Which EXIF fields can I edit?

Description, Artist (author), Copyright, Software and DateTime — the five ASCII fields most commonly used for attribution and cataloguing. We intentionally avoid camera-specific fields (aperture, ISO, focal length) because rewriting them invites accidental misinformation.

Does this preserve my original camera EXIF?

No. To keep the tool predictable and the output clean, the original EXIF block is fully replaced. If you need to keep camera data, edit metadata with a desktop tool like ExifTool instead.

JPEG is the only common web format with a stable, well-supported EXIF segment (APP1). PNG has tEXt/iTXt chunks but no standard EXIF parser. WebP carries EXIF but tooling is less consistent.

Can I add a copyright notice this way?

Is the file uploaded?

No. EXIF reading, editing and re-encoding all happen in your browser.

Will Lightroom / Photos / Bridge see my edits?

Yes — the EXIF segment written follows the standard TIFF/EXIF spec and is read by every major catalogue and viewer we tested.

Free EXIF Metadata Editor — Edit Description, Author & Copyright

Sometimes you don't want to delete EXIF — you want to write good EXIF. Embed your copyright, set the right capture date on a scanned photo, attribute a stock image to the right author. PikDraw's EXIF Metadata Editor gives you a clean form for the five most-used ASCII fields and writes them back into a fresh JPEG without uploading.

What is the EXIF Metadata Editor — Edit Description, Author & Copyright?

EXIF Metadata Editor is a browser-based JPEG metadata writer. It parses existing EXIF, exposes editable fields, and re-encodes the image with a clean APP1 segment containing only your values.

Key features

Edit Description, Artist, Copyright, Software, DateTime
Auto-fills existing EXIF on upload
Strips camera EXIF and GPS for predictability
Writes spec-compliant APP1 segment readable by Lightroom, Photos, Bridge
100% client-side — no upload
Free, unlimited

How it works

We parse the source EXIF with EXIFReader, re-encode the pixels through a clean canvas to drop all existing metadata, then assemble a minimal IFD0 with your fields and inject it as an APP1 segment immediately after the JPEG SOI marker.

Why use this tool

Desktop EXIF editors are powerful but heavy and offline. Online editors usually require upload. PikDraw is instant, browser-based, free, and focuses on the five fields that matter for attribution.

Common use cases

Embedding copyright on portfolio images
Adding author attribution to client deliverables
Backdating scanned photos to their actual capture date
Cleaning up software fingerprints on shared assets
Adding alt-text-style descriptions for catalogue search
Removing stale metadata while keeping descriptive fields

How to use this tool

Upload a JPEG — Drop a JPG or JPEG. Existing EXIF — description, artist, copyright, software, date — is auto-filled into the form.
Edit the fields — Change any of the editable ASCII tags. Blank fields are simply omitted from the output.
Save & download — The image is re-encoded and a fresh EXIF segment containing only your fields is written into the JPEG.
Verify with EXIF Viewer — Open the saved file in our EXIF Viewer to confirm your edits stuck.

Who should use this

Photographers, stock contributors, designers delivering branded assets, archivists scanning old photos, anyone who wants their copyright notice baked into the file.

How to get started

Upload a JPEG, edit the form, hit Save. Two seconds.

Best practices

Embed copyright on every published image
Use ISO date format (YYYY:MM:DD HH:MM:SS)
Verify with EXIF Viewer after saving
Keep originals — EXIF rewriting drops the old block irreversibly

Pro tips

Use ISO format for dates: YYYY:MM:DD HH:MM:SS — that's the EXIF spec.
Add a Copyright field on every photo you publish — it travels with the file.
Leave Software set to your editor of choice for provenance.
Camera EXIF and GPS are intentionally dropped — use Metadata Stripper if you need to preserve them.

Expert insights

💡 Copyright Everything

Embed a copyright string on every published photo — it travels with the file and survives re-saves in most editors.

💡 Verify with EXIF Viewer

Re-open the saved file in our EXIF Viewer to confirm your edits were written correctly.

💡 Use ISO Dates

EXIF expects 'YYYY:MM:DD HH:MM:SS' — anything else may be silently dropped by readers.

Limitations to be aware of

JPEG only
Drops camera EXIF and GPS (use Metadata Stripper to preserve them)
ASCII fields only — no binary tags or thumbnails
Re-encodes JPEG at 95% quality

Frequently asked questions

Which EXIF fields can I edit?: Description, Artist (author), Copyright, Software and DateTime — the five ASCII fields most commonly used for attribution and cataloguing. We intentionally avoid camera-specific fields (aperture, ISO, focal length) because rewriting them invites accidental misinformation.
Does this preserve my original camera EXIF?: No. To keep the tool predictable and the output clean, the original EXIF block is fully replaced. If you need to keep camera data, edit metadata with a desktop tool like ExifTool instead.
Why JPEG only?: JPEG is the only common web format with a stable, well-supported EXIF segment (APP1). PNG has tEXt/iTXt chunks but no standard EXIF parser. WebP carries EXIF but tooling is less consistent.
Can I add a copyright notice this way?: Yes — that's one of the most common uses. Fill the Copyright field with '© 2026 Your Name' and the notice becomes permanently embedded in the file. Most photo viewers and many CMSes will surface it.
Is the file uploaded?: No. EXIF reading, editing and re-encoding all happen in your browser.
Will Lightroom / Photos / Bridge see my edits?: Yes — the EXIF segment written follows the standard TIFF/EXIF spec and is read by every major catalogue and viewer we tested.

Browse all PikDraw image tools →