How to stop PS from writing XMP Raw Data?

Question

In File > File Info > Raw Data, there's always data written to a file, even if just a new file saved as jpg.

This data has proved impossible to be removed by any Windows-based software or online service.

Is there a script or a way to stop PS from doing this? jpegoptim is capable of it, but it's not on Windows.

To counter the inevitable 'whys' - why would it write the data in the first place? The rest of the xmp tabs are all empty, and stripping this info with jpegoptim does not break the file in any way.

Stephen Marsh · Accepted Answer

Here is the metadata in Photoshop for a brand new, unsaved doc:

<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/" x:xmptk="Adobe XMP Core 9.1-c002 79.78b7638e6, 2025/02/11-23:14:14        ">
   <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#">
      <rdf:Description rdf:about=""
            xmlns:xmp="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/"
            xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
            xmlns:photoshop="http://ns.adobe.com/photoshop/1.0/">
         <xmp:CreatorTool>Adobe Photoshop 26.5 (Macintosh)</xmp:CreatorTool>
         <xmp:CreateDate>2025-04-28T21:20:04+10:00</xmp:CreateDate>
         <xmp:ModifyDate>2025-04-28T21:20:04+10:00</xmp:ModifyDate>
         <xmp:MetadataDate>2025-04-28T21:20:04+10:00</xmp:MetadataDate>
         <dc:format>application/vnd.adobe.photoshop</dc:format>
         <photoshop:ColorMode>3</photoshop:ColorMode>
         <photoshop:ICCProfile>sRGB IEC61966-2.1</photoshop:ICCProfile>
      </rdf:Description>
   </rdf:RDF>
</x:xmpmeta>

When I Save As to JPEG (no ICC), this is what ExifTool reports:

[ExifTool]      ExifToolVersion               : 13.25
[System]        FileName                      : save.jpg
[System]        Directory                     : ~/Desktop
[System]        FileSize                      : 90 kB
[System]        FileModifyDate                : 2025:04:28 21:32:17+10:00
[System]        FileAccessDate                : 2025:04:28 21:32:18+10:00
[System]        FileInodeChangeDate           : 2025:04:28 21:32:17+10:00
[System]        FilePermissions               : -rw-r--r--
[File]          FileType                      : JPEG
[File]          FileTypeExtension             : jpg
[File]          MIMEType                      : image/jpeg
[File]          ExifByteOrder                 : Big-endian (Motorola, MM)
[File]          ImageWidth                    : 1080
[File]          ImageHeight                   : 1080
[File]          EncodingProcess               : Baseline DCT, Huffman coding
[File]          BitsPerSample                 : 8
[File]          ColorComponents               : 3
[File]          YCbCrSubSampling              : YCbCr4:4:4 (1 1)
[IFD0]          Orientation                   : Horizontal (normal)
[IFD0]          XResolution                   : 72
[IFD0]          YResolution                   : 72
[IFD0]          ResolutionUnit                : inches
[IFD0]          Software                      : Adobe Photoshop 26.5 (Macintosh)
[IFD0]          ModifyDate                    : 2025:04:28 21:32:15
[ExifIFD]       ColorSpace                    : sRGB
[ExifIFD]       ExifImageWidth                : 1080
[ExifIFD]       ExifImageHeight               : 1080
[IFD1]          Compression                   : JPEG (old-style)
[IFD1]          XResolution                   : 72
[IFD1]          YResolution                   : 72
[IFD1]          ResolutionUnit                : inches
[IFD1]          ThumbnailOffset               : 318
[IFD1]          ThumbnailLength               : 986
[IFD1]          ThumbnailImage                : (Binary data 986 bytes, use -b option to extract)
[Photoshop]     IPTCDigest                    : 00000000000000000000000000000000
[Photoshop]     XResolution                   : 72
[Photoshop]     DisplayedUnitsX               : inches
[Photoshop]     YResolution                   : 72
[Photoshop]     DisplayedUnitsY               : inches
[Photoshop]     PrintStyle                    : Centered
[Photoshop]     PrintPosition                 : 0 0
[Photoshop]     PrintScale                    : 1
[Photoshop]     GlobalAngle                   : 90
[Photoshop]     GlobalAltitude                : 30
[Photoshop]     URL_List                      : 
[Photoshop]     SlicesGroupName               : Untitled-1
[Photoshop]     NumSlices                     : 1
[Photoshop]     PixelAspectRatio              : 1
[Photoshop]     PhotoshopThumbnail            : (Binary data 986 bytes, use -b option to extract)
[Photoshop]     HasRealMergedData             : Yes
[Photoshop]     WriterName                    : Adobe Photoshop
[Photoshop]     ReaderName                    : Adobe Photoshop 2025
[Photoshop]     PhotoshopQuality              : 12
[Photoshop]     PhotoshopFormat               : Standard
[XMP-x]         XMPToolkit                    : Adobe XMP Core 9.1-c002 79.78b7638e6, 2025/02/11-23:14:14
[XMP-xmp]       CreatorTool                   : Adobe Photoshop 26.5 (Macintosh)
[XMP-xmp]       CreateDate                    : 2025:04:28 21:20:04+10:00
[XMP-xmp]       ModifyDate                    : 2025:04:28 21:32:15+10:00
[XMP-xmp]       MetadataDate                  : 2025:04:28 21:32:15+10:00
[XMP-dc]        Format                        : image/jpeg
[XMP-photoshop] ColorMode                     : RGB
[XMP-photoshop] ICCProfileName                : sRGB IEC61966-2.1
[XMP-xmpMM]     InstanceID                    : xmp.iid:4d7c11b1-0959-4839-a31a-5e389cfcb5c9
[XMP-xmpMM]     DocumentID                    : xmp.did:4d7c11b1-0959-4839-a31a-5e389cfcb5c9
[XMP-xmpMM]     OriginalDocumentID            : xmp.did:4d7c11b1-0959-4839-a31a-5e389cfcb5c9
[XMP-xmpMM]     HistoryAction                 : created
[XMP-xmpMM]     HistoryInstanceID             : xmp.iid:4d7c11b1-0959-4839-a31a-5e389cfcb5c9
[XMP-xmpMM]     HistoryWhen                   : 2025:04:28 21:20:04+10:00
[XMP-xmpMM]     HistorySoftwareAgent          : Adobe Photoshop 26.5 (Macintosh)
[ICC-header]    ProfileCMMType                : Linotronic
[ICC-header]    ProfileVersion                : 2.1.0
[ICC-header]    ProfileClass                  : Display Device Profile
[ICC-header]    ColorSpaceData                : RGB
[ICC-header]    ProfileConnectionSpace        : XYZ
[ICC-header]    ProfileDateTime               : 1998:02:09 06:49:00
[ICC-header]    ProfileFileSignature          : acsp
[ICC-header]    PrimaryPlatform               : Microsoft Corporation
[ICC-header]    CMMFlags                      : Not Embedded, Independent
[ICC-header]    DeviceManufacturer            : Hewlett-Packard
[ICC-header]    DeviceModel                   : sRGB
[ICC-header]    DeviceAttributes              : Reflective, Glossy, Positive, Color
[ICC-header]    RenderingIntent               : Media-Relative Colorimetric
[ICC-header]    ConnectionSpaceIlluminant     : 0.9642 1 0.82491
[ICC-header]    ProfileCreator                : Hewlett-Packard
[ICC-header]    ProfileID                     : 0
[ICC_Profile]   ProfileCopyright              : Copyright (c) 1998 Hewlett-Packard Company
[ICC_Profile]   ProfileDescription            : sRGB IEC61966-2.1
[ICC_Profile]   MediaWhitePoint               : 0.95045 1 1.08905
[ICC_Profile]   MediaBlackPoint               : 0 0 0
[ICC_Profile]   RedMatrixColumn               : 0.43607 0.22249 0.01392
[ICC_Profile]   GreenMatrixColumn             : 0.38515 0.71687 0.09708
[ICC_Profile]   BlueMatrixColumn              : 0.14307 0.06061 0.7141
[ICC_Profile]   DeviceMfgDesc                 : IEC http://www.iec.ch
[ICC_Profile]   DeviceModelDesc               : IEC 61966-2.1 Default RGB colour space - sRGB
[ICC_Profile]   ViewingCondDesc               : Reference Viewing Condition in IEC61966-2.1
[ICC_Profile]   Luminance                     : 76.03647 80 87.12462
[ICC_Profile]   Technology                    : Cathode Ray Tube Display
[ICC_Profile]   RedTRC                        : (Binary data 2060 bytes, use -b option to extract)
[ICC_Profile]   GreenTRC                      : (Binary data 2060 bytes, use -b option to extract)
[ICC_Profile]   BlueTRC                       : (Binary data 2060 bytes, use -b option to extract)
[ICC-view]      ViewingCondIlluminant         : 19.6445 20.3718 16.8089
[ICC-view]      ViewingCondSurround           : 3.92889 4.07439 3.36179
[ICC-view]      ViewingCondIlluminantType     : D50
[ICC-meas]      MeasurementObserver           : CIE 1931
[ICC-meas]      MeasurementBacking            : 0 0 0
[ICC-meas]      MeasurementGeometry           : Unknown
[ICC-meas]      MeasurementFlare              : 0.999%
[ICC-meas]      MeasurementIlluminant         : D65
[Adobe]         DCTEncodeVersion              : 100
[Adobe]         APP14Flags0                   : [14]
[Adobe]         APP14Flags1                   : (none)
[Adobe]         ColorTransform                : YCbCr
[Composite]     ImageSize                     : 1080x1080
[Composite]     Megapixels                    : 1.2

No surprises, Save retains metadata if it is supported in the output file format.

Using ExifTool to remove all metadata from the JPEG:

[ExifTool]      ExifToolVersion               : 13.25
[System]        FileName                      : exiftool.jpg
[System]        Directory                     : /Users/stephenmarsh 1/Desktop
[System]        FileSize                      : 78 kB
[System]        FileModifyDate                : 2025:04:28 21:33:35+10:00
[System]        FileAccessDate                : 2025:04:28 21:33:40+10:00
[System]        FileInodeChangeDate           : 2025:04:28 21:33:40+10:00
[System]        FilePermissions               : -rw-r--r--
[File]          FileType                      : JPEG
[File]          FileTypeExtension             : jpg
[File]          MIMEType                      : image/jpeg
[File]          ImageWidth                    : 1080
[File]          ImageHeight                   : 1080
[File]          EncodingProcess               : Baseline DCT, Huffman coding
[File]          BitsPerSample                 : 8
[File]          ColorComponents               : 3
[File]          YCbCrSubSampling              : YCbCr4:4:4 (1 1)
[Composite]     ImageSize                     : 1080x1080
[Composite]     Megapixels                    : 1.2

As long as you don't open/resave from Photoshop, you're all good, the ExifTool edits hold.

Sample files attached.

Stephen Marsh · Answer

In File > File Info > Raw Data, there's always data written to a file, even if just a new file saved as jpg.

A brand new document, unsaved, by design, will contain minimal metadata.

Any Save variant (Save As/Save a Copy) includes all metadata if appropriate for the file format.

This data has proved impossible to be removed by any Windows-based software or online service.

Sounds like you haven't used the cross-platform ExifTool.

Is there a script or a way to stop PS from doing this? jpegoptim is capable of it, but it's not on Windows.

Adobe offer Export As or Save for Web (Legacy), which both include the option to exclude metadata.

To counter the inevitable 'whys' - why would it write the data in the first place?

By @avalent

Countering "whys" with a "why" is novel, however, it doesn't really matter why, you don't need to justify why, it's your data.

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