Print metadata on bottom of photo

[OzPhotoMan]

Hi all,

Is there a way to print some metadata on a photo? I have a photo that has the description written into metadata and I want to print that description onto the photo.

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

Regards,

Steve 

[Michael Bullo]

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.

[JJMack]

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.

[jonathanstan]

Its good that there are alot of software options for adding metadata to photos. I've been doing it with Lightroom Classic for years. After all the work it takes to tag photos, I am very sad that there are few options to view things like Title, Caption, and select Exif data like f/stop and time of exposure. I'd like to see these items displayed in an itegrated way with the photo (as though your reading the title and caption of a photo in a magazine like Flickr and apparently Snip Tag do, but if software allows this, it is often cumbersome to access it. Any other alternative software suggestions just for viewing photos and the meta data within (not necessarily creating and editing meta data).

[Stephen Marsh]

jonathanstan

This is one feature of Adobe Bridge.

Below is the result of a script that can stamp EXIF metadata, it could stamp any metadata or static text with the appropriate edits:

[OzPhotoMan]

Hi,

What is that script. 

I also can't find that feature in Bridge.

Regards,

Steve

[Stephen Marsh]

---

@OzPhotoMan wrote:

Hi,

What is that script. 

I also can't find that feature in Bridge.

Regards,

Steve

---

Bridge GUI:

The other script that I posted an output example of was from the "stamp exif" script, which is very different to only adding only the "description/caption" metadata, it is more concerned with camera EXIF metadata.

[OzPhotoMan]

Thanks,

I am aware of the metadata panel and entering data in there in Bridge or LR, I am refering to printing metadata on the printed image.

Regards,

Steve

[Stephen Marsh]

@OzPhotoMan 

I know what you want, which is why I posted the script. Have you tried it yet? A link to instructions were posted underneath.

That reply regarding Bridge was to jonathanstan

[OzPhotoMan]

Thanks Stephen,

I have not tried it yet, will do so over the next few days.

Regards,

Steve

[PECourtejoie]

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...

[Kukurykus]

Where is color management area?

[PECourtejoie]

Hi, it is in regards to Oz's question about the print dialog:

[Kukurykus]

Thx, I long time ago automated my print settings so wasn't sure if that thing is exactly there.

[OzPhotoMan]

Hi,

The PDf function will work, but I would be concerned about final print quality.

I don't get any descrition on hover, I have the latest vesrion of PS. Is there a setting I need to turn on?

Regards,

Steve

[Lumigraphics]

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

[OzPhotoMan]

Hi,

What is the name of the specific script/

Regards,

Steve

[jane-e]

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

[JJMack]

Old Photoshop had Web Photo galleries that supported some metadad fields like description.

[OzPhotoMan]

Thanks, but I can't afford In Design.

Regards,

Steve

[Stephen Marsh]

@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

[Geppetto Luis]

Stephen
I have this warning window

The metadata is all there on the original file

[Stephen Marsh]

It works for me if there is data in the Description field of File > File Info (which I believe is the caption metadata):

If the description/caption field is blank, then that message is triggered.

That if/else check could be removed, but then the result would be a blank text layer if the data was not there.

[Geppetto Luis]

So it doesn't take the exif data of the photo

you have to enter them manually

[Stephen Marsh]

My script is only checking for IPTC Caption metadata in File > File Info > Basic - Description or IPTC - Description.

The legacy IPTC Caption metadata is the same as the current XMP-DC Description metadata. If the tool used to add metadata is MWG compliant it will write to both fields. It could be that the tool used to add your metadata only used  the XMP-DC Description without also updating the IPTC Caption.

It is easy for me to check legacy "File Info" metadata. It is harder for me to check for XMP metadata.

Perhaps someody could share code?

Metadata comes in different forms. EXIF is camera related metadata.

The OP wasn't looking for EXIF,  they explicitly mentioned "Description".

"Description" may be two things (see my other post).

I still need to work out how to check for XMP:DC Description in addition to IPTC Caption...

I have updated the original script to a 1.1 version.

I believe that I now have working code for XMP-dc:Description, here is a snippet:

    // 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) { 
// Do stuff... 
}

I'm sure that it is not elegant or that it is verbose, clumsy, inefficient etc. This is the best that I have been able to do, I'm just happy that it appears to work!