Code Replacements Copyright symbol issue

[KenGMac]

Hello Kirk

For a few years now, I've had this issue with the Copyright symbol in my captions.
When I open the IPTC Stationery Pad, I write the © symbol in all my RAW files and all appears fine.
Sometimes I manage to send these processed jpeg files via FTP without a problem.
Later when I get home and go through my saved jpegs, I see that the © has changed to ¬©.
I am processing my Canon EOS-1DX files in Photoshop CC 2019.
Any idea as to how I can prevent this please?
I should add that I copy and paste the © symbol in either BBEdit, or TextEdit, and suffer the problem with either.


Best wishes
Ken Macpherson


Photo Mechanic 5.0, build 19711 (d006a74)
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013)
1.7 GHz Intel Core i7
8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Intel HD Graphics 5000 1536 MB

[Kirk Baker]

Ken,

For a few years now, I've had this issue with the Copyright symbol in my captions.
When I open the IPTC Stationery Pad, I write the © symbol in all my RAW files and all appears fine.
Sometimes I manage to send these processed jpeg files via FTP without a problem.
Later when I get home and go through my saved jpegs, I see that the © has changed to ¬©.
I am processing my Canon EOS-1DX files in Photoshop CC 2019.
Any idea as to how I can prevent this please?
I should add that I copy and paste the © symbol in either BBEdit, or TextEdit, and suffer the problem with either.

The editor is not all that important, but the text file's character encoding must be UTF-8 if you're going to use special characters like the copyright symbol.

BBEdit can definitely save text files encoded in UTF-8.  Just open up your Code Replacement text file (check all of your special characters to make sure they look OK) and then go to Markup->Character Set->Unicode (UTF-8).  Save the file.  It should now work fine.

HTH,

-Kirk

[KenGMac]

Hi Kirk

Thanks for your suggestion, but....
I tried exactly as you suggested with 2 raw files and all looked fine.
That was until I copied my selected (newly saved) files into a new folder, and hey presto, the dreaded © appears again.
It looks like just copying files containing the © symbol always produces this effect.
The only way I can see to sort this issue in these copied jpegs is to go into each image IPTC info file and manually backspace from the symbol, one at a time, as they all have different captions.

Best wishes
Ken

[Hayo Baan]

That's weird. Can you post the exact steps you performed to reproduce this issue. Also your code replacement file as well as the before and after image(s) would be helpful to be able to identify what is going on.

[KenGMac]

Hello Hayo

Thanks for looking into this problem I have.
The exact steps I took on a job today were as follows:

In addition to adding my Description/Caption details in the IPTC Stationery Pad,
I updated my © Ken Macpherson Photographers
entry in both Keywords, and Copyright fields.
This came from me typing `c44` from Code replacement file ICTFC 19-20.
All looked good so far. I then Batch captioned the same information on all raw files.
I then opened the selected raw files into Photoshop CC 2019 (newest version) and edited them, and saved as jpegs.
All went well., but as per usual, the two © Ken Macpherson Photographers entries had changed to ¬© Ken Macpherson Photographers.
This is most frustrating!
My  © symbol in my file replacement code was from a BBEdit UTF-8 file.

If there's anything else you need, please do let me know.

[KenGMac]

Hi Hayo

Here is an "after" image from today..
Due to this forum attachment restriction I'm unable to send you the Raw "before" file.

[KenGMac]

File included again..

[Hayo Baan]

I've been playing with your steps & code replacement file but I can't reproduce your issue… Heck, even your JPG files show the copyright symbol correctly.

I dove a bit deepen and what I did find is that the IPTC metadata has the copyright symbol shown incorrectly. Most software prefers XMP over IPTC so you won't normally notice this (what software are you using to display the image info?).

Anyway, I also found the cause for showing the wrong symbol: the IPTC tag 'CodedCharacterSet' is missing. In this case it should have the value hex value 1b 25 47 to indicate IPTC is to be interpreted as UTF8.
I'm sure neither PM nor Photoshop actually strip this tag, so either you are not telling PM to write the IPTC data as Unicode, or some other software is stripping the tag. I expect it's the former, in which case the solution is probably just a matter of  ticking the box "Write IPTC as Unicode" in the IPTC/XMP preferences (also don't forget to tick that box on the Metadata Info dialoig).

Note though that even if I have PM save without the CodedCharacterSet tag (by disabling Write as Unicode), I can't reproduce your issue: the JPG as saved from Photoshop (Camera Raw) does contain the tag and reads fine…

[KenGMac]

Hayo:

Firstly - in reply to "what software are you using to display the image info?"
I'm simply viewing it in Photo Mechanic..Version 5.0, build 19711 (d006a74)
which is where I see the incorrect © symbol.
See my attached screengrab!

Ken

I'll now go on to take your advice re my preferences..

[Kirk Baker]

See that checkbox in the bottom right corner of your IPTC Info dialog?  "Write as Unicode"

Set that checkbox.  Better yet, in the IPTC/XMP preferences make sure that you're using Unicode (UTF-8).

-Kirk

[KenGMac]

Thanks for trying to help.
I followed your suggestions (see attached screengrabs), but still the same problem!
Maybe it's only viewable in PM, so maybe I should just learn to ignore it?

Best wishes
Ken Macpherson

[KenGMac]

Screengrab 2...

[Kirk Baker]

Is your code replacement text file encoded in UTF-8?

-Kirk

[KenGMac]

Hi Kirk

Yes it is, as far as I can tell.
See screengrabs from BBEdit preferences..

Ken

[Hayo Baan]

The code replacement file was working for me so that shouldn’t be the issue here.

If you edit the metadata in PM, this is on the raw file, right? Do you create an xmp file or do you embed the metadata? Can you post the xmp file and a jpg from the raw but created from within PM (after you made sure the copyright signs look fine in the metadata dialogue).