Privacy problem with TextLayers and History

Report · Mar 31, 2021

I have a .psd file I use to create certificates for my online courses and I save (not export) them to jpg. When I open this jpg file using a text editor like Notepad++ I find many information related to history and layer content from previous user data(!) under <xmpMM:History> and <photoshop:TextLayers> tags!

These info are removed if I use TinyPNG or any other JPG compression site or application, but how do I configure Photoshop to avoid saving this information? It´s already configured not no save metadata in Export option, but this doesn´t affect when the file is saved instead of exported.

Report · Mar 31, 2021

It sounds like you configured your Photoshop preferences to record history logs in your files metadata. These logs will be is the files you save. You would need to Change your Photoshop preferences then strip all your image files with history metadata metadata.

JJMack

Report · Mar 31, 2021

Nope, History log is also disabled.

I fixed this (incredible) privacy problem compressing all images using TinyPNG Premium but I want to Photoshop NOT save this data.

Report · Mar 31, 2021

Correct URL is https://tinypng.com/

Report · Mar 31, 2021

I look at some of my Photoshop Image files in Notpad++.

The xmpMM:History seems to be a Adobe Photoshop log of document edit sessions the dates, time and Photoshop version used.

I also see the documebt current text layer recorded as text layers that are readable data. I do not see anything the look like prion version of text layers.

<?xpacket begin="ï»¿" id="W5M0MpCehiHzreSzNTczkc9d"?>
<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/" x:xmptk="Adobe XMP Core 6.0-c002 116.164655, 2021/01/26-15:41:20        ">
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"> 

<rdf:Description rdf:about="" 
xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" 
xmlns:xmp="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/" 
xmlns:xmpMM="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/mm/" 
xmlns:stRef="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/sType/ResourceRef#" 
xmlns:stEvt="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/sType/ResourceEvent#" 
xmlns:photoshop="http://ns.adobe.com/photoshop/1.0/" 
xmlns:xmpRights="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/rights/" 
xmlns:tiff="http://ns.adobe.com/tiff/1.0/" 
xmlns:exif="http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/" dc:format="image/png" 
xmp:CreatorTool="Adobe Photoshop CC 2014 (Windows)" 
xmp:CreateDate="2008-05-23T11:23:41-04:00" 
xmp:ModifyDate="2021-02-09T07:26:17-05:00" 
xmp:MetadataDate="2021-02-09T07:26:17-05:00" 
xmpMM:DocumentID="adobe:docid:photoshop:4d0daa43-bbc2-4d4e-bc8e-7755b8312b5f" 
xmpMM:InstanceID="xmp.iid:77934358-8400-364c-b1ba-56f9698b6f2d" 
xmpMM:OriginalDocumentID="uuid:698387CEDB28DD119416AE661C27D6E8" photoshop:ColorMode="3" photoshop:Instructions="Garbage" photoshop:ICCProfile="sRGB IEC61966-2.1" 
xmpRights:Marked="False" tiff:Orientation="1" tiff:XResolution="3000000/10000" tiff:YResolution="3000000/10000" tiff:ResolutionUnit="2" exif:ColorSpace="65535" exif:PixelXDimension="1354" exif:PixelYDimension="760"> 

<xmpMM:DerivedFrom stRef:instanceID="xmp.iid:8e52d3cc-147c-4241-8126-4b2bc7c76eaa" stRef:documentID="adobe:docid:photoshop:9c750344-c7b5-774a-a9d1-a607f97ef827" stRef:originalDocumentID="uuid:698387CEDB28DD119416AE661C27D6E8"/> 

<xmpMM:History> 
<rdf:Seq> 
<rdf:li stEvt:action="saved" stEvt:instanceID="xmp.iid:b316fe82-0275-0747-a3d7-29f61b958324" stEvt:when="2016-01-14T16:44:41-05:00" stEvt:softwareAgent="Adobe Photoshop CC 2014 (Windows)" stEvt:changed="/"/> 
<rdf:li stEvt:action="saved" stEvt:instanceID="xmp.iid:8e52d3cc-147c-4241-8126-4b2bc7c76eaa" stEvt:when="2021-01-11T06:22:18-05:00" stEvt:softwareAgent="Adobe Photoshop 22.1 (Windows)" stEvt:changed="/"/> 
<rdf:li stEvt:action="converted" stEvt:parameters="from application/vnd.adobe.photoshop to image/png"/> <rdf:li stEvt:action="derived" stEvt:parameters="converted from application/vnd.adobe.photoshop to image/png"/> 
<rdf:li stEvt:action="saved" stEvt:instanceID="xmp.iid:a5e67757-c780-6f47-9a68-ee81c6b4a08e" stEvt:when="2021-01-11T06:22:18-05:00" stEvt:softwareAgent="Adobe Photoshop 22.1 (Windows)" stEvt:changed="/"/> 
<rdf:li stEvt:action="saved" stEvt:instanceID="xmp.iid:77934358-8400-364c-b1ba-56f9698b6f2d" stEvt:when="2021-02-09T07:26:17-05:00" stEvt:softwareAgent="Adobe Photoshop 21.2 (Windows)" stEvt:changed="/"/> 
</rdf:Seq> 
</xmpMM:History> 

</rdf:Description> 
</rdf:RDF> 
</x:xmpmeta>
<?xpacket end="r"?>

<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/" x:xmptk="Adobe XMP Core 5.6-c142 79.160924, 2017/07/13-01:06:39        ">
   <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:xmpRights="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/rights/"
            xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
            xmlns:photoshop="http://ns.adobe.com/photoshop/1.0/"
            xmlns:xmpMM="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/mm/"
            xmlns:stEvt="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/sType/ResourceEvent#">
         <xmp:CreatorTool>Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 (Windows)</xmp:CreatorTool>
         <xmp:CreateDate>2018-10-13T10:01:49-04:00</xmp:CreateDate>
         <xmp:ModifyDate>2018-10-13T10:38:29-04:00</xmp:ModifyDate>
         <xmp:MetadataDate>2018-10-13T10:38:29-04:00</xmp:MetadataDate>
         <xmpRights:UsageTerms>
            <rdf:Alt>
               <rdf:li xml:lang="x-default"/>
            </rdf:Alt>
         </xmpRights:UsageTerms>
         <dc:format>application/vnd.adobe.photoshop</dc:format>
         <photoshop:Instructions>Garbage</photoshop:Instructions>
         <photoshop:ColorMode>3</photoshop:ColorMode>
         <photoshop:ICCProfile>sRGB IEC61966-2.1</photoshop:ICCProfile>
		 
		 
         <photoshop:TextLayers>
            <rdf:Bag>
               <rdf:li rdf:parseType="Resource">
                  <photoshop:LayerName>Asterisks (*) indicate formats whose support was introduced in </photoshop:LayerName>
                  <photoshop:LayerText>Asterisks (*) indicate formats whose support was introduced in CS6.</photoshop:LayerText>
               </rdf:li>
               <rdf:li rdf:parseType="Resource">
                  <photoshop:LayerName>Graphic file formats  Photoshop PSD Large Document Format PSB B</photoshop:LayerName>
                  <photoshop:LayerText>Graphic file formats  Photoshop PSD Large Document Format PSB BMP Cineon CompuServe GIF Photoshop DCS 1.0 Photoshop DCS 2.0 DICOM Photoshop EPS IFF format JPEG JPEG2000 OpenEXR PCX Photoshop PDF Pixar PNG Portable Bit Map Photoshop Raw Scitex CT Targa TIFF Wireless Bitmap Photoshop 2.0 (Mac only) PICT (read only) PICT Resource (Mac only, can open only) Radiance</photoshop:LayerText>
               </rdf:li>
               <rdf:li rdf:parseType="Resource">
                  <photoshop:LayerName>Video export formats  DPX* MOV (QuickTime) MP4</photoshop:LayerName>
                  <photoshop:LayerText>Video export formats  DPX* MOV (QuickTime) MP4</photoshop:LayerText>
               </rdf:li>
               <rdf:li rdf:parseType="Resource">
                  <photoshop:LayerName>Video import formats  .264* 3GP, 3GPP* AVC* AVI F4V* FLV* MOV (</photoshop:LayerName>
                  <photoshop:LayerText>Video import formats  .264* 3GP, 3GPP* AVC* AVI F4V* FLV* MOV (QuickTime) MPE* MPEGâ€‘1 MPEGâ€‘4 MPEGâ€‘2 if a decoder is installed (for example, with an Adobe video suite) MTS* MXF* R3D* TS* VOB*</photoshop:LayerText>
               </rdf:li>
               <rdf:li rdf:parseType="Resource">
                  <photoshop:LayerName>3D-related formats  3D Studio (import only) DAE (Collada) Flash</photoshop:LayerName>
                  <photoshop:LayerText>3D-related formats  3D Studio (import only) DAE (Collada) Flash 3D* (export only) JPS* (JPEG Stereo) KMZ (Google Earth 4) MPO* (Multi-Picture format) U3D Wavefront|OBJ</photoshop:LayerText>
               </rdf:li>
               <rdf:li rdf:parseType="Resource">
                  <photoshop:LayerName>Audio import formats  AAC* AIFF* M2A* M4A* MP2* MP3*</photoshop:LayerName>
                  <photoshop:LayerText>Audio import formats  AAC* AIFF* M2A* M4A* MP2* MP3*</photoshop:LayerText>
               </rdf:li>
            </rdf:Bag>
         </photoshop:TextLayers>
		 
         <xmpMM:InstanceID>xmp.iid:55971239-9102-8a48-b64a-68bcc77b37bd</xmpMM:InstanceID>
         <xmpMM:DocumentID>xmp.did:55971239-9102-8a48-b64a-68bcc77b37bd</xmpMM:DocumentID>
         <xmpMM:OriginalDocumentID>xmp.did:55971239-9102-8a48-b64a-68bcc77b37bd</xmpMM:OriginalDocumentID>
		 
         <xmpMM:History>
            <rdf:Seq>
               <rdf:li rdf:parseType="Resource">
                  <stEvt:action>saved</stEvt:action>
                  <stEvt:instanceID>xmp.iid:55971239-9102-8a48-b64a-68bcc77b37bd</stEvt:instanceID>
                  <stEvt:when>2018-10-13T10:38:29-04:00</stEvt:when>
                  <stEvt:softwareAgent>Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 (Windows)</stEvt:softwareAgent>
                  <stEvt:changed>/</stEvt:changed>
               </rdf:li>
            </rdf:Seq>
         </xmpMM:History>
		 
      </rdf:Description>
   </rdf:RDF>
</x:xmpmeta>

JJMack

Report · Apr 01, 2021

OK after some tests I found out what´s happening: when Photoshop save a JPG file: it saves all text layer content (including invisible layers) in plain text inside the jpg file!

Report · Apr 01, 2021

I created a file with nine individual text layers (1 to 9), while only Layer 1 is visible. As soon as you save this file to JPG or PNG (and probably many other image formats), all content from all text layers (even invisible ones) can be found in plain text inside these files!

To avoid that, when saving a file the option Layer in .PSD must be disabled even if the saved file is a layersless image file and not a .psd file!

Why Photoshop keep text layer content in layerless image file formats as JPG or PNG? This is a HUGE privacy/security problem as Layers option is enabled by default.

Report · Apr 01, 2021

In Photoshop when I save as with a Layer Document and set File Type Jpeg. I see Photoshop automatically un-check the layers option in the save as Dialog. When I look at the Jpeg Files saved in Notepad++ even with layers not checked I See both visible and none visible text layer names and content as readable text the the saved Jpeg files. A search easily finds the non visible text later name and content. I do not know why. Photoshop saved that data. All that is required is the Jpeg encoded pixel data which would not be readable. Currently in PS 2021 version 22.3 Export Save for web is broken on Windows PC so I could not see how that would save the jpeg. However Export As cans save a jpeg and when it does there is no readable text layer data in the jpeg file. Only the encoder jpeg image is stored in the jpeg file.

JJMack

Report · Apr 01, 2021

… Currently in PS 2021 version 22.3 Export Save for web is broken on Windows PC so I could not see how that would save the jpeg …

By @JJMack

???

Export --> Save for Web works fine for me.

PS CC 2021 v22.3.0 on Windows 10

Report · Apr 01, 2021

I assure you other windows 10 PC users have reported that PS 22.3 Save for web does not work on their Windows 10 pc. I find many issues set in the longer 22.3 is up and running performance goes to pot. Vector tools were also broken in 22.3 creating path is difficult because the pen path tool behavior is not working properly. 3D UV support is still broken. The line tool still has problems. Here is a simple test. I start Photoshop Create a new 300px by 200px resolution 100ppi. and then Save for web and I screen capture Photoshop UI I see for these two steps. The Save for web dialog is a no show.

JJMack

Report · Apr 01, 2021

Do you have the same problems with "Save for Web (Legacy)" with metadata turned off in the save dialog?

🤔

Report · Apr 02, 2021

No, if I use "Save for Web (Legacy)" AND Metadata = None, no content from text layers is saved inside the file (JPG ou PNG). If Metadata is enabled, then the content is saved (as expected).

Report · Apr 03, 2021

… but how do I configure Photoshop to avoid saving this information? …

By @Klingon 2021

Do you have the same problems with "Save for Web (Legacy)" with metadata turned off in the save dialog?

🤔

By @pixxxelschubser

No, if I use "Save for Web (Legacy)" AND Metadata = None, no content from text layers is saved inside the file (JPG ou PNG). If Metadata is enabled, then the content is saved (as expected).

By @Klingon 2021

Problem solved with PS

😉

Report · Apr 03, 2021

None at all: this (privacy) problem still happens with "Save As" as .JPG and .PNG should not have this content saved regardless the "Layers" option in .PSD!

Report · Apr 03, 2021

Did you try using export as jpeg the seem to work no text layers text were visible in notepad++ Photoshop only stored the jpeg encoded image in the jpeg file with export option No Metadata was used. You seen to know export will work the way you want the file saved. Photoshop is not a privacy tool to encrypt your data with. You should encrypt file you create with Photoshop and sent the authorized user the decryption key.

JJMack

Report · Apr 01, 2021

I am out of the office and can't test this, but would it work if you created a template of your certificate and used that as the starter file for each student?

To make a PS Template, simply rename the extension to .psdt and reopen it for each student to get an untitled document that you can close without saving after you save the jpeg, then reopen the template for the next student.

~ Jane

Report · Apr 01, 2021

You could also use my script here with the Remove All - Metadata (New File) or XMP options:

The code is at the bottom of page 1:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop/free-script-remove-selected/td-p/10104624

Info on saving, installing/running scripts here:

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/11/downloading-and-installing-adobe-scripts.html

Report · Apr 01, 2021

Another method is to use ExifTool to remove all unwanted metadata:

exiftool -all= -CommonIFD0= --icc_profile:all "path/to top-level folder/or image file.jpg"

To remove all Adobe related metadata, the following command could be used, however, I would only use this as a fallback option if the first command didn't remove the Photoshop text layer info:

exiftool -all= -CommonIFD0= -Adobe:All= --icc_profile:all "path/to top-level folder/or image file.jpg"

Mac users would replace the double straight " quote marks with single straight quote ' marks opening/closing the file path (only required if there are word spaces in the file path).

Privacy problem with TextLayers and History

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