Save lots of time and effort by
simultaneously making the same adjustments to groups of photos, using
IrfanView’s powerful batch conversion too.
IrfanView, named after creator
IrfanSkiljan, is a fast, compact, and easy-to-use image viewer that can handle
a wide variety of graphic file formats and is free to download. IrfanView lets
you view, edit and convert image files, and enables you to work in batches.
Batch converting your images will save
you an unbelievable amount of time. Want to upload your best images online, but
don’t want them in high resolution? Use IrfanView to resize and alter the
quality of all of them in few minutes. Maybe you’ve shot your images using your
camera’s RAW format and your photo editor won’t recognise them. Just convert
the whole lot to JPG, in one quick and easy go. Or perhaps you’ve been out
shooting in particular lighting conditions and all of your images need the same
adjustments – that’s easy too using IrfanView’s advanced settings.
At a glance
Skill level: straightforward
Time taken: 20 mins
Suitable for: Windows 7, Windows Vista,
Windows XP
IrfanView
lets you view, edit and convert image files, and work in batches.
Best
tip
Take time to explore all the advanced
options and settings – you may not need to use a separate image editor.
Step-by-step batch convert your images
Download
IrfanView
Download
IrfanView
Head to www.irfanview.com. Click the
‘Download’ link on the left-hand side of the homepage. You’ll see a list of
different places where you can download IrfanView for free. Choose the CNET
download, which has been tested and is safe and spyware free. Click on the
green ‘Download’ button and follow the automatic download prompts.
Setting
up
Setting
up
A set-up menu will now appear. Click
on ‘Next’ twice, and then you should get to the page that says: ‘Do you want to
associate extensions with IrfanView?’ Work your way through the list, checking
any image file formats you use. If you’re not sure what formats your photos are
in, then click ‘Select all’ to be on the safe side. Click ‘Next’, then ‘Done’.
Choose
files
Get
started with your batch conversion
To get started with your batch
conversion, open up IrfanView, click on ‘File’ in the Toolbar menu and then
select ‘Batch conversion / rename’. In the Batch Conversion dialogue box,
select all the images you want to convert (hold down the [Shift] key to select
several simultaneously), via the ‘Look in’ box on the right-hand side. Now click
on the ‘Add’ button.
Find
a home
Tell
IrfanView where you want the files to be saved.
Now you need to tell IrfanView where
you want the files to be saved on your computer after they’ve been converted.
Want them in the same folder you got them from? Click the ‘Use current [‘look
in’] directory’ button. Want them in a different folder? Click the ‘Browse’
button under ‘Output directory’ and navigate to where you want them to go.
Convert
file format
Convert
file format
In the top left of the IrfanView
window, under ‘Work as’, select ‘Batch conversion’. Under ‘Batch conversion
settings’, use the drop-down Output Format menu to select the file format you
would like to convert all of your images to. Don’t want to change the file
format? Simply select the format the images are already in, and they’ll stay
that way.
Convert
file quality
Convert
file quality
Need your images made smaller for use
online, or because you want to email them to someone? Click on the ‘Options’
button next to the ‘Output format’ menu. Use the slider to determine the
quality of the new image files you’re creating and then choose a new file size
for all of your images by manually inputting a size into the ‘Set file size’
box.
Get
advanced
Get
advanced
To move past simple file and quality
conversions, check ‘Use advanced options’ in the Output Format menu and then
click the ‘Advanced’ button to its right. Work your way through the many file
size and editing options until you have done everything you want. Remember, any
changes will be applied to all of the images you’ve selected. Click ‘OK’.
Batch convert
Batch
convert
Once you’ve chosen all the changes you
want, click on the ‘Start batch’ button in the bottom left-hand side. You’ll be
able to see the files being processed. When it’s finished, click the ‘Exit
batch’ button. Your converted images will now be in the folder you specified.
That’s it – you’ve successfully batch edited a group of photographs. Well done!
