Using EXIFTool to Write Tags from a JPG File to PNG

EXIFTool is a powerful command-line interface for reading and writing metadata in various file formats, including JPEG (JPG) and Portable Network Graphics (PNG). In this tutorial, we will explore how to use EXIFTool's `-tagsFromFile` feature to write tags from a JPG file to a PNG file.

Basic Usage

To get started with EXIFTool, you can simply run the command in the console without any options. This will display the documentation and help menu:

```

exiftool

```

However, to use the `-tagsFromFile` feature, you need to specify the source file name(s) or directory(ies) as an argument. For example, if you want to write tags from a JPG file named `image.jpg` to a PNG file named `image.png`, you would run the following command:

```

exiftool -tagsFromFile image.jpg image.png

```

Options and Parameters

The `-tagsFromFile` option allows you to specify one or more source files, directory names, or `'-'` for the standard input (console). You can also use this feature to write or delete metadata by assigning tag values using the `=` operator.

For example, to set the `ImageWidth` tag to 800 pixels in the output PNG file:

```

exiftool -tagsFromFile image.jpg -ImageWidth=800 image.png

```

Preserving Original Files

By default, EXIFTool will preserve the original files with `_original` appended to their names. If you want to erase the originals, make sure to specify the `-overwrite_original` option:

```

exiftool -tagsFromFile image.jpg -overwrite_original image.png

```

Verify Results

Before erasing the originals or overwriting any files, it's a good idea to verify that the new files are OK. You can do this by running the command with the `-w` option, which will write the output to text files instead of the console:

```

exiftool -tagsFromFile image.jpg -w output.txt

```

This will generate an output file named `output.txt` containing the metadata information.

In this tutorial, we have explored how to use EXIFTool's `-tagsFromFile` feature to write tags from a JPG file to a PNG file. With its powerful command-line interface and flexible options, EXIFTool is an indispensable tool for managing and manipulating metadata in various file formats.

Remember to always verify the results before erasing or overwriting any files, and be sure to check out the EXAMPLES sections below for specific examples and usage scenarios.

Exiftool tagsfromfile jpg to png