# Extracting Portrait Effects matte image data from a photo Check for portrait effects matte metadata in existing images. ## Discussion The portrait effects matte is stored in the image file alongside the depth data auxiliary image. You can load, view, and edit the portrait effects matte as a high-level object called an [`AVPortraitEffectsMatte`](/documentation/AVFoundation/AVPortraitEffectsMatte), analogous to [`AVDepthData`](/documentation/AVFoundation/AVDepthData). This mirrors traditional depth map access using [`AVDepthData`](/documentation/AVFoundation/AVDepthData) in its technique to get the elementary auxiliary image bits out of the file.  ### Load and view a matting image from file Load the portrait effects matte by using to extract an auxiliary image of type . Convert this auxiliary image to an auxiliary information dictionary, which contains the matte as metadata of class . Generate the portrait effects matte object, [`AVPortraitEffectsMatte`](/documentation/AVFoundation/AVPortraitEffectsMatte), by passing the dictionary to [`init(fromDictionaryRepresentation:)`](/documentation/AVFoundation/AVPortraitEffectsMatte/init(fromDictionaryRepresentation:)). From this object, you can generate a object to bring the image into viewable forms, like . ```swift func portraitEffectsMatteImage(at path: String) -> UIImage? { let bundlePath = Bundle.main.bundlePath let fileURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: bundlePath).appendingPathComponent(path) guard let source = CGImageSourceCreateWithURL(fileURL as CFURL, nil), let auxiliaryInfoDict = CGImageSourceCopyAuxiliaryDataInfoAtIndex(source, 0, kCGImageAuxiliaryDataTypePortraitEffectsMatte) as? [AnyHashable: Any] else { return nil } // Create a portrait effects matte from the auxiliary information. if let matteData = try? AVPortraitEffectsMatte(fromDictionaryRepresentation: auxiliaryInfoDict), let matteCIImage = CIImage(portaitEffectsMatte: matteData) { // Return a matte image by using the core image representation. return UIImage(ciImage: matteCIImage) } return nil } ``` With this matte image, your app can: - Access the uncompressed pixels of the portrait effects matte in memory. - Create rotated or flipped derivative copies of the mask. - Replace a pixel of the matte with one of your own, reflecting an effect you’re applying to the main image. - Create a dictionary of elementary PEM parts suitable for writing to a file using Image I/O’s . When decompressed, the matte images are natively L008 (), which is an 8-bit one-component format where black is zero. Portrait effects matte images are not gamma corrected. They’re tagged with a linear transfer function, indicating that no color correction should be applied when working with them. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)