Hi, we’ve been pushing XnView MP hard for automating quarterly financial report visuals.
Batch conversions run smooth, but metadata is all over the place as EXIF tags vanish when converting to PNG. Dates and internal tags need to stick for proper archiving and tracking. Tried NConvert via command line; handles JPEG fine but trips up on TIFFs with embedded ICC profiles.
I came across some workflows shared on platforms like Gritt that tackle metadata retention in batch processes, anyone tried similar approaches directly within XnView?. Any tips on hidden settings or workflow tweaks would save a ton of time.
Keeping all metadata intact without touching each file manually
Keeping all metadata intact without touching each file manually
Last edited by Reyes23 on Thu Sep 25, 2025 1:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Keeping all metadata intact without touching each file manually
No one has replied after a couple of days, so I'll try and help you. Since you're using the software commercially you'd be a paid licensee, so you could also email the contact address on the website for support.
Converting between file formats can be problematic when metadata is concerned, and not all file formats support all types of metadata, and not all applications support all metadata that particular file formats might hold.
I just tested, and EXIF data does NOT vanish when converting from jpeg to png in XnViewMP. I also checked conversion of tiff with an embedded icc profile. All metadata and the ICC profile was preserved. This is in XnViewMP (I didn't test Nconvert or XnConvert). So perhaps you have your settings wrong, or it might be how you're checking the converted file.
There are no "hidden" settings, but there are some right in front of you. There are options on the Batch Convert dialog for preserving metadata, color profile, and attributes. Look in the lower left quadrant of the dialog. Also, where you select PNG as the format, under that there is a Settings button. Click that settings button, and in that dialog, make sure you have all four "keep" options set.
When those options are set, XnViewMP preserves EXIF metadata in png. But you know what? When I look at that png file in Irfanview, it says there's no EXIF. Why? Because Irfanview can't read it. Like I said, not all applications support everything.
That is a problem you will encounter a lot. Just as a general statement, if you want the absolute minimum of problems with preserving metadata, avoid converting file formats whenever possible.
So I wonder if when you say the metadata is missing, you're looking in some other program. If your options are set right, check the converted image in XnViewMP, and you'll see the metadata is there. Or check the png with ExifTool, and you'll see the metadata is there. If you don't see the metadata in XnViewMP or Exiftool, fix your conversion options. If you see the metadata in ExifTool, and you don't see it in your other program, the other program is the problem. And so either the other program needs its png support updated, or don't use png.
If I was in your position, I would be questioning why I have to use PNG for publication instead of jpeg in the first place. TIFF, although flexible, has historically been riddled with inconsistencies in its implementation in different programs. Preserving embedded ICC profiles can be another issue.
It's hard for me to understand how pushing images for publication in a quarterly financial statement requires any EXIF information at all; ICC profile perhaps, but you could also omit the profile entirely and pre-convert the images to the working space of the output device (assuming you're printing at all) or sRGB which is the standard for computer-based viewing. I can't conceive of a quarterly financial that is not printed that actually requires any of that. And if it is printed, only the ICC profile would be relevant. If you need definitive origin data, you preserve the original source image. Requiring original metadata in pre-press conversions when the original is available makes no sense to me. But it's your process, I won't make you justify it. Just pointing out some questioning might be appropriate before a lot of hoops are jumped through. Some corporate processes should be improved rather than followed.
Specifically regarding PNG, you also need to be aware of the fact that when PNG was created, it did not support EXIF tags at all. A few years ago, demanding PNG with all EXIF was a non-starter, a hard no. There is a new revision of the PNG specification, but EXIF support is a relatively recent addition, so it is not going to have universal software support. Apps that had their PNG libraries built years ago just don't support EXIF in PNG, until they get a new library. XnViewMP supports those tags in PNG, but can you be sure the software receiving the image files can support them?
That being said, if you feel that you're forced into these conversions, and you want to automate it more, a batch approach would be better. Nconvert is certainly an option, but I don't have experience with it so can't advise you. You could also look into ImageMagick. It is open source, frequently updated to use more current libraries and specifications, and is optimized for batch/command-line use. If you need to automate the conversion of images from one file format to another doing a bunch of things to it at the same time, ImageMagick is extremely capable. The way one conversion program writes TIFFs might be more palatable to whatever software that's reading it than another conversion program. TIFF is the least-standard standard file format there is. It's been a headache for programmers for decades.
Anyway hopefully this will help you.
Good luck...
Converting between file formats can be problematic when metadata is concerned, and not all file formats support all types of metadata, and not all applications support all metadata that particular file formats might hold.
I just tested, and EXIF data does NOT vanish when converting from jpeg to png in XnViewMP. I also checked conversion of tiff with an embedded icc profile. All metadata and the ICC profile was preserved. This is in XnViewMP (I didn't test Nconvert or XnConvert). So perhaps you have your settings wrong, or it might be how you're checking the converted file.
There are no "hidden" settings, but there are some right in front of you. There are options on the Batch Convert dialog for preserving metadata, color profile, and attributes. Look in the lower left quadrant of the dialog. Also, where you select PNG as the format, under that there is a Settings button. Click that settings button, and in that dialog, make sure you have all four "keep" options set.
When those options are set, XnViewMP preserves EXIF metadata in png. But you know what? When I look at that png file in Irfanview, it says there's no EXIF. Why? Because Irfanview can't read it. Like I said, not all applications support everything.
That is a problem you will encounter a lot. Just as a general statement, if you want the absolute minimum of problems with preserving metadata, avoid converting file formats whenever possible.
So I wonder if when you say the metadata is missing, you're looking in some other program. If your options are set right, check the converted image in XnViewMP, and you'll see the metadata is there. Or check the png with ExifTool, and you'll see the metadata is there. If you don't see the metadata in XnViewMP or Exiftool, fix your conversion options. If you see the metadata in ExifTool, and you don't see it in your other program, the other program is the problem. And so either the other program needs its png support updated, or don't use png.
If I was in your position, I would be questioning why I have to use PNG for publication instead of jpeg in the first place. TIFF, although flexible, has historically been riddled with inconsistencies in its implementation in different programs. Preserving embedded ICC profiles can be another issue.
It's hard for me to understand how pushing images for publication in a quarterly financial statement requires any EXIF information at all; ICC profile perhaps, but you could also omit the profile entirely and pre-convert the images to the working space of the output device (assuming you're printing at all) or sRGB which is the standard for computer-based viewing. I can't conceive of a quarterly financial that is not printed that actually requires any of that. And if it is printed, only the ICC profile would be relevant. If you need definitive origin data, you preserve the original source image. Requiring original metadata in pre-press conversions when the original is available makes no sense to me. But it's your process, I won't make you justify it. Just pointing out some questioning might be appropriate before a lot of hoops are jumped through. Some corporate processes should be improved rather than followed.
Specifically regarding PNG, you also need to be aware of the fact that when PNG was created, it did not support EXIF tags at all. A few years ago, demanding PNG with all EXIF was a non-starter, a hard no. There is a new revision of the PNG specification, but EXIF support is a relatively recent addition, so it is not going to have universal software support. Apps that had their PNG libraries built years ago just don't support EXIF in PNG, until they get a new library. XnViewMP supports those tags in PNG, but can you be sure the software receiving the image files can support them?
That being said, if you feel that you're forced into these conversions, and you want to automate it more, a batch approach would be better. Nconvert is certainly an option, but I don't have experience with it so can't advise you. You could also look into ImageMagick. It is open source, frequently updated to use more current libraries and specifications, and is optimized for batch/command-line use. If you need to automate the conversion of images from one file format to another doing a bunch of things to it at the same time, ImageMagick is extremely capable. The way one conversion program writes TIFFs might be more palatable to whatever software that's reading it than another conversion program. TIFF is the least-standard standard file format there is. It's been a headache for programmers for decades.
Anyway hopefully this will help you.
Good luck...