IPTC data and Tags

[dmz]

I started using tags as it seemed an easy way to automatically display a whole bunch of photos with the same Tag. However i just noticed that for one photo that has a tag of Oskar, when i right click and select properties for that photo it has a section called iptc and under that it says Keywords: Oskar. However if i look at other photos with the same tags, there is no iptc data listed.
Secondly where are the tags stored? I have a feeling that if i buy a new computer and transfer the files and reinstall PSE3 that my tags may all disappear. Is there a way of storing the tag data within the actual jpg file as exif data or something so that it always travels with the file? I seem to recall that I could add some kind of keyword in picasa that did end up in the exif data area.

Thanks

[Carbone]

David,

I don't know which way you're looking at your pictures (Organizer, File Browser) but in the previous version of Organizer, but in Photoshop Album (before the Organizer), there was a command to write the tags to file, they would go in the IPTC area. Check in the help for writing tags, you might find a similar command for PSE3.

Ray

[TonyW]

You might be mixing up Tags and Categories (and sub categories). Tags (but only tags) do get written to the IPTC data in the file - or if you import files with IPTC tags then it will give you the option of using them as tags in Organizer.

Tony

[dmz]

Im using the photo browser organiser thing in PSE3.
If tags are written as IPTC data in the file then i dont quite understand why I can only find one photo with a tag that shows as IPTC keyword and all other photos with tags have no IPTC data when viewing metadata properties.

thanks

[TonyW]

If you look in the file menu of the Photo Browser/Organizer there's a "Write Tag Info to Files" item. If you click on that it should add the tag info into the IPTC data of the image files. For some reason it isn't automatic although I think if you edit and resave it does get added automatically - likely it works like that because you're tagging thumbnails not the actual image file. My guess is that the one you have is a file that you've edited.

Let me know how you make out - I'm still trying to figure out Organizer too :confused:

Tony

PS - I also think I was wrong about subcategories not being added to the IPTC data - I just found some that were. I need to take lessons!

[dmz]

Thanks Tony. That did the trick. The problem is that it is not automatic so I have to remember to do it every now and then.

[Carbone]

Thanks Tony, I knew I was right about the Write tags to file.

Ray

[TonyW]

Ray: The curious thing about that Write Tag Info to Files command is that I can find no mention of it in the help files nor in Michael Slater's otherwise excellent book on the Organizer. So it's trial and error to figure out whether all types of tags or just some of them are exported to the IPTC keyword field and whether there are any limitations on length or number. My suspicious mind says that it's not an advertised feature as it makes easier to give up on Organizer and start using another image manager :rolleyes:

Tony

[Carbone]

I guessed the same thing, but for compatibility reasons with Photoshop CS which used the File Browser (now Bridge).

Ray