---
name: "exiftran"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "fbida"
version: "2.14-6"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/exiftran"
---

# exiftran(1)

transform digital camera jpeg images

## NAME

exiftran - transform digital camera jpeg images

## SYNOPSIS

- **exiftran** \[*options*\] *file1 file2 ... fileN*

  - **exiftran** -i \[*transform options*\] \[*others options*\] *file1 file2 ... fileN*

  - **exiftran** -o *outputfile* \[*transform options*\] \[*other options*\] *inputfile*

  - **exiftran** -d *file1 file2 ... fileN* \> *exifinfo*

  ## DESCRIPTION

**Exiftran** is a command line utility to transform digital camera *jpeg* images. It can do lossless rotations like [**jpegtran**(1)](/jpegtran/1.md), but unlike [**jpegtran**(1)](/jpegtran/1.md) it cares about the *EXIF* data: It can rotate images automatically by checking the exif orientation tag; it updates the exif informations if needed (image dimension, orientation); it also rotates the exif thumbnail. It can process multiple images at once.

## TRANSFORM OPTIONS

- **-a**

  Automatic (using exif orientation tag).

- **-9**

  Rotate by 90 degrees clockwise.

- **-1**

  Rotate by 180 degrees clockwise.

- **-2**

  Rotate by 270 degrees clockwise.

- **-f**

  Mirror image vertically (top / bottom).

- **-F**

  Mirror image horizontally (left to right).

- **-t**

  Transpose (across UL-to-LR corner).

- **-T**

  Transverse (across UR-to-LL corner).

- **-nt**

  Don't transform exif thumbnail.

- **-ni**

  Don't transform jpeg image. You might need this or the **-nt** option to fixup things in case you transformed the image with some utility which ignores the exif thumbnail. Just generating a new thumbnail with **-g** is another way to fix it.

- **-no**

  Don't update the orientation tag. By default **exiftran** sets the orientation to "1" (no transformation needed) to avoid other exif-aware applications try to rotate the already-rotated image again.

- **-np**

  Don't pare lost edges. By default **exiftran** don't preserve image size of the images that do not meet a multiple of 8 pixels. He prefers to cut a strip of a few pixels rather than offering a damaged image. Use this option if you want them all the same.

## OTHER OPTIONS

- **-h**

  Print a short help text.

- **-d**

  Dump exif data for the file(s).

- **-c** *text*

  Set jpeg comment tag to *text*.

- **-g**

  (re)generate exif thumbnail.

- **-o** *file*

  Specify output *file*. Only one input file is allowed in this mode.

- **-i**

  Enable in-place editing of the images. **Exiftran** allows multiple input files then. You must specify either this option or a output file with **-o** for all operations which modify the image (i.e. everything but **-d** right now).

- **-b**

  Create a backup file when doing in-place editing (imply **-i**).

- **-p**

  Preserve timestamps (atime + mtime) when doing in-place editing (imply **-i**).

## EXAMPLES

Autorotate all jpeg files in the current directory:

   *exiftran -ai \*.jpeg*

## SEE ALSO

[**exif**(1)](/exif/1.md), [**exiftags**(1)](/exiftags/1.md), [**jpegtran**(1)](/jpegtran/1.md)

## AUTHOR

Gerd Hoffmann **\<gerd@kraxel.org\>**

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2002-2012 Gerd Hoffmann \<gerd@kraxel.org\>

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.