Overview
SIST ISO 16684-2:2020 - Graphic technology - Extensible metadata platform (XMP) - Part 2 - specifies how to use RELAX NG to describe serialized XMP metadata. Published as the first edition in December 2014, this ISO standard defines the form and usage rules for XMP schemas expressed with RELAX NG so that metadata schemas for graphics and digital assets can be described and validated in a consistent, interoperable way.
Key topics and technical scope
- Purpose: Describes the use of RELAX NG to define serialized XMP schema descriptions.
- Scope: Applies to the way conforming XMP schemas may use the features of RELAX NG for schema description and validation.
- Deliverables: The published standard includes the formal specification in PDF and associated electronic attachments intended to be used together.
- Conformance focus: Provides rules and expectations for how XMP schemas should be constructed when expressed with RELAX NG, promoting consistent schema authoring and validation practices.
Practical applications
SIST ISO 16684-2:2020 is practical for organizations and projects that need standardized schema descriptions for XMP metadata in graphic technology and digital asset workflows. Typical applications include:
- Creating and maintaining XMP metadata schemas for images, publications, and design assets.
- Formalizing schema definitions that can be consumed by validation tools, metadata processors, and pipeline automation.
- Enabling interchange of metadata schema definitions between software vendors, print shops, publishers, and archives.
- Supporting metadata governance in DAM (Digital Asset Management), archives, and content production environments.
Who should use this standard
- Metadata engineers and schema authors who design XMP namespaces and schema documents.
- Software developers implementing XMP serialization, schema validation, or tools that generate or consume XMP metadata.
- Print, publishing, and graphic technology professionals needing interoperable metadata definitions.
- Digital asset managers and archivists seeking consistent, machine-readable schema documentation for long-term preservation and exchange.
Related standards and notes
- SIST ISO 16684-2:2020 is part of the ISO work on XMP and graphic technology; other parts of the ISO 16684 series address complementary aspects of XMP (see ISO catalog for related parts).
- The standard is provided as a PDF with electronic attachments; users should maintain file/folder names when unpacking to preserve links.
Keywords: SIST ISO 16684-2:2020, XMP, RELAX NG, XMP schemas, serialized XMP metadata, metadata standards, graphic technology, schema validation.
