Adobe Illustrator PostScript Data

[devik]

Hi,

I have Adobe Illustrator file that needs to be updated for a couple of tags in the PostScript group. The tags are "For" and "Title". The current information in these tags is incorrect for me. Hence, either I would like to remove it or modify it.

However, I am unable to do so. I have tried following commands ...
exiftool -For= "filename"
exiftool -PostScript:For= "filename"
exiftool -PostScript:For="xxx" "filename"

The file has "rw-rw-rw-" permission.

I am using a GUI to perform this task (I tried commandline tool as well), and getting following message in the log window.

======== exiftool
======== filename.ai
Nothing changed in filename.ai
======== ./filename.ai
Nothing changed in ./filename.ai
    0 image files updated
    2 image files unchanged
    1 files weren't updated due to errors
Error: File not found - exiftool
<-END-

I also checked the following link
https://www.exiftool.org/TagNames/PostScript.html

and my understanding is that the "For"and "Title" tags are editable.

It will be great if you could shed some light on this and let me know how to address this issue.

Thank you.

[Hayo Baan]

.ai files aren't proper postscript files, I think. So the fact the tags are writable in postscript files doesn't mean that .ai files have the same capability...

What group are the files tags in? You can check by adding e.g. -G0:1 to the exiftool command that lists the tags you're interested in.

Edit: files must be tags

[Stephen Marsh]

Are they .ai files or .eps or .ps?

ExifTool only supports writing to Illustrator PostScript-format file type.

If these are text based .ps or .eps files, then a batch text editor could find/replace/save the content in multiple files... Of course work on duped files and double check that the edited files are not messed up and can be parsed successfully back into Illustrator, Acrobat Distiller etc.

[devik]

.ai files aren't proper postscript files, I think. So the fact the tags are writable in postscript files doesn't mean that .ai files have the same capability...

What group are the files tags in? You can check by adding e.g. -G0:1 to the exiftool command that lists the tags you're interested in.

Edit: files must be tags

The tags are in PostScript group.
The link is shared in my original post, is ... https://www.exiftool.org/TagNames/PostScript.html

[devik]

Are they .ai files or .eps or .ps?

ExifTool only supports writing to Illustrator PostScript-format file type.

If these are text based .ps or .eps files, then a batch text editor could find/replace/save the content in multiple files... Of course work on duped files and double check that the edited files are not messed up and can be parsed successfully back into Illustrator, Acrobat Distiller etc.

This is .ai file ... I have tried the commands mentioned in my original post, but none of them work ... the commands are as following ...
exiftool -For= "filename"
exiftool -PostScript:For= "filename"
exiftool -PostScript:For="xxx" "filename"

[Stephen Marsh]

That's the problem then, .ai is not .ps

[devik]

That's the problem then, .ai is not .ps

Do you mean that these tags aren't supported in .ai file for editing?

If so, actually the chart on the following page states that the AI file and Postscript tags are writable, isn't it?

Chart page link: https://www.exiftool.org/
Check Supported File Types section on the above page

[StarGeek]

See note 5 on that table:

⁵ Only writable for PostScript-format file type

While I don't know anything about the format, it exiftool isn't able to write to it, then it probably is an .AI file that isn't in PostScript-format.

Phil probably could answer with more detail, but it may be a while as he's currently on vacation.

[devik]

See note 5 on that table:

⁵ Only writable for PostScript-format file type

While I don't know anything about the format, it exiftool isn't able to write to it, then it probably is an .AI file that isn't in PostScript-format.

Phil probably could answer with more detail, but it may be a while as he's currently on vacation.

Thanks for the note.

I am not much sure if it is about exiftool or I am writing the command incorrectly.

It would be great if Phil could shed some light on this.

Thanks.

[Phil Harvey]

I am guessing that this is a PDF-format AI file.  In these files, the "For" tag is stored in the PDF AIMetaData information, which is PostScript format but not currently editable by Exiftool. 

In general, ExifTool support for writing AI files is poor.  ExifTool generally doesn't support application-specific file formats, and Illustrator doesn't exactly follow the PDF or Postscript specifications for its files.

- Phil

[devik]

Phil,

Yes, you are correct, it is PDF compatible AI file.

Thank you so much for clarifying the things. I think I will need to look for some other tool, if available, for this purpose.

Thanks to all who took out time to reply my queries and messages, and tried helping me to address it!