EXIFTool Cheatsheet

EXIFTool is a commandline tool written by Phil Harvey that can be used to view and modify EXIF information in JPEG files.

Note that for all operations that modify the file, the tool will save a copy of the original file with suffix _original.

• To install the tool under Ubuntu:

$ sudo apt install libimage-exiftool-perl

• To list the EXIF tags and their values in a JPEG file:

$ exif foo.jpg

Some of the information is specific to each camera manufacturer and this is stored in the Maker Note.

• To view the information in the maker note of a JPEG file:

$ exif --show-mnote foo.jpg

• To view the original, create and modify date-time of files:

$ exiftool -AllDates *.jpg

======== DSC_6081.jpg
Date/Time Original              : 2022:01:23 17:00:00
Create Date                     : 2022:01:23 17:00:00
Modify Date                     : 2022:01:23 17:00:00

$ exiftool -AllDates some_dir

• To set the original, create and modify date-time of files:

$ exiftool -AllDates="2022:01:23 17:00:00" *.jpg

• To set your name and copyright to the EXIF metadata in your photos:

$ exiftool -artist="Another Joe" -copyright="(c) 2015 Another Joe" foo.jpg

• To remove all EXIF tags from a file:

$ exiftool -all= foo.jpg

Tried with: EXIFTool 11.88 and Ubuntu 20.04