Adding Keywords To Files?

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Level 2

290 points

Adding Keywords To Files?

Hi,

I've just discovered you can add Keywords to images in Preview. What I'd like to know is, when you go to File > Save, is it changing any of the image data, or is it adding the Keywords on to the file?

Is there a way of adding Keywords to files in Finder? I'd like to be able to add Keywords without having to re-save the file.

17" iMac 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Jul 14, 2007 9:35 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 14, 2007 10:06 AM in response to Reuben Feffer

I don't know anything about iPhoto, but it sounds like you are talking about IPTC keywords. If so, those are stored inside the file. Maybe someone else knows more about iPhoto's behavior with IPTC. I know that GraphicConverter lets you change IPTC data without resaving the entire image. In other words, it just replaced the data without opening the image.

You can add keywords (Finder Comments) in Finder but they are not IPTC keywords. IPTC clings to the file even on other operating systems, because the data is inside the file. You can add Spotlight keywords in Finder but they will not follow the file to a non-OSX machine. You do this in Finder's "Infowindow" (highlight the file then press applekey-i).

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Answer 2

Reuben Feffer Author

Level 2

290 points

Jul 18, 2007 4:08 AM in response to Gnarlodious

Ok thanks.

I know about Spotlight Comments that you can add in the Finder. But I was talking about Keywords that you add within apps like TextEdit and Preview. I was wondering if these can be changed without actually having to re-save the file.

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Answer 3

chris_R

Level 2

301 points

Jul 18, 2007 5:09 AM in response to Reuben Feffer

With preview it depends on the file type and whether it has support for keywords, e.g. for JPG and PDF files the keywords are saved in the file but for PNG and GIF files they aren't. In TextEdit, keywords are saved in rich text files but you can't enter keywords for plain text.

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