Batch add metadata to images

To batch add metadata to images, you can use tools or scripts depending on your operating system and preferred method (GUI vs command-line). Here’s a breakdown of common ways to do it:

Method 1: Using ExifTool (Recommended for All OS)

ExifTool is a powerful command-line utility to read, write, and edit image metadata.

Steps:

1. Install ExifTool

   • Windows: https://exiftool.org/

   • macOS: brew install exiftool

   • Linux: sudo apt install libimage-exiftool-perl

2. Create a command to batch edit metadata:
   Example to add Author and Copyright:

   bash
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   exiftool -Author="Your Name" -Copyright="© 2025 Your Company" *.jpg
   

   • This updates all .jpg images in the folder.

3. Write multiple tags from a CSV (optional for complex batch metadata):
   Create a CSV like this:

   mathematica
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   SourceFile,Title,Description,Keywords
   image1.jpg,Sunset,"A beautiful sunset","sunset,evening,sky"
   image2.jpg,Beach,"Tropical beach","beach,tropical,ocean"
   

   Then run:

   bash
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   exiftool -csv=metadata.csv -overwrite_original
   

Method 2: Adobe Bridge (GUI, Windows/macOS)

1. Open your image folder in Adobe Bridge.

2. Select all images > right-click > File Info.

3. Enter metadata in bulk (Title, Description, Keywords, etc.).

4. Save and apply to all selected images.

Method 3: Python Script with Piexif or Pillow

If you’re comfortable with Python:

python
CopyEdit
from PIL import Image
import piexif

def add_metadata(file_path, author):
    exif_dict = {"0th": {piexif.ImageIFD.Artist: author.encode("utf-8")}}
    exif_bytes = piexif.dump(exif_dict)
    img = Image.open(file_path)
    img.save(file_path, exif=exif_bytes)

import os
directory = "path/to/your/images"
for filename in os.listdir(directory):
    if filename.lower().endswith((".jpg", ".jpeg")):
        add_metadata(os.path.join(directory, filename), "Your Name")

Metadata Fields You Can Add

• Title

• Description

• Author (Artist)

• Copyright

• Keywords

• GPS (with coordinates)

• Date and Time

• Camera info (if needed)

Would you like a script tailored to your use case, such as reading from a specific metadata template or applying GPS coordinates?