Q&A: How Can I View My Picasa’s Photos Captions Using Any Windows PC?
Entering photo captions inside a photo managing application can be a very liberating experience. These programs make it so easy to keep track of your photos' captions — basically the information you or one of your family members may have taken the time to write on the back of your prints that explains if nothing else, what and who is in the photo you're holding.
But, once your photos are being viewed outside of your favorite photo manager, how do you then see and possibly even edit this same caption information?
This is a question I get asked a lot, and in the video below, I answer Sylvia who specifically wants to know how she can view the caption information she entered in using Google's Picasa photo manager while using a Windows PC.
So check it out.
(Problems playing video? Click here)
Hi Curtis,
Do you have any suggestions for captioning digital photos (uploaded from my camera) so that the information stays with the photo file, even if it is copied and opened on another computer?
I've found that the captions I've created in Picasa can only be viewed in Picasa on the PC on which they were created.
If I copy my ‘My Pictures' folders to a new computer, I fear that all the captioning work I've done will be lost unless the information can be embedded in the individual photo files.
Perhaps I should make my next computer a Mac?
Sylvia Wales
Christchurch, NZ
Video Notes
The program I used in this video was called PhotoMe. They also have a nice “How To” page on their website if you would like some more help how to do basic operations once inside.
I didn't choose to use this application in the video because it's totally free, or because it was best one out there at the time. It just happened to be the first one I thought of that I already had installed on my computer and could be used in the demonstration.
There are a lot of other great programs out there with different price points, features, user interface qualities, and levels of difficulty to use. Some are lightweight and are easy to use just to view metadata quickly. Others can be massive and will require a little bit of time to get acquainted with.
Below is a chart with additional applications that I invite you to look over. Possibly try out one or more of them until you've found one that you like. They are grouped by type and then ordered alphabetically.
And thank you, Art Taylor, for helping me get a start on this list.
I will continue to update this chart as I learn about more applications worth your time, or find out one is no longer available for download.
Other Applications For Viewing and Editing Metadata in Windows
Here are some additional applications written for Window PC's to view and edit IPTC Metadata fields.
Some of them are lightweight programs just meant for viewing and editing photo metadata only, others are fully functioning image managers meant to organize as well as edit your photo collection.
Metadata Viewers & Editors for Windows
| Viewer Only | Viewer + Editor | Image Manager(Organizer + Viewer + Editor) | Screenshot | Price (USD) | Compatibility | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irfanview | Irfanview | Freeware | Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003 , 2008, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8. | 2015-02-26 | ||||
| iTag | iTag |  | Free / Premium ($19) | 2015-03-06 | ||||
| PhotoMe | PhotoMe | Free | ||||||
| Photo Mechanic | Photo Mechanic | $150 (Free Trial) | Windows, Mac | 2015-03-23 | ||||
| XnView | XnView | Freeware | [NA] | 2015-03-06 | ||||
| Adobe Bridge | Free | |||||||
| Breezebrowser | BreezeBrowser Pro | $69.95 (Free Trial) | Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows Vista | 2015-03-06 | ||||
| Photoshop Elements | Photoshop Elements | $79.99 (Amazon) | 2015-03-06 | |||||
| PicaJet | PicaJet | Free / FX ($59.95) | 2015-03-06 | |||||
| Picasa | Picasa | Free | 2015-03-06 |
If you already use an application that you think I should add to my chart above, please let me know in the comments below. I would really appreciate that. :coffee:
Furthermore, if you have any questions I didn't answer in the video or in the notes below, please feel free to ask them below as well, and I will do my best to answer them for you.
Cheers!