changing metadata in EPS files restricted to Adobe Bridge, IMatch can't do

[DesperateTagger]

I use IMatch at work (5.4) to organize about 4.000 images, namely to set hierarchical keywords.
Some of these files are very old, but my problem applies even to the latest examples created in Illustrator CC 2015.
In general, affected files are EPS.
Roughly 1.500 of those files won't accept writing keywords to the files using IMatch.
Curiously, several hundred have accepted an inital tagging in IMatch but refuse to have those tags removed or new tags set.
BUT I have managed to set tags using Adobe Bridge in a couple of files (haven't tried them all).
Of course, files are not write-protected. And I moved them from network drives to local drive, to DVD and USB-stick, no change.
I never changed advanced settings regarding metadata handling in IMatch's option.
At home, I've already switched to IMatch 5.5, but that did not make any difference: when I apply keywords and write them back to the file, after a couple of seconds, the tags disappear from display in the GUI (I take it that keywords displayed there are first taken from the file itself, then from the database).
I spend almost three days on it and I am close to despair!


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[DesperateTagger]

I should add that when trying to edit metadata with Windows Properties Settings, I get an error message:
Error 0x88982f50
which means WINCODEC_ERR_COMPONENTNOTFOUND
Confusing!

[Mario]

When I try to update one of your EPS files with ExifTool, ExifTool reports:

Warning = Can't write XMP to PostScript-format Illustrator files

This means that ExifTool does not support updating XMP data in EPS file created with AI. Please use Illustrator to update the metadata in these proprietary files.
It seems that ExifTool checks if the EPS file has been generated with AI and then deliberately prevents the update in order to not break the file for AI.

When you google for this

https://www.google.de/#q=exiftool+XMP+eps

you'll find plenty of information why this is the case. It seems AI cannot longer open EPS files where XMP data was embedded in the standard, documented way.

And since ExifTool cannot update the files, IMatch can neither. I suggest you use AI to change the metadata in these files.

[DesperateTagger]

Mario,
thanks a lot for this advice!
"Adobe makes sure you can only tag EPS images that have been opened in Illustrator 2015 using Adobe Tools?!"
It is not what I hoped to read, but it clearly tells me what to do: namely to avoid EPS competely.
Without IMatch, I have no hope to efficiently categorize all those images in question.
I'll try to convert all files to PDF!

[DesperateTagger]

I converted all EPS files to PDF and tagged again.
While it is now possible to add additional keywords, I still can't remove the old keywords inherited from Illustrator!
Edit: manipulating metadata each file separately using Panel Metadata / Image Info / XMP Adobe Lightroom / Hierarchical Keywords seems to work!

[Mario]

I'm not exactly sure what AI does with the XMP data in the files. Maybe files have multiple XMP records or something.

Tip: Open the ExifTool ouput panel <F9>,<O>. This way you can see what ExifTool is doing and if it is reporting warnings or something. I can't repro this here. My AI samples are from other software or older AI versions, and Adobe changes the product all the time. Your sample files from this morning are not updated by ExifTool for security reasons. If you still have trouble after applying your trick, send me a converted PDF file so I can check it out. Or, probably Phil Harvey, the author of ExifTool can shed a light on this. He runs his own forum at http://u88.n24.queensu.ca/exiftool/forum/

[DesperateTagger]

Thanks for this hint!
The output panel shows no errors.
However, I found that only some files required such a special attention as to set metadata separately in the metadata panel.
I could tag the vast majority of PDF files in the standard way, only that I had to write metadata to the files two times.
So, the problem is solved now.
I now have about 3000 PDF files distilled from EPS, correcty tagged and very much hope that they will work in print publishing without any trouble.

[Mario]

IMatch writes metadata via ExifTool, the reference for metadata processing. It works behind the curtains in many applications out there, is used by big players like Flickr and as far as I know also by some large publishing houses. Your data should be in good shape.

[DesperateTagger]

I didn't expect any trouble with metadata.
It is just that I never used PDF as an image format!
I'm committed to PDF-X/1 for print workflow and will have to use PDF images with transparencies (i.e. PDF-X/4) within prepress processes.
I take it PDF files can be sort of "reduced" when being finalized for print, but I have no experience in this!

[Mario]

If in doubt, ask your printer. Using PDF files for print workflows is pretty much standard, but the devil is often in the details. Your printer can do a pre-flight or tell you the options to check.

[Ferdinand]

Using PDF files for print workflows is pretty much standard, but the devil is often in the details.

Yes and Yes.  I don't do a lot of this, although I'm about to embark on another round.  I don't send  a PDF file with transparency and layers to a printing house any more.  After InDesign has created the file I flatten it in Photoshop.  And don't get me started on printing houses and colour profiles.