Metadata and documentation
Metadata for vector images is discussed in detail in The Significant Properties of Vector Images (Coyne et al 2007), from which the elements below are taken, and on the JISC Digital Media page discussing ‘Metadata and Digital Images’. The elements below are largely Dublin Core[2] elements which are most usefully generated by the image creator. In addition, some technical elements are suggested (only a subset of those presented in The Significant Properties of Vector Images) which may be optionally completed by the data creator.
Element | Description |
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Identifier | A unique identifier for the image, usually the filename |
Title / Caption | The title of the image or a suitable caption |
Description/Purpose | Description of the image |
Creator | Name of image creator |
Date | Creation date |
Rights | Details of copyright or other rights and holder details |
Keywords | Keywords e.g. period, site or feature terms. Use suitable thesauri where they exist |
Provenance/Relationship to other documents | Description of where the image originated and how (if relevant) it is related to other files |
Conventions | If applicable and not contained within the document, an explanation of all conventions used (colours, layers, line styles, line weights, etc.) |
Additional basic technical metadata
Element | Description |
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File Format and Version | e.g. SVG 1.1 |
File Size | Size of the file in bytes |
Software | Software used to create the image e.g. Adobe Illustrator |