EXIF tag · IFD0

PhotometricInterpretation

The PhotometricInterpretation tag stored in the IFD0 directory.

0x0106
Tag ID (262 decimal)
IFD0
IFD / group
int16u!
Data type
EXIF
Table

What PhotometricInterpretation means#

The PhotometricInterpretation tag stored in the IFD0 directory.

Defined values#

ValueMeaning
0WhiteIsZero
1BlackIsZero
2RGB
3RGB Palette
4Transparency Mask
5CMYK
6YCbCr
8CIELab
9ICCLab
10ITULab
32803Color Filter Array
32844Pixar LogL
32845Pixar LogLuv
32892Sequential Color Filter
34892Linear Raw
51177Depth Map
52527Semantic Mask

Read, write and remove it#

# read
exiftool -PhotometricInterpretation photo.jpg
# write
exiftool -PhotometricInterpretation="…" photo.jpg
# remove
exiftool -PhotometricInterpretation= photo.jpg
# all files in a folder, as CSV
exiftool -csv -PhotometricInterpretation -r ./photos > photometric-interpretation.csv

In Python with Pillow:

from PIL import Image
exif = Image.open("photo.jpg").getexif()
value = exif.get(0x0106)  # PhotometricInterpretation
print(value)

Other IFD0 tags#

Frequently asked questions#

What is the EXIF tag ID of PhotometricInterpretation?

0x0106 (262 decimal), in the IFD0 directory.

How do I see PhotometricInterpretation in a photo?

Run exiftool -PhotometricInterpretation photo.jpg, or open the file's info panel in Lightroom, Photoshop, Windows (Properties → Details) or macOS Preview (Tools → Show Inspector).

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources