Images inbedded in email have wrong orientation

Question

Level 2

308 points

Images inbedded in email have wrong orientation

My camera uses an orientation flag to indicate whether the image was taken with the camera horizontally or vertically. That flag is recognized by iPhoto and preview, but not Mail. In other words, everytime I drag an horizontal image into an email from the Finder, it appears sideways. I have tried several ways, including various contextual menu items and Preview, to rotate the image before dragging it to the email, but no matter what, it always shows up sideways.

I know I could drag the image into iPhoto and email it from there, but what about the occassions where I don't want the photo in my iPhoto library?

Dual 2.0 G5, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Aug 18, 2006 11:28 AM

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Answer 1

jayvee2

Level 1

25 points

Aug 18, 2006 11:43 AM in response to Bob_M.

Bob--
In iPhoto, double click on the image. Click the rotate button until the orientation is correct. Go to File, Export, export it to your desktop. From here you can drag the image into the e-mail box and the orientation will be correct.
--Jerry

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Answer 2

Bob_M. Author

Level 2

308 points

Aug 18, 2006 12:20 PM in response to jayvee2

Thank you for the advice. In iPhoto, the image automatically appears as it should, so I don't have to click the rotate button at all.

The problem is that I often email photos that I don't want added to my iPhoto library. There's got to be a way to do this without having to import to iPhoto.

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Answer 3

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Aug 18, 2006 1:25 PM in response to Bob_M.

There's got to be a way to do this without having to import to iPhoto.

Sure... use Graphic Converter, Adobe Photoshop Elements, or some other graphics application to rotate the photo before adding it to a mail message.

In fact, you can probably do it from Preview also.

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Answer 4

Bob_M. Author

Level 2

308 points

Aug 18, 2006 5:10 PM in response to Duane

Sure... use Graphic Converter, Adobe Photoshop Elements, or some other graphics application to rotate the photo before adding it to a mail message.

In fact, you can probably do it from Preview also.

Thanks. I don't have any of those, and preview didn't work - I tried that already. I guess I have to buy some new software. Maybe in future versions of Mail, it will recognize the orientation exif tag.

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Answer 5

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Aug 18, 2006 9:10 PM in response to Bob_M.

Preview will rotate a picture. Just click the 'Rotate Left' or 'Rotate Right' button.

Why didn't it work for you?

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Answer 6

Steve M.

Level 5

4,758 points

Aug 18, 2006 9:33 PM in response to Bob_M.

Bob,

Why don't you take a look at a neat little app called Image Well. I use it a lot for downsizing images prior to emailing them. It does a lot of other useful things too. Like you, there are lots of times I don't want to mess with iPhoto.

http://xtralean.com/IWOverview.html

Regards,
Steve M.

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Answer 7

Bob_M. Author

Level 2

308 points

Aug 18, 2006 11:27 PM in response to Duane

I don't know why it doesn't work. But opening the an image in Preview, rotating it, and selecting "save as" doesn't do any good. The new image still shows up on its side when dragged into a new Mail window. All I can figure is that there is something strange behind the scenes in the way Preview, Mail, and iPhoto handle the orientation tag.

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Answer 8

Bob_M. Author

Level 2

308 points

Aug 18, 2006 11:30 PM in response to Steve M.

Thank you. For whatever reason, while nothing else could successfully rotate an image for email, Image Well does just fine. Thanks for the tip!!

(I still think Apple should make Mail aware of the orientation tag in the exif data.)

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Answer 9

OVozeh

Level 3

840 points

Aug 19, 2006 4:07 AM in response to Bob_M.

Just for additional information, a friend of mine has had exactly the same problem with a scanned picture. No problem with photos. Has you picture been scanned before you imported it into the iPhoto ?

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Answer 10

Steve M.

Level 5

4,758 points

Aug 19, 2006 8:10 AM in response to Bob_M.

You are most welcome, Bob! I love Image Well. It just works.

Regards,
Steve M.

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Answer 11

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Aug 19, 2006 11:27 AM in response to Bob_M.

I still think Apple should make Mail aware of the orientation tag in the exif data.

That would only help when you are looking at it. The person you sent it to would see the picture side ways.

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Answer 12

R C-R

Level 6

17,794 points

Aug 20, 2006 5:16 AM in response to Duane

That would only help when you are looking at it. The
person you sent it to would see the picture side ways.

Not necessarily. Mail could use the same services other apps use to recode the image in rotated form for sending. In fact, it would be pointless to have the feature otherwise.

Send Apple feedback if you want the feature.

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Answer 13

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Aug 20, 2006 3:35 PM in response to R C-R

If Mail were modified to rotate and modify the picture to the "correct" orientation then the sender would see the picture in the "correct" orientation.

However if Mail were modified to recognize this flag and display the "correct" orientation but NOT modify the image, the person receiving the image would get a sideways image.

Usually you do NOT want Mail (or any other email client) modifying the files that you are sending.

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Answer 14

R C-R

Level 6

17,794 points

Aug 20, 2006 5:58 PM in response to Duane

Usually you do NOT want Mail (or any other
email client) modifying the files that you
are sending.

Inline graphics seem like an obvious exception to this -- typically, you would want their orientation to be right side up for the viewer's convenience.

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Answer 15

Bob_M. Author

Level 2

308 points

Aug 20, 2006 8:39 PM in response to R C-R

That's what I meant - have mail recognize the flag and modify the image.

As for not wanting mail to modify attachments, like someone said below me, I think photos are the exception to that. If nothing else, make it a preference. It could be set to never, always, or ask anytime an image is attached with a orientation flag indicated in the exif data.

And thanks for the tip, I will send Apple feedback. I forgot there was a way to do that.

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