ImgHeal

How to Share a Person Key Without Publishing Every Family Name

By ImgHeal · Updated

A family may want help reviewing a group portrait without putting every living person's name online. A stable numbered key can support the discussion while limiting the names included in the public presentation.

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AI-generated editorial illustration

Agree on what the public version needs

Identify the image, its intended audience, and which identities the family is comfortable publishing. Keep consent discussions and private names in the restricted record. Use stable person numbers that already correspond to the full source image where possible. Avoid including a private name in the public filename or image overlay after deciding to omit it from the caption. A placeholder should limit what this presentation reveals, not suggest that everyone shown has been independently identified or that the picture is anonymous in every context.

Prepare separate public and restricted mappings

Give the public key neutral entries such as Person 4 or confirmed relationship wording that has been approved for release. Keep the full identity-to-number mapping in a separate restricted document tied to the same photo ID and orientation. State that names were intentionally withheld where that explanation helps readers. Inspect embedded descriptive fields, alternative text, captions, and document comments for names copied from a private draft. Removing the visible label alone may leave the same information elsewhere in the shared material.

Review corrections without breaking the key

Check the public file and description as an intended recipient would see them. Keep person numbers stable if a name is corrected in the restricted mapping, and distribute only the version appropriate to the recipient. A new crop or mirrored image needs a fresh key check. Avoid promising that placeholders prevent recognition by people who know the family. If a photo is later restored with ImgHeal, confirm that the same source people remain identifiable in the key without treating generated changes as new identity evidence.

Example: an identification request

A public request asks whether Person 6 appears in another school photograph, while the private key records the family's candidate name and evidence. Responses can use the stable number without publishing the tentative identity as an established fact or exposing the full family list.

Check before sharing this record

  • Agree which names belong in the public version.
  • Keep the restricted mapping separate from public files.
  • Inspect descriptions and metadata for leaked labels.

Sources and further reading

Questions about this restoration task

Does using person numbers make the photograph anonymous?

No. People may recognize faces or infer identities from context. Placeholders limit one set of labels in a particular presentation; they do not guarantee anonymity or replace a broader sharing decision.

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