The short answer
Adding a watermark does not decide the fate of metadata by itself. The export method does. A tool can edit pixels and copy the old metadata, or it can create a new file from the rendered bitmap. imgrove uses the second path: it draws the watermark on a browser canvas and serializes a new PNG. The HTML standard defines that export as a new image made from the canvas bitmap, so the result does not inherit the source file's metadata blocks. [1]
This answer applies to imgrove's current Add Watermark tool. Another editor may preserve, replace, or remove different fields. Inspect the exported file when camera data, rights information, or location matters.
Pixels and metadata live in different parts of a file
The visible watermark becomes part of the pixel image. EXIF stores camera-oriented fields such as capture settings and resolution in structures defined by the CIPA standard. [2] IPTC and XMP can carry creator, description, rights, location, and workflow fields outside the visible pixels. [3]
A copyright name written in metadata and a copyright name drawn into the image solve different problems. Metadata helps software catalog and identify a file. A visible mark remains readable after many platforms discard metadata, but it can also be cropped or edited. Keep both concepts separate.
Why browser canvas exports rebuild the file
Canvas receives decoded pixels, not the complete source-file container. When the browser serializes that bitmap, the HTML standard tells it to create a file from the bitmap and write 96 DPI when the chosen format supports resolution metadata. [1] MDN describes the same behavior for toBlob(). [4] That process has no general instruction to copy EXIF, IPTC, or XMP from the uploaded file.
Canvas also treats an animated source as its default or first frame for 2D drawing. [1] imgrove therefore states the boundary on the tool page: the output is a static PNG. The pixel dimensions remain the source dimensions, while source metadata and later animation frames stay with the original.
Use a two-copy workflow before sharing
Keep the untouched camera or design original as the master. Create a separate sharing copy with the imgrove Add Watermark tool, then open that result in the EXIF Viewer / Remover to verify what remains. This order protects useful capture and rights data while giving you a clean distribution file.
Review the visible pixels too. A metadata-free copy can still show a face, address, screen notification, badge, or location sign. Metadata inspection and visual review belong in the same sharing checklist.
What this workflow protects
- An untouched master with the original capture and rights information
- A separate watermarked PNG for websites, messages, or review
- A repeatable metadata check before public sharing
Do not treat a visible watermark as
- Proof of copyright ownership or permission
- A guarantee that an image cannot be copied, cropped, or edited
- A substitute for reviewing sensitive details visible in the pixels
Related reading
Related imgrove tools
Watermark a sharing copy, then inspect it
Add your own text or logo to up to 30 images in the browser. Download the static PNG or ZIP, keep the original files, and check the result before sharing.
Try Add WatermarkTry the workflow and tell us what worked, what failed, or what needs clearer guidance: hi@imgrove.com.