If you’ve been following the Kate Middleton Photoshop scandal that has swept the nation, you might be wondering how internet sleuths were able to spot all of the editing mistakes so quickly.
There are actually a number of websites created specifically to help you differentiate a fake or edited image from a photo taken straight from a camera. All you need to do is upload your image to one of these sites and use the tools provided to inspect the details for small errors and suspicious pixels in the image.
Keep reading to learn how to check if a photo has been edited in Photoshop using your browser.
What you’ll need
- A PC, tablet or smartphone
- A photo to check
The Short Version
- Open Forensically
- Upload the image
- Use the Magnification tool to check for signs of editing
- Use the other tools to determine if the image has been edited in Photoshop
How to check if a photo has been edited in Photoshop
Step
1Open Forensically
You can access the website through any browser, including offline if you’re using Firefox or Chrome.
Step
2Upload the image
You can do this by clicking Open File and locating the photo on your PC. If you haven’t already, you’ll need to download the image in question from the web.
Step
3Use the Magnification tool to check for signs of editing
Simply click on the Magnification tab and hover over any area in the image to get a closer look at it.
Step
4Use the other tools to determine if the image has been edited in Photoshop
As you can see, the image we uploaded shows multiple instances of the clone tool being used to duplicate the cacti in the photo.
Troubleshooting
Yes, you can also upload the image to FotoForensics to check if it has been edited.
Another way to determine if a photo has been edited in Photoshop is to check the EXIF data, which contains technical information regarding how the image was shot, including the camera and lens used, the settings on the camera and the time and date the photo was taken.
That said, photographers can edit EXIF data, so don’t rely on this as definitive proof an image has been photoshopped.
You might like…
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
