Batch image software

With a batch image software you can apply a list of tasks tremendously fast to a huge number of pictures. E.g. You want to resize a collection of pictures to 400 x 300 pixels, add a watermark, sharpen them a little bit.

Fundamental batch image software or image batch processors do just only that, processing a collection of images. Tell them what to do and tell them to which pictures it should be done. Run. Finished.

A good method is to copy all the images you want to process into one folder (directory). Then let the batch process save the resulting files into a sister folder or a child folder.

Many photo editors and image viewers having (sometimes reduced) batch processing capabilities too, they are entitled to belong to the batch image software family too.

Some will just let you resize your images as a batch process. Others will just let you convert your images as a batch process. And a few of them offer quite complete batch image software capabilities.

However to apply a big list of corrections and effects to your photos through a batch process, you will probably need a specialized batch image software.

Specialized batch image software

The Rea Converter is a specialized software for image batch processing. It lets you save the file list, the actions and the save parameters separately for future re-use. Actions mean resizing, sharpening, watermark and many more. The save parameters include the target folder, the file format, the file renaming choices and more. Easy batch processing of folders with all their sub-folders.

Photo editors and viewers

Among the photo editors and other photo software I did test, these are the ones that are able to run a batch process:

With PhotoPhilia

you can define, run and save a batch scenario that may apply quite any action you would be able to apply manually within the editor part of the software. That includes resizing, cropping, expanding, flipping, rotating, skewing, brightness, contrast, gamma correction, stretching intensity, inverting, modifying saturation and hue, changing color resolution, the available effects like posterize, mosaic, sharpen, emboss etc. Photophilia can easily compete with dedicated image batch processors.

Zoner Photo Studio

has also good batch image features. The actions that can be executed in a batch process are conversion, advanced resize, color edits, borders, text, overlay image.

With Photo Cleaner you can run a batch with the same settings you would apply to single photos. That is resizing, auto RGB correction (color cast correction), auto levels correction, adding text, sharpening and adding a frame.
The only one that masters adaptable contrast and color cast improvement (within certain limits) through a batch process. More about it at batch photo enhancement.

With Paint Shop Pro you can convert your photos through a batch process.
Note: The Paint Shop Pro Version tested is version 5.
The currently available version is version 8 and features may be different.

With Ultimate paint you can convert your photos through a batch process.

With Cam2pc you can convert and resize your photos through a batch process.

Read also the following pages:
- batch image conversion if you need only to convert images via a batch process,
- batch image resizing if you need only to resize images via a batch process
- batch photo enhancement if you are looking for a solution to correct color casts and enhance exposure/contrast through a batch process.