File information

When you take a photo with your digital camera, each image file includes information such as the date and time the photo was taken, the shutter speed and aperture, the specific camera model, and so on. All of this information is called metadata, and you can view it and add to it in the Properties panel of the Elements Organizer and the File Info dialog box in the Photoshop Elements.

You can add file information, such as a title, keyword tags, and descriptions, to help identify your images as you manage and organize your collection. As you edit your images, Photoshop Elements automatically keeps track of the file’s edit history and adds this information to the file’s metadata.

In addition, opened images are automatically scanned for Digimarc watermarks. If a watermark is detected, Photoshop Elements displays a copyright symbol in the image window’s title bar and includes the information in the Copyright Status, Copyright Notice, and Copyright Info URL sections of the File Info dialog box.

You can add visual watermarks to images to indicate them as your own work. Visual watermarks are not tracked in file information. For information about how to create visual watermarks, see the following articles:

• Adding permanent watermarks to a batch of photos

• Create a watermark using text layering

• Create a watermark brush

The File Info dialog box displays camera data, caption, and copyright and authorship information that has been added to the file. Using this dialog box, you can modify or add information to files saved in Photoshop Elements. The information you add is embedded in the file using XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform). XMP provides Adobe applications and workflow partners with a common XML framework that standardizes the creation, processing, and interchange of document metadata across publishing workflows. If you have metadata that you repeatedly enter for different files, you can create metadata templates to expedite the adding of information to files.

You cannot edit the information displayed for the Camera Data metadata category.

In the Expert mode, the Info panel displays file information about an image and shows the color value beneath the pointer. Depending on the tool in use, the Info panel also provides other useful information.

You can change the information displayed in the Info panel or the status bar. (The leftmost section of the status bar, which is located at the bottom of the document window, displays the current magnification. The section next to the leftmost one displays information about the current file.)

If you have metadata that you repeatedly enter, you can save the metadata entries in metadata templates. The templates can be used for entering information, and they save you the effort of retyping metadata in the File Info dialog box. In the Photo Browser, you can search for metadata to locate files and photos.