The tech helper: Batch processing your digital images

By Jay Dougherty Apr 6, 2011, 2:06 GMT

Washington - Most people have digital camera files - and lots of them. The challenge with all of those files is not just in keeping up with the ever-growing storage demands but in figuring out how to process dozens or even hundreds of photographs - referred to as 'batch processing' - without spending hours or days at the computer. The good news: there are tools that can help.

Q: I need to rename a bunch of files. Is there a free utility that can help me to do this? I use Windows 7.

A: If you use Windows, there's really no need for a separate utility to rename a bunch of image files - or any files - if they are all located in the same folder.

Here's what you do. Open the Windows Explorer file manager, and navigate to the folder that's full of digital photo files that you want to rename. Select all of the files in the folder by pressing Ctrl+A or, if you have the menus activated, by opening the Edit menu and choosing Select All.

Now that all the files are selected, right-click the first file, and from the pop-up menu, select Rename. The name of the first file is now highlighted, ready to be edited. Move the cursor to the beginning of the file name, and type something descriptive, such as 'vacation 2011.' Press Enter, and 'vacation 2011' will be added to the beginning of all of the files in the folder.

If you want to rename files that are scattered throughout several folders, then a third-party file renamer is in order. The free IrfanView (http://www.irfanview.com) has a powerful batch renaming feature - accessible simply by pressing the letter B from within the program or by opening the File menu and clicking Batch Conversion/Rename. With it, you can add photos from multiple directories and then perform the renaming operating to your specification.

Q: The files from my digital camera are huge. I need to shrink them before uploading them to an online forum. Is there a tool that will do this for me without changing the originals?

A: You're looking for an image resizing tool. Actually, image resizing is a function built in to most image browsers these days, including the popular Google Picasa. But there are dedicated resizing tools as well, and often they're easier to use because they have just one primary function.

BD Sizer (http://www.photo-freeware.net/bdsizer.php) is one such tool. You simply point it to the folder full of images that you'd like to resize, fill out the resizing parameters in the left-hand pane, and then click the Apply in Batch button to start the procedure. BD Sizer can also apply simple frames to the photos in one pass.

FastStone Photo Resizer (http://www.faststone.org/FSResizerDetail.htm) is another free tool that performs the same functions as BD Sizer, minus the framing option.

Q: I've started to enjoy seeing my digital photos in black and white. I have a black and white mode on my camera, but I would rather take the pictures in colour and convert them later. Is there some way to convert a folder full of photos to black and white without changing the originals?

A: You're wise to shoot your images first in colour. After all, even though there's a black-and-white setting on many digital cameras, converting your images later through software allows you both to keep a colour copy in case you want it and to have more control over how the black-and-white images look, once converted.

Most image browsing applications, including IrfanView, can batch convert a folder full of colour images to black and white. In IrfanView, open the Batch Conversion dialog box by pressing the letter B from within the application or opening the File menu and clicking Batch Conversion/Rename. From the Batch Conversion dialog box, clicking the Options button will open a Save Options dialog box, from which you can select the checkbox labeled 'Save as grayscale JPG.' Then just proceed to convert a folder full of images, and they will be transformed into black-and-white versions.

Q: I'm interested in converting a lot of image files from one format to another. Is there a free tool that can help?

A: Bulk (or batch) file format conversion is a feature built in to many image viewing applications. But you can also turn to a free tool such as Photo Magician (http://bit.ly/ar3ejo) for quick format conversions. This tool offers both a 'full' and a 'quick convert' mode, with the latter being just a small magician's hat, similar to a desktop gadget, into which you can drop photos that you would like to convert. The full mode is the one you'll want for batch conversions, however.

--- Have a tech question? Send it to jaydougherty.dpa@gmail.com.

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