Photoshop automation batch processing. Batch processing photos in Photoshop

A digital camera has long ceased to be a curiosity and has become one of the necessary and familiar things. Outdoor trips with friends or a festive feast with the family are saved in the form of hundreds of pictures. Sorting and editing memorable images is a tedious task. This can be made easier by batch processing in Photoshop from Adobe Systems - an effective tool that saves time when working with large arrays of images.

Application of batch processing: benefits and convenience

The Adobe Photoshop graphic editor, popular among amateurs and professionals, does not need advertising. It is a powerful and versatile image processing software tool designed to bring a wide variety of creative tasks to life. But professionals valued it for another feature - its ability to make routine machining work easier and faster, such as reducing size and weight, renaming or changing file extensions.

Processing several photos in Photoshop, as a rule, does not take much time and does not require you to delve into the intricacies of automation processes. But what to do if the archive begins to take up too much space? But you never know the troubles await a photographer: insufficient lighting, bad angle... You don’t want to delete pictures, and editing takes up scarce time. When correcting errors of the same type or if you need to perform other mechanical processing that does not require individual understanding of each image, use the process automation package available in each version of the graphic editor.

Dialog Box: Description

First, get acquainted with the settings in which batch processing of photos is performed. In Photoshop, use the path: menu “File” → “Automation” → “Batch Processing”. The window that opens is characterized by design changes depending on the modification of the program, but the main dialogs remain unchanged.

1. The Setup window reflects the Default Operations value. By creating new sets, the creation of which will be discussed below, the user expands the functionality of using automation for the necessary tasks.
2. "Operation" window. The drop-down list is made up of macros offered by the program developer. When you add custom operations, they will appear in the drop-down list and become available for batch processing.
3. The “Source” window and the adjacent “Select” button—defining files for processing:
   - the line “Folder” indicates a directory with photographs;
   - the “Import” line selects imported images;
   - line “Open files” - processing of files opened in the main working window of the program;
   - the Bridge line synchronizes the program with the Adobe Bridge application.
4. Output Folder window and Select button. Specifies the directory to save modified files and other options for completing the operation.

Extra options

The parameters left without consideration are intuitive and highlighted with developer tips and recommendations.

• Checking the “Ignore “Open” commands” checkbox leads to the opening of files only if this action is specified in the operation. Otherwise, quick photo processing in Photoshop will not be performed.
• The line “Include all subfolders”. The function extends the operation to directories located in the source folder.
• The following lines cancel the display of service dialogs informing about the opening of image files and program messages about the built-in color profile.

Default set: built-in assistant

The operations built into the program by default are more of a visual illustration of process automation than the useful functionality that batch processing of photos in Photoshop provides. But to understand the work, it makes sense to understand the preset operations in the editor. To do this, go to the “Operations” tab. It is located among the floating palettes located on the right side of the program's workspace. If the Operations tab is not visible in your workspace, turn it on. To do this, go to the “Window” menu and click on the “Operations” line or use the keyboard shortcut ALT + F9.

The tab that opens contains operations predefined by the developer. By clicking on the triangle in front of the operation name, a sequence of actions opens, which is played back when the command is executed. The macro starts running when you click on the triangle located at the bottom of the “Operations” panel. Double-clicking on the name of an operation initiates the appearance of a dialog box that allows you to change the name of the operation or assign a shortcut key to it.

Create your own sets: for all occasions

For ease of use, create custom sets for storing recorded macros. This will be its own folder with processing operations placed in it. This approach helps organize image editing tools and pinpoints their location and purpose.

The process of recording sets is not difficult even for a beginner.

1. Open the Actions panel (Window → Actions menu).
2. Click on the “Create a new set” icon at the bottom of the panel.
3. In the dialog that appears, enter the name of the set and click OK.

The new set is now ready for recording operations and is reflected in the Set drop-down list in the Batch Photo Processing window. Photoshop allows you to create an unlimited number of sets for storing custom macros.

Operations: The Basis for Batch Processing

Batch processing of photos in Photoshop (CS6 or another version of the editor) is carried out according to rules common to all versions. By recording a macro with its own algorithm of actions, the user creates a template (blank), which is subsequently used to process single files or batches of images.

1. To get started, go to the "Operations" tab using the ALT + F9 key combination.
2. At the bottom, click on the “Create a new operation” icon.
3. In the window that opens, give the future macro a name, determine its place in existing sets, and, if necessary, set a keyboard shortcut.
4. Clicking the “Record” button initiates the start of the process, and a red circle icon is activated on the bottom panel of the “Operations” window. From this moment on, actions performed with the open image are recorded.
5. To complete recording, left-click on the square located at the bottom of the “Operations” tab to the left of the “Record” button.

Image operations: recording

If you managed to find the location and understand the purpose of the dialog boxes described above, then it’s time to apply theory to practice. Before you start editing, decide what to do and how to do it. Resizing a photo on a computer is the most common task that users set themselves. Using this example, we will consider the sequence of actions.

• Step 1. Open the original image for editing.
• Step 2. Create a new set. For convenience, call it “Reduce Size”.
• Step 3. Create a new operation based on the instructions described in the Operations section. After clicking the “OK” button, the round red button at the bottom of the panel is activated. This means the macro is being recorded.
• Step 4. Reduce the image size in any way you know. For example: menu “Image” → “Image Size”. In the dialog box, change the horizontal (vertical) size or reduce the resolution.
• Step 5. Save the image and click on the square icon at the bottom of the Actions panel. The macro recording is complete and the user is ready to start batch processing files.

Image weight reduction: 100 shots in 60 seconds

The recorded and saved operation is the foundation of actions, the continuation of which is batch processing of photos in Photoshop. Reducing the image size solves another important problem for amateurs - reducing the weight of the file. Follow the sequence of actions that will help you process an array of photographs in a short time.

1. Open the Batch Processing dialog: File menu → Automation → Batch Processing.
2. In the drop-down window, select the set in which the size reduction operation is stored.
3. Select operation.
4. In the “Source” line, specify the folder containing the files to be changed.
5. In the “Output folder” line, specify the directory to save.
6. In the “File naming” block, select the necessary values ​​for assigning new names to the processed images. A minimum of two lines must be filled in: the file name and extension. Without this condition, the automated batch processing process will not begin.

To begin the operation, click on “OK” and watch how the images independently open in the working program window, change size and are saved in the folder designated for them.

Renaming: quickly and usefully

In the section “Operations with Images,” an illustrative example was considered on a computer using Adobe Photoshop. Using the algorithm (sequence of actions) of this example, you can perform other image processing operations. Owners of digital cameras are faced with the need to do this because after clearing the drive, new numbering of pictures begins. This causes a conflict when adding photos to the shared pictures folder on your computer. The problem can be easily solved using the automation process.

• Step 1. Open the Actions panel using the keyboard shortcut ALT + F9.
• Step 2. Open the image.
• Step 3. Create a new Rename operation, click OK to start recording the macro.
• Step 4. Without doing anything, save and close the image.
• Step 5. Click on the square icon at the bottom of the “Operations” panel and finish recording.
• Step 6. Open the “Batch Processing” window (menu “File” → “Automation”).
• Step 7 Specify the source folder and the folder to save the renamed files.
• Step 8 In the “File naming” block, select the appropriate naming option from the drop-down list. Please note that it is possible to combine names using multiple lines. Don't forget to add the file extension as the final line.

Changing the extension

Even simple photo processing in Photoshop provides functionality and ease of use. It is not difficult to master the interface of Adobe's graphic editor in Russian. For users working in the English version of the program, we will illustrate the following example using English menu terms.

Let's consider the operation of changing the format. The need for such actions often arises when you want to save photos to mobile devices. For example, there is no point in transferring images in .raw format to a tablet running Android OS. It is preferable to save a file that can be easily played by all devices.

1. Open the image file.
2. Enter the Actions panel from the Window menu.
3. Create a new operation by clicking on the icon in the form of a sheet with a curled corner at the bottom of the panel.
4. Without changing anything in the file, save the image using the Save as... item in the File menu. In the save dialog box, select the desired file extension from the bottom line.
5. Click the square at the bottom of the Actions panel to finish recording the macro.
6. To start batch processing, go to File → Automate → Batch.
7. Select the name of the operation, source folder and directory for saving images from the drop-down lists. Click the "OK" button to begin processing.

Conclusion

It is impossible to describe in a short article all the lessons of photo processing in Photoshop (CS6 or another version), demonstrating the software's potential for automating image editing processes. The described examples give an idea of ​​the principles of batch processing. By recording complex macros, amateurs will expand the range of use of this function and the list of creative tasks that can be solved. All versions of Adobe editors support the described algorithm of actions, so there is no problem with which Photoshop is best for processing photos.

Often there is a need to bring a large number of photographs to the desired size or place a logo on each one. If you do this manually with every image, you can go crazy. Therefore, in this lesson I will describe one of the methods batch photo processing in Photoshop.

In this lesson, we will consider the following problem as an example:

There are many large photographs and they need to be placed on a blog with the site logo. Photos should be no more than 552 px in width and saved using “Save for Web” with a quality of 60% and a sharpen filter should be applied to them for sharpening after resizing.

Let's start implementing batch photo processing in Photoshop

First. Let's create two folders on the computer. Let’s call the first “sources”, the second “results”. We place all our raw photos in the “sources” folder.

Second. Open any image from the “sources” folder in Photoshop and write an Action for it. To do this, on the Action panel, first create a new set (click on the folder icon):

Let's call it “Size + logo”. Immediately after creation, the Action begins recording your actions (the record indicator lights up red).

Third. We make all the necessary changes with the image:

a) Resize using Image/Image Size . Check the boxes Constrain Proportions And Resample Image , and in the Width field set the value to 552 px (this is the width of the column with text on my blog).

b) Add a logo. To do this, click File/Place and find a file with a pre-prepared logo (or watermark) and press the Place button. After this, the logo will appear on the image; you need to place it in the desired place and press Enter.

c) Sharpim. Select the layer with the image in the layers panel and apply Filter/Sharpen .

d) Save the image to the “results” folder using the “Save for Web” command

Fourth. Our Action is ready, so it needs to be stopped. To do this, click on the corresponding icon:

We close the image and delete it from the “results” folder so as not to get confused in the future.

Fifth. Now we need to apply an Action to a group of images. To do this we go to File / Automate / Batch…

Fill in the required fields and check the boxes as in the screenshot:

Click ok and watch how Photoshop does everything for us.

This method is very convenient when you need to prepare some kind of report for a blog or process a bunch of photos with the same settings (for example, increase sharpness or make all photos black and white). These actions can be performed with other programs, and some people claim that it is easier, but for me personally it is easier to do the processing in Photoshop.

Hi all! This time I'll show you some of the basics of automation in Photoshop along with their practical applications. We will create a complex action, build a Droplet based on it, and perform a batch editing operation on an entire folder.

Part I - How to Create an Action in Photoshop

Step 1 - Let's get started!

Not every Photoshop user is a designer. There are many people who need graphical tools that can make their life easier. If you are a photographer or webmaster, this tutorial will help you.

First, place all the photos you want to process in a separate folder. Then open any of these pictures.

We will use it to create Actions in Photoshop.

Step 2 — Setting up actions in Photoshop

To begin, open the Actions window (select Window> Actions or press Alt + F9). Let's create a new Action group.

After creating the group, let's create a specific action. Click on the leaf at the bottom of the Action panel. Let's call the new action "Vintage Halftone".

Once created, pay attention to the three small icons: stop, record and play. For the next step, the recording icon must be active.

Step 3 — Resizing the Image Using Image size

Let's build an action. I will explain how and what to do. Be careful and follow the instructions.

Once you have your photo open and the recording icon is active, start recording your steps.

The first step is to resize the image. Since I'm going to use photos in a web gallery I need to make them smaller. For this I choose Image> and set the width to 700px and check the box to keep the proportions. In addition, a checkbox is required Resample Image and choose Bicubic Shaper (best for reduction).

Do not resize the image using other methods (such as Free Transform). Because this will not work on vertical images.
Click OK and go to the next step.

Step 4 - Copy the image.

Now, it would be good to reset the colors with which we draw. To do this, you can simply use D on your keyboard.

Do not change colors using the color picker or eyedropper.

Then double click on the "Background" layer in the Layers palette. And click "OK"
Drag the layer to the icon "Great new layer", a copy of the layer will be created.
Make sure "Layer 0 copy" is selected and move on to the next step.

Step 5 - Add Diffuse Glow

The "Layer 0 copy" layer is selected and we are going to add a Diffuse Glow filter to it. This will increase the lighting and give a dramatic look to the image. Go to Filter>Filter Gallery and select Distort>Diffuse Glow. Set the values ​​as shown below and click OK.

Step 6 — Changing Opacity and Merge Layers

Don't use the slider to change the opacity value because Photoshop will record each step at each percentage (100, 99, 98, 97...75) and we don't want that.

The resulting layer should be called “Layer 0 copy”.

Step 7 - Gaussian Blur Filter

Duplicate the “Layer 0 copy” layer as described above.

Make sure "Layer 0 copy 2" is selected and go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur, set the radius to 2 pixels and click OK.

Step 8 - Change the Blending Mode of the copy.

Change the Blending Mode of the “Layer 0 copy 2” layer to Overlay.

If you want to try different blending modes, click on the Stop button in the Actions window and experiment! Then click Record, and select the desired blending mode.

Finally, set the Opacity value to 70%.

Step 9 - Create a layer fill

Now, let's add a black background to our work.
To do this, go to Layer >New Fill Layer > Solid Color, click OK and select color #000000.

Move the “Color Fill 1” layer to the very bottom.

Step 10 - Add a Layer Mask

Click on the "Layer 0 copy" thumbnail and select Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All.

Step 11 - Select the Layer Mask

Now we're going to create a random stroke on our photos.
After creating the layer mask, you should click on its thumbnail and then select everything by clicking Ctrl+ A on keyboard.

This is an important step, if you don't click on the layer mask thumbnail you will end up with an ugly result =)

Also, when you select everything, you cannot use the Marquee Tool and make a random selection. If you do this, Photoshop will only store the coordinates as exact numbers for that specific photo, and it won't work for any other.

Step 12 - Selection Transformation

Now select Marquee Tool in the tool palette. Right-click on the selection and select the option Transform Selection.
Pay attention to the top panel, there are two values ​​W and H (this is the width and height, it should be 100%). Click on the small chain in the middle and change the values ​​to 95%. This way you will reduce your allocation by 5%. Click on the checkbox and apply the transformation.

Step 13 - Create a Custom Border

Let's change the selection arbitrarily.

Make sure the "Layer 0 copy" mask is selected.

Then go to Select>Refine edge, and set the value as in the screenshot and click OK.

You should end up with something like this.

If you are working with a different image size, you should play around with the Refine edge values ​​a bit.

Step 14 - Fill the Selection

Now fill the selection with white.

Reset the colors with the D key. Then select the Marquee tool from the Tools palette, right-click and select Fill... In the dialog box, set the settings as in the screenshot.

Finally, press Ctrl + D to deselect it.

Step 15 - Copy the actions

Now let's repeat the process of creating a custom border (steps 10 to 14), but this time on the "Layer 0 copy 2" layer.

These actions can simply be duplicated in the Actions window.
To copy steps, first select "Layer 0 copy 2". Stop recording.

Then select (in the Actions window) all the steps in the boundary creation process, i.e. from “Set Selection” to the step before Select “Layer 0 copy 2”.

Click the button on the right and select Duplicate. They will be copied.
Now simply drag the selected actions below the "Select "Layer 0 copy 2"" step. Start playing the selected fragments.
Finally, click on the last step in the Actions window and start recording.

Step 16 - Processing with Halftone Pattern

Then click on the layer mask thumbnail “Layer 0 copy.” Next, log in Filter>Filter Gallery, and go to Sketch>Halftone Pattern and set the values ​​below, and then click OK.

Step 17 - Add a Photo Filter

Select "Layer 0 copy 2" in the Layers palette and then go to Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer > Photo Filter, select a color (#957345) and set the Density to 100%. Click OK.

Step 18 - Hue/Saturation

Afterwards, let's go Adjustment Layer > Hue Saturation, select the values ​​as in the screenshot and click OK.

Step 19 - Fill a New Layer

In the layers palette, create a new layer and place it above all the others. Let's leave it as "Layer 1." Then Ctrl + A (select all) then select the Marquee tool, right click and select "Fill..." use the foreground color. Everything should be filled with black.

Step 20

Now add a Pattern Overlay effect to “Layer 1”. I use "Gray Granite" from the Grayscale Paper pack.

Step 21 - Rasterize the Layer Effect

Create another layer.
Then Shift+click on the “Layer 1” layer in the Layers palette to select both layers. And press Ctrl + E to combine them.

Step 22 - Change the Blend Mode and Opacity

Now change the Layer 2 Blending Mode to Multiply and the Opacity to 75%.

Step 23 - Flatten image

In the layers palette, select all layers. Right-click and select Flatten image. Finally, in the Actions window, you can click Stop.
That's all! Now we can apply these actions to any photos.

End of Part I – check!

Now it's time to check if your steps work correctly on another photo. To do this, open the photo, find our action (Vintage Halftone) and press the play button.

Before moving forward, it's a good idea to save the action itself.
To do this, select the "site" action set in the "Actions" window, and then go to the advanced options (the icon in the upper right) and select Save Actions... Enter a name for your action and save it anywhere.
Now you can move on to batch editing.

Part II - Batch processing of photos in Photoshop

Step 1 — Create a Droplet for Batch Processing

Droplets apply actions to one or more images, or even a folder if you drag them onto the droplet icon.
You can save the droplet anywhere and use it as many times as needed. To create a droplet, go to File > Automate > Create droplet... There you can see all the many options.

First select the source photos folder and save the droplet there.. For the destination folder I will select a different folder.

You can also customize the name of the resulting image by adding custom text, number sequence, extension, and clicking maximum compatibility. Once you have configured the droplet, click OK.

Step 2 - Working with the droplet.

Now open your images folder. Select and drag the desired images onto the droplet icon. You will see that Photoshop will automatically edit the selected images and save them to the specified folder.

Conclusion

Automating actions in Photoshop can sometimes save a lot of time. Future designers, webmasters and photographers should be able to use it.

I recommend trying these techniques with your photography =)

When a novice photographer is faced with the need to process a large number of photographs, the question inevitably arises: How to reduce the time spent on processing, how to automate routine operations?

To do this, Adobe Photoshop has several tools in its arsenal: operations or actions, scripts or scripts, and droplets.

Operations, otherwise called action, macros or macro commands are recorded and saved actions on an image that can be applied to another image and also used in batch processing. Actions are also the basis for creating droplets.

Droplet is a small application, a kind of program that automatically processes all images dragged onto it. The droplet icon can be placed, for example, on the desktop and folders with images can be dragged onto it for processing.

Scripts or scripts are also programs, but written in one of the scripting programming languages. The use of scripts allows you to automate operations for which it is impossible to write an action, that is, the capabilities of scripts are much wider. The only negative is that to write scripts you need to master certain programming languages, for example, Java Script.

In this article we will record a simple action and look at how to use it in batch processing using the command Image processor

As an example, let's take the method of toning photographs using color fill in blend mode Hard light. Here is the original photo

First, let's create a set into which we will place the operation to be recorded. To create a set, click on the folder icon in the Operations palette. In the dialog box that opens, enter the name of the set.

Now, with active typing, click on the icon for creating a new operation

In the dialog box that opens, enter the name of the operation. If necessary, assign a color and keyboard shortcut so you can quickly launch the operation. Click Write down to start the recording process. Now in the palette Operations The recording icon will be active and turn red.

Before you start recording, it is advisable to plan all the steps and write them down on paper. A well-planned action works without errors and the stability of its operation does not depend on which version of the program is used, Russian or English. A properly recorded action will work in any environment. If this is not the case, it means that methodological errors were made during planning and recording, for example, the names of layers or channels were written down.

Now let's create an adjustment layer Color. To do this, click on the icon for creating an adjustment layer in the palette Layers, then select a layer from the list Color.

In the dialog box that opens, select the desired color. It is necessary in advance, even when preparing for recording, to write down the values ​​of this color along the RGB channels, so that you can then enter it and immediately get the desired color.

Change the layer blend mode to Hard light

We will get something like this

Now you need to weaken the effect of the correction layer on the skin. Skin is known to be lightest in the red channel of the image. Let's make the adjustment layer mask active. To do this, press the key combination CTRL+\. The active layer mask will be surrounded by a frame

Now let's load the red channel of the image onto the mask. To do this, go to the menu Image - External channel. In the dialog box that opens, set the following settings Layer - Background, since it is from the background layer that we will use the red channel. Channel - Red, you need to check the box on the right Invert, since for the mask we need just the inverted red channel, Overlay - Normal, Opacity - 100%. After completing the settings, click OK. The adjustment layer's effect is now rendered through a mask based on the inverted red channel, which looks like this:

We got a slight toning effect on the image

You can now stop recording the action. Then, returning the image to its original state using the palette Story, you need to check the operation of the action. Now it can be used for batch processing.

Batch processing is best done using a script Image processor. It can be found in the menu File - Scripts - Image Processor.

Or, which is much more convenient, you can run the image processor from the module Bridge, having previously selected photos for processing in it. In Bridge Image processor is in the menu Tools -Photoshop - Image Processor.

Set Batch Processing Options in the Dialog Box Image processor is not difficult. You need to select the location to save the files, the format and quality of saving, as well as a set of actions and the action itself that needs to be applied to the selected images.

Batch file processing is indispensable when working with a large number of images that require the same type of editing. Almost any routine operation related to processing (batch mode) can be completed much faster this way.

For graphic formats, various transformation options are possible: from changing the size and format of the image, adding a watermark and text, to applying effects and filters. It is noteworthy that many image viewing programs already have similar functions built into them. In addition, as an alternative, there are separate processing programs - converters.

Next, we will consider methods of batch processing of images by level of complexity from the simplest to using the functions of packages such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. At the end of the review there is a comparison table (Table 1) and a conversion test (Diagram 1).

Image Tuner

A simple program that works on the “one window” principle and is not too complicated with settings. Files for processing are added on the left side of the window, and conversion parameters are indicated on the right. A preview is available by clicking on the image thumbnail.

Transformation options include changing the hue, size, orientation of the image, and adding a watermark. There are filters available, but they are so simple that they don’t even have settings and for some reason are hidden in the “Resize” section. Half of the settings are in English, the rest is translated into Russian.

The number of formats for saving is small - only 5. At the input, Image Tuner supports such popular formats as JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TIFF, as well as RAW, NEF and others.

So a very simple converter for very basic image processing.

The IrfanView viewer, while free and small in size, supports and includes converter functions, accessible through the “Batch Conversion/Rename...” menu. There are three modes to choose from: batch renaming, conversion and mixed.

About 20 formats are available for saving (the “Output format” menu), although the parameters are not available for each of them.

The selection of other transformations is only possible when activating “Use advanced options...” by clicking the “Advanced” button. Settings allow you to resize, crop the image, flip horizontally or vertically, add a watermark - a standard set for a graphics viewer.

However, in practice it becomes clear that the “advanced” options are not at all intuitive: the thing is that there is no preview window (the preview in the main window refers to the original image). Of course, you can crop a photo or change its size pixel by pixel. How to deal with filters for adjusting brightness, balance and other color parameters when you need to specify numbers? Based on the above, after applying the transformations and exiting “Advanced”, the changes can only be seen after the conversion is complete. But a test mode is available for batch renaming of files.

Thus, IrfanView cannot be called a convenient image converter. It can be used only for basic transformations that do not require advance planning: changing the image orientation, size and saving format.

AVS Image Converter is part of the AVS4You suite of image processing programs. Apparently, this is why the 27 MB distribution kit (which is not so small for a converter) includes the Software Navigator and Update Manager auxiliary utilities.

There are 8 supported image formats for recording, and a little more than 20 for reading. For processing, you can import photos from Flickr or Facebook accounts (after prior authorization).

The graphical interface is friendly to the inexperienced user: some functions are simplified or replaced by presets. When resizing images, presets are available for different monitors and standard photo aspect ratios, which is especially useful when publishing online.

There are few conversion settings (the “Correction” tab): changing brightness, contrast, color temperature; blur/sharpen effects, adding texture. The last tab is “Watermark”, which allows you to overlay an image or text on a photo.

FastStone Photo Resizer

Most of all, the batch conversion here is reminiscent of IrfanView. But, unlike the latter, FastStone Photo Resizer is not so “hostile” towards the user and provides convenient advanced options.

The interface is divided into two parts - which is not very rational, since the area for selecting files takes up most of the workspace.

After adding images to the conversion queue, you can specify the output image format (“Output Format”) and the saving folder (“Output Folder”).

To access transformation tools, the “Use Advanced Options (Resize...)” option is activated. The set of transformations is purely basic: resizing, perspective, adding text, a watermark, a frame. Settings can be saved or loaded from a configuration file, just like in most reviewed programs. There is no viewing window.

A separate “Batch Rename” tab contains a tool for batch renaming files. In addition to the standard name change using a mask, the “Search and Replace” function is interesting; with its help, it is easy to correct the name of files without completely changing the name.

XnConvert is a spin-off from the popular image viewer XnView. In fact, all the same actions performed in the XnConvert environment can be performed in XNView (as discussed below), however, the standalone converter has a number of differences. First of all, it is not intended for viewing. On the one hand, nothing distracts from the functionality. On the other hand, if you need to find out the most basic information about the source file, you have to turn to another viewer program.

To begin working with the program, you need to specify the files to be processed (drag and drop is supported, you can also specify using buttons). Please note that at the top there are columns for sorting. When you click on any of them in the context menu, you can choose from many other options - the list is huge. However, it would be more convenient if the files were displayed in the form of a table rather than thumbnails - then it would be convenient to view information about the source files, but there is simply none, and the sorting is somewhat “conditional” in nature - it is not clear what it is for.

The main tab where the list of transformations is collected is “Actions”. For a free program, the number of settings is pleasantly surprising. Transformations are divided into 4 groups:

• Image - for the most part, working with transformation and file properties.
• Correction - working with levels, color.
• Filter - applying blurring, sharpening, and changing focus effects.
• Miscellaneous - for the most part, all the same effects.

The output data tab specifies options for saving processed files: name mask, location and graphic format. For popular formats (JPG, GIF, PNG, etc.) it is possible to specify additional saving options. There is an inconspicuous, but very useful export option - you can upload processed photos to a Picasa or Flickr account, package or send via FTP or email.

Import/export of scripts (transformation settings) are available at the bottom of the window, the “Load script” button.

A huge number of formats are also available for reading - more than 500 (of those supported by the XNView viewer), with the caveat that specific ones require the installation of GhostScript or a CAD plugin.

Briefly about the possibilities of batch photo processing in XnView. The settings window can be called up through the “Tools - Batch Processing...” menu.

First of all, the interface is different from XNConvert. It consists of only two tabs, the first one specifies the format and saving options. In the second tab there is a list of transformations that, to activate and configure, need to be added to the right side of the window. The ability to save scripts is also provided, but the format is not compatible with XnConvert: here XBS, in XNConvert - BAT.

Setting up conversions in Photo Converter

Adobe Photoshop

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Of course, the necessary tools for batch photo conversion are built into the Adobe Photoshop graphics package. The current version is CS6, the review considers CS5. Processing can be done using actions, a Batch operation (“File - Automate - Batch…”) or an Image Processor script (“File - Scripts - Image Processor…”).

First way

First, through the Actions palette, an action is recorded that will be applied to each image. It is best to take a “test sample” for this purpose. At this step, the list of possible transformations is limited only by Photoshop tools. Next, the Action is saved to a specific Set. Once finished, the action can be edited anywhere: for example, optimized by removing unnecessary actions.

To mass-apply an action, after recording and editing it, you need to go to the “File - Automate - Batch...” menu. In the “Play” settings group, the desired action is selected, the source and destination folder are determined. Additionally, you can specify a mask for naming files.

Second way

Most often, the second processing method using the Image Processor script will be more acceptable. It is convenient for performing simple actions such as changing the format or resizing an image. You can access the settings through the menu “File - Scripts - Image Processor...”. The convenience of the approach is that there is no need to record the action. All other settings are almost the same as the above method. Saving is only possible in JPEG/PSD/TIFF.

Program	Terms of distribution	Functionality		Formats
		Filters/effects	Preview	Reading	Record
Image Tuner	Freeware	Yes	Yes	30+	5
IrfanView	Freeware	Yes	No	80+	20+
AVS Image Converter	Shareware	Yes	Yes	20+	8
FastStone Photo Resizer	Freeware	No	Yes	30+	500+
XnConvert	Freeware	Yes	Yes	500+	30+
XnView	Freeware	Yes	No	500+	30+
Photo Converter (Pro)	trial	Yes	Yes	400+	30+
Adobe Photoshop	trial	Yes	No		JPG
Adobe Lightroom	trial	Yes	No		3

Converting images 4288×2848 → 1024×680, JPG format 100% (all settings are set to default, quality 100%), conversion algorithm and progressive method are disabled.

Diagram 1. Comparison of processing speed in image resizing mode

It was not possible to determine the speed of operation in the Photo Converter program, since the shareware version only allows processing of 5 images.