How do I write on the back of digital photos?
QWhat’s the best method of writing a description ‘on the back’ of digital images? I think there are specialist apps, but I would prefer something that travels with the image when shared and be accessible without specialised software. I have read about metadata that will carry this information, but I see no way of adding this within Windows’ basic filemanagement system. Any help would be appreciated. Bill Anderson
AIt depends what you’re trying to achieve. The specialist tools you mention are ‘digital watermarking’ systems, which embed an electronic signature or symbol into the image data itself. These watermarks can be invisible or visible but either way, they’re all but impossible for someone else to remove. You might do this if you need to protect your photos, to later prove that they are indeed yours. Openstego ( www.openstego.com) is an example of a free program that enables digital watermarking, or embedding of secret information within images.
However, from the second part of your email we suspect that you simply want to add descriptions to photos as a memory jog, or for some other organisational purpose. If that’s the case, then no specialist tools are required, because Windows will indeed allow you do to this.
First, right-click an image and choose Properties. Now click to select the Details tab: this is the metadata that you’re seeking. All the information is part of the image file, and travels with it. Click the Comments field, for example, and you’re able to write whatever free-form text you wish (see screenshot). When you click OK, that information is saved with the image file. If someone else on a different computer then follows this procedure to view the metadata, they’ll see what you’ve written – just like flipping over a printed photo to see the writing on the back.