EXIF tag · IFD0

SubfileType

(called NewSubfileType by the TIFF specification)

0x00fe
Tag ID (254 decimal)
IFD0
IFD / group
int32u!
Data type
EXIF
Table

What SubfileType means#

(called NewSubfileType by the TIFF specification)

Defined values#

ValueMeaning
0x0Full-resolution image
0x1Reduced-resolution image
0x2Single page of multi-page image
0x3Single page of multi-page reduced-resolution image
0x4Transparency mask
0x5Transparency mask of reduced-resolution image
0x6Transparency mask of multi-page image
0x7Transparency mask of reduced-resolution multi-page image
0x8Depth map
0x9Depth map of reduced-resolution image
0x10Enhanced image data
0x10001Alternate reduced-resolution image
0x10004Semantic Mask
0xffffffffinvalid

Read, write and remove it#

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

In Python with Pillow:

from PIL import Image
exif = Image.open("photo.jpg").getexif()
value = exif.get(0x00fe)  # SubfileType
print(value)

Frequently asked questions#

What is the EXIF tag ID of SubfileType?

0x00fe (254 decimal), in the IFD0 directory.

How do I see SubfileType in a photo?

Run exiftool -SubfileType 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