diff --git a/src/PIL/IptcImagePlugin.py b/src/PIL/IptcImagePlugin.py
index 87adac3200e..8f5e89e47be 100644
--- a/src/PIL/IptcImagePlugin.py
+++ b/src/PIL/IptcImagePlugin.py
@@ -40,15 +40,18 @@ def __getattr__(name: str) -> bytes:
 # Helpers
 
 
+def _i(c: bytes) -> int:
+    return i32((b"\0\0\0\0" + c)[-4:])
+
+
 def _i8(c: int | bytes) -> int:
     return c if isinstance(c, int) else c[0]
 
 
-def i(c: bytes, *, _internal: bool = False) -> int:
+def i(c: bytes) -> int:
     """.. deprecated:: 10.2.0"""
-    if not _internal:
-        deprecate("IptcImagePlugin.i", 12)
-    return i32((b"\0\0\0\0" + c)[-4:])
+    deprecate("IptcImagePlugin.i", 12)
+    return _i(c)
 
 
 def dump(c: Sequence[int | bytes]) -> None:
@@ -69,7 +72,7 @@ class IptcImageFile(ImageFile.ImageFile):
     format_description = "IPTC/NAA"
 
     def getint(self, key: tuple[int, int]) -> int:
-        return i(self.info[key], _internal=True)
+        return _i(self.info[key])
 
     def field(self) -> tuple[tuple[int, int] | None, int]:
         #
@@ -93,7 +96,7 @@ def field(self) -> tuple[tuple[int, int] | None, int]:
         elif size == 128:
             size = 0
         elif size > 128:
-            size = i(self.fp.read(size - 128), _internal=True)
+            size = _i(self.fp.read(size - 128))
         else:
             size = i16(s, 3)