an 8 bit image again (its extension now is still GIF, of course)
      8. Press SHIFT+CTRL+S and Save it as JPG.
      9. Go look at the JPG image properties: all EXIF data is gone, i.e. the UNDO on step 6 did not put the data back in the photo!

      This is what I usually do but it can be simplyfied:

      1. Open a JPG that has EXIF data
      2. Do a couple of things to it
      3. Save it as a GIF
      4. Undo everything until you go back to what you opened
      5. Save it as JPG… EXIF IS GONE!

      P.S. The problem with Actions and Scripts is that they memorize the path and name of the file when you created the Action, so all files will be saved in the folder where the original photo was with the wrong name, regardless of the actual one!

       

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