Full Name	Exchangeable image file format (EXIF-TIFF)
Format ID	IG_FORMAT_EXIF_TIFF = 74
File Extension(s)	*.tif, *.xif
Data Type	Raster image
Data Encoding	Binary
ImageGear Multipage Support	No
ImageGear Alpha Channel Support	Read only
ImageGear Platforms Support	WIN32, WIN64, Unix, Unix64, MAC, .NET, .NET64

ImageGear Supported Versions:

• Version 1.0 (1996)
• Version 1.1 (1997)
• Version 2.0 (1998)
• Version 2.1 (1998)
• Version 2.2 (2002)

ImageGear Supported Features:

• IG_FLTR_DETECTSUPPORT - autodetection
• IG_FLTR_PAGEREADSUPPORT - single page file reading
• IG_FLTR_PAGEINSERTSUPPORT - single-page file writing

ImageGear Read Support:

• IG_COMPRESSION_NONE:
  • Indexed RGB: 1, 4, 8 bpp;
  • Grayscale: 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, 32 bpp;
  • RGB: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • Lab: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • CMYK: 32, 48, 64 bpp;
  • RGB + Alpha: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • RGB + Alpha + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • Lab + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • CMYK + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc.
• IG_COMPRESSION_PACKED_BITS:
  • Indexed RGB: 1, 4, 8 bpp;
  • Grayscale: 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, 32 bpp;
  • RGB: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • Lab: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • CMYK: 32, 48, 64 bpp;
  • RGB + Alpha: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • RGB + Alpha + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • Lab + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • CMYK + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc.
• IG_COMPRESSION_LZW:
  • Indexed RGB: 1, 4, 8 bpp;
  • Grayscale: 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, 32 bpp;
  • RGB: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • Lab: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • CMYK: 32, 48, 64 bpp;
  • RGB + Alpha: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • RGB + Alpha + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • Lab + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • CMYK + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc.
• IG_COMPRESSION_DEFLATE:
  • Indexed RGB: 1, 4, 8 bpp;
  • Grayscale: 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, 32 bpp;
  • RGB: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • Lab: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • CMYK: 32, 48, 64 bpp;
  • RGB + Alpha: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • RGB + Alpha + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • Lab + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc;
  • CMYK + Extra: 8, 12, 16 bpc.
• IG_COMPRESSION_HUFFMAN:
  • Indexed RGB: 1 bpp;
  • Grayscale: 1 bpp;
• IG_COMPRESSION_CCITT_G3:
  • Indexed RGB: 1 bpp;
  • Grayscale: 1 bpp;
• IG_COMPRESSION_CCITT_G4:
  • Indexed RGB: 1 bpp;
  • Grayscale: 1 bpp;
• IG_COMPRESSION_CCITT_G32D:
  • Indexed RGB: 1 bpp;
  • Grayscale: 1 bpp;
• IG_COMPRESSION_JPEG (Lossy):
  • Grayscale: 8, 12 bpp;
  • RGB: 24, 36 bpp;
• IG_COMPRESSION_JPEG (Lossless):
  • Grayscale: 8, 16 bpp;
  • RGB: 24 bpp;

ImageGear Write Support:

• IG_COMPRESSION_NONE:
  • Grayscale: 8, 12, 16 bpp;
  • RGB: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • Lab: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • CMYK: 32, 48, 64 bpp.
• IG_COMPRESSION_PACKED_BITS:
  • Grayscale: 8, 12, 16 bpp;
  • RGB: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • Lab: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • CMYK: 32, 48, 64 bpp.
• IG_COMPRESSION_LZW:
  • Grayscale: 8, 12, 16 bpp;
  • RGB: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • Lab: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • CMYK: 32, 48, 64 bpp.
• IG_COMPRESSION_DEFLATE:
  • Grayscale: 8, 12, 16 bpp;
  • RGB: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • Lab: 24, 36, 48 bpp;
  • CMYK: 32, 48, 64 bpp.
• IG_COMPRESSION_JPEG (Lossy):
  • Grayscale: 8, 12 bpp;
  • RGB: 24, 36 bpp;
• IG_COMPRESSION_JPEG (Lossless):
  • Grayscale: 8, 16 bpp;
  • RGB: 24 bpp;

ImageGear Filter Control Parameters:

Filter Control Parameter	Type	Default Value	Available Values	Description
SAVE_THUMBNAIL	AT_BOOL	TRUE	TRUE, FALSE	If TRUE the thumbnail will be saved with image.
THUMBNAIL_WIDTH	UINT	160	Any positive value	Gets/Sets thumbnail width. Actual dimensions of the saved thumbnail will be adjusted to fit into rectangle specified by the THUMBNAIL_WIDTH and THUMBNAIL_HEIGHT parameters, preserving the ratio of image width and height.
THUMBNAIL_HEIGHT	UINT	120	Any positive value	Gets/Sets thumbnail height. Actual dimensions of the saved thumbnail will be adjusted to fit into rectangle specified by the THUMBNAIL_WIDTH and THUMBNAIL_HEIGHT parameters, preserving the ratio of image width and height.

Comments

The EXIF file format is based on existing formats. There are two kind of EXIF format: compressed and uncompressed. Compressed EXIF is recorded in JPEG format with EXIF header saved in APP1 and APP2 marker segments. The APP2 segment is used when recording FlashPix extensions.

Uncompressed EXIF is recorded in TIFF Rev. 6.0 formats with two pages - the first is the main image, the second is a thumbnail (if it present). The EXIF header data is stored in TIFF 6.0 format for both compressed and uncompressed EXIF and include EXIF information (that is necessary) and GPS information (that is optional). Information specific to the camera system and not defined in TIFF is stored in private tags registered for EXIF. ImageGear EXIF support allows you to retrieve this information and send it to an application level and vice versa.

The EXIF image file specification also specifies the method for recording thumbnails. The reason for using the TIFF Rev. 6.0 tag format in the compressed file APP1 segment is to facilitate exchange of attribute data between EXIF compressed and uncompressed files.

Although the standard only allows uncompressed and JPEG-compressed EXIF images, and RGB color space, there are EXIF images that use other compressions and color spaces. In a sense, these images can be considered as JPEGs or TIFFs with additional EXIF metadata. ImageGear supports reading of such non-standard images, as well as writing of EXIF images with some non-standard compressions and color spaces.

References Used

Digital Still Camera Image File Format Standard (Exif) Version 2.0, Nov 1997, Japan Electronic Industry Development Association.

Digital Still Camera Image File Format Standard (Exif) Version 2.1, June 1998, Japan Electronic Industry Development Association.