Title: Stripping Image Metadata Last modified: August 21, 2016 --- # Stripping Image Metadata * [lnikj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lnikj/) * (@lnikj) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/) * Is it not time that WordPress switched from GD to ImageMagick and preserved ICC profiles, EXIF and IPTC metadata in resized images by default? * I believe it is actually illegal in some jurisdictions to knowingly strip copyright information from images. Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) * [Chris Hardie](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chrishardie/) * (@chrishardie) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574586) * Hi. There are plugins available like this one: * [http://wordpress.org/plugins/imagemagick-engine/](http://wordpress.org/plugins/imagemagick-engine/) * (although it’s a bit old) that will replace the default GD image processing engine with ImageMagick, so you have that option if you want it. * The question of whether and how to alter or remove metadata from images is probably a longer discussion, and one that others have had (e.g. [this thread](http://wordpress.org/ideas/topic/remove-metadata-and-exif-from-image-attachments)) Some users may actually want metadata to be removed/altered from an image before it is publicly displayed on the web, while others like yourself may be concerned about removing data that is important/helpful. You can use some different plugins and/or customize your site based on your own image processing needs. * I hope that helps. * Thread Starter [lnikj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lnikj/) * (@lnikj) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574640) * Hi Chris * Thanks for your reply. * I take your point. I wonder if the option should be there on the media page to choose GD or ImageMagick, rather than relying on a plugin (which I use but its age concerns me). * It is not merely the copyright issue, which as I said is not legally insignificant, but the profile stripping. Anybody with a wide gamut display will know that once WordPress/GD has had a go at your image then you are likely to be looking at a supersaturated mess. * I think this should be an option out of the box and not something that relies on a plugin. * Cheers. * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574647) * > I wonder if the option should be there on the media page to choose GD or ImageMagick * Do you think that WordPress’ large non-technical user base would have any idea what to do with such options? * Thread Starter [lnikj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lnikj/) * (@lnikj) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574650) * How about: * A. Keep copyright information and other metadata in images (slightly larger file sizes) * OR * B. Remove copyright information and other metadata in images (slightly smaller file sizes) * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574668) * I’d still argue that it’s one more layer of complexity that non-technical users would prefer to avoid. Given that the decision in WordPress Ideas was that that this was firmly within plugin territory. it would seem that I’m not the only one. * Thread Starter [lnikj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lnikj/) * (@lnikj) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574670) * OK. * Then I think I would have to argue that the present default behaviour is the wrong behaviour 🙂 * Thread Starter [lnikj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lnikj/) * (@lnikj) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574804) * I realise that I haven’t generated much enthusiasm with this request but before this thread disappears off the front page I wanted to make one last attempt to state my case. * In order to articulate it better I have written a short article: [http://imagesites.info/wordpress-copyright-stripping/](http://imagesites.info/wordpress-copyright-stripping/) * Just one other thing. [@esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) – when you referred to the decision in WordPress Ideas, was it this one (mentioned by Chris Hardie above): [http://wordpress.org/ideas/topic/remove-metadata-and-exif-from-image-attachments](http://wordpress.org/ideas/topic/remove-metadata-and-exif-from-image-attachments) * If it was then what was decided there was broadly in agreement with what I am suggesting. * That decision was that metadata should be retained, not stripped. That was for uploaded images only, I am making the case for resized images too. * Cheers. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574840) * > I wonder if the option should be there on the media page to choose GD or ImageMagick, > rather than relying on a plugin (which I use but its age concerns me). * ImageMagick is included in core WP and is, in fact, **the default for WP**. If you have it, WP uses it. if you don’t, it falls back to GD. If you have neither, we shoot Gonzo out of a cannon… (actually I have no idea what happens after that, probably something smart). * So… I have no idea why you’d not be seeing that as a default unless your server has a setup problem with Imagick (the PECL library that lets PHP talk to ImageMagic). * All exif headers are retained for me. * Thread Starter [lnikj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lnikj/) * (@lnikj) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574844) * Hi Mika * Really? Apart from not seeing the metadata in the resized images how would one tell? When was this announced? * My host is Hostgator whom I would hope would get this right. * My phpinfo shows me Imagick and magickwand are installed, but I see nothing about PECL. * Any further info you can give me would be much appreciated. * Many thanks. * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574847) * WordPress 3.5 as far as I recall. * [gubavision](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gubavision/) * (@gubavision) * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574928) * I would be interested in why. It seems to me you would have to write code to actually strip away the data so there was a choice to do so. The whole its smaller file size doesn’t really float. * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574929) * This topic is referencing an older version of WordPress. Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) The topic ‘Stripping Image Metadata’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [exif](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/exif/) * [icc](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/icc/) * [imagemagick](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/imagemagick/) * [iptc](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/iptc/) * [metadata](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/metadata/) * [profile](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/profile/) * In: [Requests and Feedback](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/requests-and-feedback/) * 12 replies * 5 participants * Last reply from: [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * Last activity: [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/stripping-image-metadata/#post-4574929) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics