Here is a description of the standard IPTC fields along with what Variables in Photo Mechanic you can use to place that information in templates and snapshot presets.
Many of these descriptions are adapted from the IPTC spec located here:
http://www.photometadata.org/META-Resources-Field-Guide-to-Metadata
or here:
https://www.iptc.org/std/photometadata/specification/IPTC-PhotoMetadata#metadata-properties
Table of Contents
- Image Content
- Image Rights
- Status
- Contact Info
- Media
- Image Preferences
- Event and Location
- Locations Taken and Shown
- Models, Properties, and Artwork
- Licensing
| Image Content | ||
| IPTC Field | Description | PM Variable |
| Description/Caption | The Description field, often referred to as a “caption” is used to describe the who, what (and possibly where and when) and why of what is happening in the photograph. If there is a person or people in the image, this caption might include their names, and/or their role in the action that is taking place. If the image is of a location, then it should give information regarding the location. Don’t forget to also include this same “geographical” information in the Image panel (location, city, state/province, country) of the IPTC Core. The amount of detail you include will depend on the image and whether the image is documentary or conceptual. Typically, editorial images come with complete caption text, while advertising images may not | caption, capt |
| Description Writers | Enter the name of the person involved in writing, editing or correcting the description of the photograph in this field. For individual photographers this will typically be their own name, as the person entering the image metadata. | captionwriter, cwrt |
| Headline | A headline is a brief publishable synopsis or summary of the contents of the photograph. Like a news story, the Headline should grab attention, and telegraph the content of the image to the audience. Headlines need to be succinct. Leave the supporting narrative for the Description field. Do not, however, confuse the Headline field with the Title field | headline, head |
| Keywords | Enter keywords (terms or phrases) used to express the subject of the content seen in the photograph. Keywords may be free text (i.e. they are not required to be taken from a controlled vocabulary). You may enter (or paste) any number of keywords, terms or phrases into this field, simply separate them with a comma or semi-colon. To maintain backwards compatibility no single value (keyword term or phrase) should exceed 64 characters. Values from the controlled vocabulary IPTC Subject Codes must be placed into the “Subject Code” field. | keywords, keyw |
| Alt Text | A brief textual description of the purpose and meaning of an image that can be accessed by assistive technology or displayed when the image is disabled in the browser. It should not exceed 250 characters. | alttext, alt |
| Extended Description | A more detailed textual description of the purpose and meaning of an image that elaborates on the information provided by the Alt Text (Accessibility) property. This property does not have a character limitation and is not required if the Alt Text (Accessibility) field sufficiently describes the image. | extendeddesc, extd |
| Persons Shown | Use this field to note the name of a person or persons shown in the image. Typically these would be recorded as they would be typed in a query, first name / last name (given name / surname). If indicating more than one name, you can use commas, or semicolons to separate the names. | persons, prsn |
| Featured Org. Name | Use this field to indicate the full name of the organization or company which is featured in the image. You may wish to supplement this information using values from a controlled vocabulary | featuredorgname, forn |
| IPTC Scene | Describes what a photograph depicts, using one or more terms from the IPTC "Scene-NewsCodes." You should only enter values from the IPTC Scene controlled vocabulary (available from http://www.newscodes.org/). Each IPTC Scene term is represented as a six-digit numerical string in an unordered list | scene, scen |
| Image Rights | ||
| IPTC Field | Description | PM Variable |
| Creator/Photographer | This field should contain the name of the person who created the photograph. If it is not appropriate to add the name of the photographer (for example, if the identity of the photographer needs to be protected) the name of a company or organization can also be used. Once saved, this field should not be changed by anyone. This field does not support the use of commas or semi-colons as a separator. | byln, byline, phtg, photog, photographer, name |
| Creator’s Job Title | This field should contain the job title of the person who created the photograph. Examples might include titles such as: Staff Photographer, Independent Commercial Photographer, or staff writer. Since this is a qualifier for the Creator field, the Creator field must also be filled out. | title, titl |
| Copyright | The Copyright Notice should contain any necessary copyright notice for claiming the intellectual property, and should identify the current owner(s) of the copyright for the photograph. Other entities like the creator of the photograph may be added in the corresponding field. Usually, the value for this copyright notice would be the photographer, but if the image was done by an employee or as work-for-hire, then the agency or company should be listed. Use the form appropriate to your country. For the United States you would typically follow the form of © name of copyright owner, as in “©2010 John Doe.” Note, the word “copyright” or the abbreviation “copr” may be used in place of the © symbol. In some countries only the copyright symbol is recognized and the abbreviation does not work. Furthermore the copyright symbol must be a full circle with a “c” inside; using something like (c) where the parentheses form a partial circle is not sufficient. For additional protection worldwide, use of the phrase, “All Rights Reserved” following the notice above is encouraged. In Europe you would use: Copyright {Year} {Copyright owner}, all rights reserved. In Japan, for maximum protection, the following three items should appear in the copyright field of the IPTC Core: (a) the word, Copyright; (b) year of the first publication; and (c) name of the copyright holder. You may also wish to include the phrase “all rights reserved.” | copyright, copy |
| Credit | The Credit Line is a free-text field used by the supplier of the item to specify how the person(s) and/or organization(s) should be credited when the image is published. More formal identifications of the creator or the owner of the copyright to this image can be indicated in other rights specific fields. In the IIM metadata this property was called "Credit" and was renamed to "Provider" in IPTC Core 1.0. It has been renamed to “Credit Line” in this latest version of the IPTC Core 1.1. as this is how the field has continued to be used. | cred, credit |
| Source | The Source field should be used to identify the original owner or copyright holder of the photograph. The value of this field should never be changed after the information is entered following the image's creation. While not yet enforced by the custom panels, you should consider this to be a “write-once” field. The source could be an individual, an agency, or a member of an agency. To aid in later searches, it is suggested to separate any slashes “/” with a blank space. Use the form “photographer / agency” rather than “photographer/agency.” Source may also be different from Creator and from the names listed in the Copyright Notice. | source, srce |
| Copyright URL | This field is not part of the IPTC Core; it exists only as part of the Photoshop XMP Namespace. Use with caution, as some software programs will not recognize this field. | copyrighturl, curl |
| Rights Usage Terms | The Rights Usage Terms field should include free-text instructions on how this photograph can be legally used. For example, if you are submitting the image(s) for consideration only, you can indicate that, and stipulate that no reproduction is allowed without permission being negotiated in advance. The PLUS fields of the IPTC Extension can be used in parallel to express the licensed usage in more controlled terms. In addition, a PLUS “Media Summary Code” may be entered in this field to more accurately describe any permissions and constraints associated with the image. It is strongly encouraged that you use a standardized set of terms or controlled vocabulary when populating this field. | usage, usag |
| Status | ||
| IPTC Field | Description | PM Variable |
| Title/Object name | Use this field if the artwork or object in the image has been given a reference name or title (such as an accession number/name). Do not confuse this with the Title field for Artwork that is part of the IPTC Core and IPTC-IIM metadata. | object, objt |
| Job ID/Trans Ref | You can enter a number or identifier created or issued to improve workflow handling and image tracking. Typically, the creator or image provider creates this code for transmission and routing purposes, relating it to the job for which the item is supplied. | transref, tref |
| Special Instructions | This is a simple text field that can include any of a number of instructions from the provider or creator to the receiver of the photograph. Any of the following might be included: embargoes (eg: News Magazines OUT) and other restrictions not covered by the Rights Usage Terms field (or new PLUS rights related fields); information regarding the original means of capture (scanning notes, color profile, etc.) or other specific text information the user may need for accurate reproduction; additional permissions or credits required when publishing. | instructions, inst |
| Edit Status | ||
| Category | This field was deprecated (removed from use) when IPTC Core 1.0 was released in 2005, although it may appear in some applications supporting IPTC IIM. Use at your own risk. | category, cat |
| Supplemental Category | This field was deprecated (removed from use) when IPTC Core 1.0 was released in 2005, although it may appear in some applications supporting IPTC IIM. Use with caution. | suppcat1, sup1, suppcat2, sup2, suppcat3, sup3 |
| Urgency | This field was deprecated (removed from use) when IPTC Core 1.0 was released in 2005, although it may appear in some applications supporting IPTC IIM. Use with caution. | urgency, urgc |
| Contact Info | ||
| IPTC Field | Description | PM Variable |
| Contact Address | The address field is a multi-line field. Enter the street name and number or postbox to which mail should be sent, and a company name or location (building name, floor number) if necessary. | contactaddress, ciad |
| Contact City | Enter the name of the city in which the primary contact’s business is located. | contactcity, cicy |
| Contact State | Enter the name of the State or Province in which the primary contact’s business is located. Since the abbreviation for a State or Province may be unknown to those viewing your metadata internationally, consider using the full spelling of the name. | contactstate, cist |
| Contact Zip | Enter the local postal code (such as ZIP code) in which the primary contact’s business is located. | contactzip, cizp |
| Contact Country | Enter the name of the country (or ISO Country Code) in which the primary contact’s business is located. For ease of the end user you might consider using a combination of country name and code - e.g. "Germany - DE" or "Great Britain - UK" | contactcountry, cicn |
| Contact Phones | Enter the primary contact’s business or work telephone number here. Multiple numbers can be given, separated by a comma. Be sure to include the complete international format of a phone number which is: +{countrycode} ({regional code}) {phone number} - {extension if required} e.g. +1 (212) 1234578 | contactphone, ciph |
| Contact Emails | Enter the primary contact’s business or work email address, such as [email protected]. Multiple email addresses can be given, separated by a comma. | contactemail, ciem |
| Contact Web URLs | Enter the URL or web address for the primary contact’s business. Multiple addresses can be given, separated by a comma. | contactweb, ciwb |
| Media | ||
| IPTC Field | Description | PM Variable |
| Max Image Dimensions | n/a | n/a |
| Digital Source Type | This field is a controlled value list that can be used to indicate from what type of source the digital image was created. The corresponding vocabulary, provided by the IPTC, includes these values:Original digital capture of a real life scene – should be used for all shots of real-life, including at photo studios. Digitized from a negative on film – should be used with b&w or colour negatives from film scanners Digitized from a positive on film – should be used with slides or transparencies from film scanners Digitized from a print on non-transparent medium – should be used with flatbed scanners or any special document capturing cameras Created by software –should be used for all kinds of computer generated images (CGI), such as images composited from several different photos and/or graphic elements, or images created entirely in the computer. The reference for this can be found in the Newscodes section of the IPTC website. | sourcetype, srct |
| Data Mining | PLUS/IPTC field allowing the user to specify the permissions around use of the image for Machine Learning | mining |
| Image Preferences | ||
| IPTC Field | Description | PM Variable |
| Color Class | Color class of the image is useful in sorting. | colorclass, color, colr, colorclasscolor, clrc, colorclassval, colorval, clrv |
| Rating | Rating of the image is useful in sorting | rating, stars, rate |
| Tag | Tagging of the image is useful in sorting | tag |
| Event and Location | ||
| IPTC Field | Description | PM Variable |
| Event | Use this field to name or describe the specific event at which the photo was taken. Rather than use generic terms such as: press conference, race or festival; be specific and write, Archimedes press conference, The Great Steamboat Race, or Maui Classical Music Festival. This could make it easier to locate the image later. If this is a sub-event of a larger event both can be provided in the field: e.g. XXXIX Olympic Summer Games (Beijing): opening ceremony. | event, evnt |
| Date | Use for the date of the event in the image | iptcdate, idat |
| City | Use for the location's city of the event in the image | city |
| Location | Use for the location of the event in the image | location, loc |
| State/Province | Use for the location's state or province of the event in the image | province, prov, state, stat |
| Country | Use for the location's country of the event in the image | country, cnty |
| ISO Country Code | Use this field to record the ISO country code of the location where the image was created. This element is at the second level of a top-down geographical hierarchy. Country codes should be displayed as upper-case letters (US not us), and may be either two- or three-letter codes as defined by the ISO 3166 standard. The two-letter code (3166-2) is freely available from the International Standards Organization site. The full name of a country should go to the “Country Name” field. | countrycode, ccod |
| IPTC Subject Code | This field can specify and categorize the content of a photograph by one or more subjects listed in the IPTC “Subject NewsCode” taxonomy available from http://www.newscodes.org/. Each subject term is represented as an eight-digit numerical string in an unordered list. Only subjects from a controlled vocabulary should populate this field; enter free-choice text in the Keyword field. | subject, subj |
| Intellectual Genre | Use this field to describe the type of use a photograph fulfills, in terms of its intellectual or journalistic characteristics. For example, at a newspaper, Intellectual Genre labels might include terms like daybook, obituary, press release, or transcript. A magazine might use terms such as actuality, interview, background, feature, summary, or wrap-up. For best results, organizations should use a set of terms from a controlled vocabulary. A sample taxonomy of “Intellectual genre” terms developed by the IPTC is available from http://www.newscodes.org/. The PRISM working group of the IDEAlliance has also developed a set of terms. | genre, gene |
| Locations Taken and Shown | ||
| IPTC Field | Description | PM Variable |
| Location in which the mage was created | Use this set of fields to record the location where the photo was taken. If the location depicted in the image is different from the location where the photo was taken then the IPTC Extension field “Location Shown in the Image” should be used to note the difference. For example, if you are photographing a mountain with a telephoto lens from a distance, it is possible that you may be standing on the other side of a state or even country border. | - |
| Sublocation | Use this field to record the name of the sublocation of the location where the image was created. This sublocation name could be the name of a specific area within a city (Manhattan) or the name of a well-known location (Pyramids of Giza) or (natural) monument outside a city (Grand Canyon). This might be, for example, the street address of a building, the name of a stadium, or other structure within a city. Since sublocations are something more specific than a city this narrowest element is at the fifth level of a top-down geographical hierarchy. | locationtaken, lctk |
| City | Use this field to record the name of the city of the location where the image was created. This element is at the fourth level of a top-down geographical hierarchy. | citytaken, cttk |
| State | Use this field to record the name of a subregion of a country – such as a province or state - of the location where the image was created. This element is at the third level of a top-down geographical hierarchy. | statetaken, sttk |
| Country | Use this field to record the full name of the country of the location where the image was created. The full name should be expressed as a verbal name and not as a code, the ISO country code should be placed in the field titled Country Code. This element is at the second level of a top-down geographical hierarchy. | countrytaken, cntk |
| Country Code | Use this field to record the ISO country code of the location where the image was created. This element is at the second level of a top-down geographical hierarchy. Country codes should be displayed as upper-case letters (US not us), and may be either two- or three-letter codes as defined by the ISO 3166 standard. The two-letter code (3166-2) is freely available from the http://www.iso.org/iso/en/prods-services/iso3166ma/02iso-3166-code-lists/list-en1.html site. The full name of a country should go to the Country field. | countrycodetaken, cctk |
| World Region | Use this field to record the name of the world region of the location where the image was created. Note, the relationships established by the built-in list are only offered as "suggestions" and the user is free to enter another World Region if they choose. This element is at the first (top) level of a top-down geographical hierarchy. | worldregiontaken, wrtk |
| Location Shown | This field provides a means to record structured data regarding the location shown in the image. This field should contain a set of values different from those in the “Location in which the image was created” section in situations where the subject shown in the image is different from the location depicted in the image. | n/a |
| Models, Properties, and Artwork | ||
| IPTC Field | Description | PM Variable |
| Model Ages | Age of the human model(s) at the time this image was taken in a model released image. As the information in this field is primarily to aid in searches, there is no requirement regarding the order of the ages if there is more than one model in the image. Adding age information is optional, and we recommend that you do not guess at the age(s) of the models, but only enter that information if the age of the model is known. The user should be aware of any legal implications of providing ages for young models. Ages below 18 years should not be included. | modelages, moda |
| Additional Model Info | The Additional Model Information field can be used to record information about the ethnicity and other facets of the model(s) in a model-released image. Use the Model Age field to note the age of model(s). | - |
| Model Age Disclosure | Age of the youngest model pictured in the image, at the time that the image was made. This age should not be displayed to the public on open web portals and the like. But it may be used by image repositories in a B2B (Business to Business) environment, to facilitate compliance with applicable laws governing the use of the likeness of minors. This is a PLUS version 1.2 property included in the IPTC Extension schema. | - |
| Model Release Status | This field summarises the availability and scope of model releases authorizing usage of the likenesses of persons appearing in the photograph. There are four possible values: None (no release is available), Not Applicable (there are no recognizable people in the image), Unlimited Model Releases (releases are available for all people in the image), and Limited or Incomplete Model Releases (there are releases for some of the people in the image). We recommend that the PLUS controlled value Unlimited Model Releases (MR-UMR) be used sparingly, and encourage you to check the wording of the model release thoroughly before choosing this value. This is a PLUS version 1.2 property that is included in the IPTC Extension schema. | - |
| Model Release IDs | Use this field to indicate the ID for each Model Release. Be sure to give a unique number or name to all releases (both model and property), and record that information in this field. If you don’t already include an ID name/number on your releases, consider adding one as this will make it easier to cross reference. This is a PLUS version 1.2 property included in the IPTC Extension schema. | modelreleaseid, mrid |
| Property Release Status | - | - |
| Property Release IDs | - | propertyreleaseid, prid |
| Artwork or Object | You can use this structured set of metadata fields to record information about artwork or other objects in the image that may have intellectual property rights of their own such as paintings, sculptures, and other forms of artwork. | - |
| Licensing | ||
| IPTC Field | Description | PM Variable |
| Image Creators | Use this field to record the name of the artist who has created artwork or others objects that are in the image and may have associated intellectual property rights. In cases where the artist cannot or should not be identified, the name of a company or organization may be used if appropriate. | - |
| Copyright Owners | Contains any necessary copyright notice for claiming the intellectual property for artwork or an object in the image and should identify the current owner of the copyright of this work with associated intellectual property rights. | - |
| Image Supplier Name | Use this field to identify the most recent supplier of the image by name (this may not necessarily be its owner or creator. It could be a stock agency, library, or other distributor). For identifying the supplier please use a well known and/or registered company name. This property inherits the semantics of the previous “Provider” field (IPTC Core 1.0), which was renamed “Credit line. | imagesuppliername, isnm |
| Image Supplier ID | Use this optional field to identify the most recent supplier of the image by a recognized ID such as a PLUS ID or Company URL (this may not necessarily be its owner or creator. It could be a stock agency, library, or other distributor). If the PLUS-ID being stored in this field is registered with the PLUS Coalition, it should be expressed as a URL. For example: http://plus-id.org/PLUS-ID. This property succeeds the Provider property of IPTC Core 1.0 by its semantics as that Provider was renamed to Credit Line. | magesupplierid, isid |
| Image Supplier's Image ID | This optional identifier may be assigned by the Image Supplier to an image in order to facilitate management of the image in Image Supplier systems. | imagesupplierimageid, isii |
| Image Registry Entries | This entry area contains both a Registry Organization Identifier and a Registry Item Identifier to record any registration of this digital image with a registry. Typically an ID from a registry is negotiated and applied after the creation of the digital image. Any user interface implementation must show both sub-properties - Item ID and Organization ID - as corresponding values. Further an input to both fields should be made mandatory. | - |
Tip：In Photo Mechanic, you can customize the labels on these fields to whatever you wish (e.g. Change "Contact Zip" to "Contact Postal Code") by going into Photo Mechanic's Preferences (Mac: ⌘-comma / Windows: Ctrl-comma) and into Accessibility and clicking on Customize IPTC Info. Double-click on the "Field label" that you wish to change.