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Klingon 2021
Participating Frequently
March 31, 2021
Question

Privacy problem with TextLayers and History

  • March 31, 2021
  • 4 replies
  • 3565 views

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.

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4 replies

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 2, 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

 

 

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 2, 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).

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 1, 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

pixxxelschubser
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 1, 2021

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

🤔 🤔

Klingon 2021
Participating Frequently
April 3, 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).

pixxxelschubser
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 3, 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




quote

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

😉

JJMack
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 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
Klingon 2021
Participating Frequently
March 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. 

JJMack
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 2, 2021
quote

… 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


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