IPTC

IPTC, International Press Telecommunications Council, is a standard for data exchange introduced in 1979 on the initiative of the International Press Telecommunications Council and originally meant for the press. It allows multiple information to be stored within an image file, such as copyright, the caption, keywords etc.

With the development of databases and especially with digital photography having taken over from conventional film photography, this information, which is both technical and documentary, has become essential for the building of structured image banks.