---
title: "Working with EXIF and IPTC Metadata in ActiveX/Java Uploader"
canonical: https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/working-with-exif-and-iptc-metadata-iu.htm
product: "Upload Suite 8"
---

# Working with EXIF and IPTC Metadata in ActiveX/Java Uploader
 
Metadata are the additional data that image contains. Such information can be used, for example:

- to provide higher results during printing
- to get exact date and time of the image creation
- to categorize images
- to implement advanced image search

ActiveX/Java Uploader works with two metadata formats: EXIF and IPTC.

When an image is captured, the capturing device writes **EXIF** (Exchangeable Image File Format) information about the image into the captured file. EXIF fields may contain such information as camera parameters during capturing, date and time of the capturing, photographer's name, and etc. It can even contain GPS information. For more information about EXIF, please, see the [EXIF Specification↗](http://www.exif.org/specifications.html) article.

**IPTC** (International Press Telecommunications Council) Information Interchange Model is widely used in journalism to keep such information as byline, subject, location, and etc. For more information about the IPTC format, please, see the [IPTC Specification↗](http://www.iptc.org/std/IIM/4.1/specification/IIMV4.1.pdf) article.

ActiveX/Java Uploader supports the following metadata-related features:

- Preserving EXIF and IPTC metadata while creating thumbnails can be extremely useful if you do not upload original files, but need to get all metadata embedded in the received thumbnails.
- Extracting and uploading metadata [extracting and uploading metadata in ASP.NET](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/uploading-additional-data-in-aspnet-iu.htm.md) [extracting and uploading metadata in PHP](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/uploading-additional-data-in-php-iu.htm.md)  allows you to specify metadata fields you want to get on the server. These fields will be extracted on the client side and sent along with other files and data. On the server side, you just retrieve them from the upload request, without writing a lot of non-trivial additional server code to extract metadata.
- [Automatic rotation based on EXIF metadata](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/rotating-and-cropping-iu.htm.md) is useful if you want to get images in the orientation they were actually done.

## Preserving EXIF and IPTC Metadata While Creating Thumbnails
 
**Note** 
ActiveX/Java Uploader Express does not copy EXIF metadata into thumbnails created client-side. See the [Upload Suite Editions](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/upload-suite-editions.htm.md) topic for details.
 
You can make ActiveX/Java Uploader send transformed (resized, rotated, cropped, watermarked, and etc.) images. However, you may wonder what happens with EXIF and IPTC metadata when you perform imaging operations with ActiveX/Java Uploader. It is especially important when you process uploaded images with some specific software, e.g. for printing them at photo labs.
 
Fortunately, you can preserve EXIF and IPTC metadata using the ThumbnailCopyExif[ThumbnailCopyExif (ASP.NET)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_Aurigma_ImageUploader_Converter_ThumbnailCopyExif.htm.md)[ThumbnailCopyExif (PHP)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_P_Converter_ThumbnailCopyExif.htm.md)[thumbnailCopyExif (JavaScript)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_J_$au_converter_thumbnailCopyExif.htm.md) and ThumbnailCopyIptc[ThumbnailCopyIptc (ASP.NET)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_Aurigma_ImageUploader_Converter_ThumbnailCopyIptc.htm.md)[ThumbnailCopyIptc (PHP)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_P_Converter_ThumbnailCopyIptc.htm.md)[thumbnailCopyIptc (JavaScript)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_J_$au_converter_thumbnailCopyIptc.htm.md) properties of the Converter[Converter (ASP.NET)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_T_Aurigma_ImageUploader_Converter.htm.md)[Converter (PHP)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_T_P_Converter.htm.md)[converter (JavaScript)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_T_J_$au_converter.htm.md) class. Just set the property to `true` and metadata of chosen type will be embedded in the corresponding thumbnail.
 
Default value of both discussing properties is `false`, this allows making uploaded thumbnails a bit smaller.
 
The following example configures the converter to create thumbnails with both types of metadata (EXIF and IPTC) preserved.
 ```aspx-cs
<aur:Uploader ID="Uploader1" runat="server"><Converters>	<aur:Converter Mode="*.*=Thumbnail" 	   ThumbnailCopyExif="true" 	   ThumbnailCopyIptc="true" /></Converters>
</aur:Uploader>
``` ```
$uploader = new Uploader("Uploader1");
$converters = &$uploader->getConverters();
$converter = new Converter();
$converter->setMode("*.*=Thumbnail");
$converter->setThumbnailCopyExif(true);
$converter->setThumbnailCopyIptc(true);
$converters[] = $converter;
``` ```
var u = $au.uploader({id: 'Uploader1',converters: [{mode: '*.*=Thumbnail',	thumbnailCopyExif: true,	thumbnailCopyIptc: true}]
});
```

## See Also
 
### Reference
 
- Converter Class[Converter (ASP.NET)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_T_Aurigma_ImageUploader_Converter.htm.md)[Converter (PHP)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_T_P_Converter.htm.md)[converter (JavaScript)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_T_J_$au_converter.htm.md)
- ThumbnailCopyExif Property[ThumbnailCopyExif (ASP.NET)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_Aurigma_ImageUploader_Converter_ThumbnailCopyExif.htm.md)[ThumbnailCopyExif (PHP)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_P_Converter_ThumbnailCopyExif.htm.md)[thumbnailCopyExif (JavaScript)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_J_$au_converter_thumbnailCopyExif.htm.md)
- ThumbnailCopyIptc Property[ThumbnailCopyIptc (ASP.NET)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_Aurigma_ImageUploader_Converter_ThumbnailCopyIptc.htm.md)[ThumbnailCopyIptc (PHP)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_P_Converter_ThumbnailCopyIptc.htm.md)[thumbnailCopyIptc (JavaScript)](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/JA_P_J_$au_converter_thumbnailCopyIptc.htm.md)

### Manual
 
- [Uploading Images](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/uploading-images-iu.htm.md)
- [Uploading Additional Data in ActiveX/Java Uploader ASP.NET](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/uploading-additional-data-in-aspnet-iu.htm.md)
- [Uploading Additional Data in ActiveX/Java Uploader PHP](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/uploading-additional-data-in-php-iu.htm.md)
- [Rotating and Cropping via ActiveX/Java Uploader](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/rotating-and-cropping-iu.htm.md)
- [Resizing and Recompressing via ActiveX/Java Uploader](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/resizing-and-recompressing.htm.md)
- [Applying Watermarks via ActiveX/Java Uploader](https://www.aurigma.com/docs/us8/applying-watermarks-iu.htm.md)

### Other Resources
 
- [EXIF Specification↗](http://www.exif.org/specifications.html)
- [IPTC Specification↗](http://www.iptc.org/std/IIM/4.1/specification/IIMV4.1.pdf)