Print metadata on bottom of photo

ScanSpeeder, Windows only.  It takes info from the caption or description field and adds it to bottom of picture.  It's an extra step, but works.

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@OzPhotoMan wrote:

Also, what is the description field for in the print dialog box?

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Looks like there is some confusion about it in this thread, because there are two Description fields in the Print dialog box. If you are asking about the Description field in the Printing Marks section, all of those options print outside the image area, usually for reference or workflow use like at a print shop.

Unfortunately, this option won’t help you because you want Description metadata printed inside the image area, and because this option does not pull from metadata.

@OzPhotoMan 

Here is a script.

As you didn't set-out explicit requirements it is general purpose. It can be changed for your requirements once they are known.

/*
Add Description Metadata as Text Layer.jsx
v1.1 - Stephen Marsh, 18th September 2021
NOTE: Text size is visual to the canvas width (not a fixed point size)

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/print-metadata-on-bottom-of-photo/td-p/12387715
Print metadata on bottom of photo
*/

#target photoshop

if (app.documents.length) {

    // Check if there is either XMP-dc:Description or IPTC:Caption-Abstract metadata
    if (ExternalObject.AdobeXMPScript === undefined) ExternalObject.AdobeXMPScript = new ExternalObject('lib:AdobeXMPScript');
    var xmp = new XMPMeta(app.activeDocument.xmpMetadata.rawData);   
    var descMeta = xmp.getProperty(XMPConst.NS_DC, 'description');
    if (descMeta !== undefined || app.activeDocument.info.caption.length) {

        function main() {

            // Ruler units
            var origRuler = app.preferences.rulerUnits;
            app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.POINTS;

            var doc = app.activeDocument;

            // Text layer
            var descMeta = doc.info.caption;
            var layerRef = doc.artLayers.add();
            layerRef.name = "Description Metadata";
            layerRef.kind = LayerKind.TEXT;
            // Dynamic text colour
            layerRef.blendMode = BlendMode.DIFFERENCE;
            // Text properties
            var textRef = layerRef.textItem;
            var textColor = new SolidColor();
            textColor.rgb.red = 255;
            textColor.rgb.green = 255;
            textColor.rgb.blue = 255;
            textRef.color = textColor;
            textRef.contents = descMeta;
            textRef.position = new Array(0, 0);
            textRef.font = 'Times-Bold';
            textRef.size = 24;
            textRef.useAutoLeading = true;
            textRef.justification = Justification.CENTER;

            // Ruler units for positioning on canvas
            app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.PIXELS;

            // Scale the text to 90% of the canvas width
            layerScaler();

            // Align text to horizontal centre
            align2SelectAll('AdCH');
            // Align text to bottom
            align2SelectAll('AdBt');

            // move text layer up from bottom
            var docMargin = doc.width / 33;
            var yPos = parseInt(docMargin);
            doc.activeLayer.translate(0, -yPos);
            // doc.activeLayer.translate(0, -25);

            // Restore original ruler units
            app.preferences.rulerUnits = origRuler;

            // End of script notifications
            app.beep();
            // alert('Done!');

            /************ Functions ************/

            function align2SelectAll(method) {
                /* 
                AdLf = Align Left
                AdRg = Align Right
                AdCH = Align Centre Horizontal
                AdTp = Align Top
                AdBt = Align Bottom
                AdCV = Align Centre Vertical
                */
                doc.selection.selectAll();
                var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
                var ref = new ActionReference();
                ref.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt"));
                desc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), ref);
                desc.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("Usng"), charIDToTypeID("ADSt"), charIDToTypeID(method));
                try {
                    executeAction(charIDToTypeID("Algn"), desc, DialogModes.NO);
                } catch (e) { }
                doc.selection.deselect();
            }

            function layerScaler() {
                var scale = Math.min(doc.width / (doc.activeLayer.bounds[2] - doc.activeLayer.bounds[0]), doc.height / (doc.activeLayer.bounds[3] - doc.activeLayer.bounds[1]));
                // Scale to 90% of canvas
                doc.activeLayer.resize(scale * 90, scale * 90);
            }

        }
        
        app.activeDocument.suspendHistory("Run script", "main()");
    
    } else {
        alert('Script cancelled!' + '\r' + 'There is no description/caption metadata');
    }

} else {
    alert('A document must be open to use this script!');
}

Downloading and Installing Adobe Scripts

Hi @OzPhotoMan 

If it's just one photo, can you just copy the text from File > Info in Adobe Bridge and paste it into Photoshop?

As was mentioned, InDesign does this easily. 

• Object menu > Captions > Caption Settings
  Choose Description for the metatdata and set up other parameters as desired
• Select the frame with the image
• Object menu > Captions > Generate Caption (live or static)
  The frame that is generated can then be repositioned and put on the photo

Captions

~ Jane

A script can add a text layer easily, I have several that I use in production.

Followup, I have some sample scripts on my DropBox which add text layers to an image

Adobe Scripts Adobe Scripts

Hi, I really hope that one day, the Bridge Output to PDF would be changed to have the description under the images, it would be a good think for some of my workflows... But I just realized that I might be able to use the PDF presentation instead... @OzPhotoMan take a look at File>Automate>PDF presentation.

Also, what is the description field for in the print dialog box?

By @OzPhotoMan

Hi, if you hover any item in the color management area, this field succintly describes you what it does...

There may be a Photoshop script that can add a text layer with the meta data you want. Search the Web for Photoshop scripts.  I believe there is one called something like frameshop that may be able to do what you want.

You might want to look into InDesign which is another major program within the Adobe Creative Cloud. It has a feature that allows you to automatically populate captions from a range of metadata fields.