For users who enjoy photography for both personal and professional use, it is likely that on occasion they have encountered the need to batch convert images. This task is often quite tedious since making the same change to a large number of photos can be frustrating. Luckily there are applications that allow you to edit and resize images in batches to make this task easier, such as XnConvert, which we will talk about next.
XnConvert is a batch image conversion tool that is characterized by being cross-platform, fast, powerful, and also free. With it, we can transfer all our photos from one format to another in a comfortable way, automating their editing. In this way we can rotate, convert and compress a large number of images at the same time, as well as apply more than 80 different actions (crop, add filters, make color adjustments, change the size, etc.)
This powerful program supports more than 500 different image formats and common graphics, including JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, WEBP, PSD, JPEG2000, Open EXR, RAW, HEIC, PDF, DNG, CR2, among others. It also has the possibility to save and reuse the photographic retouching list that we use regularly to apply them on other batch image conversion with a simple click. All this is done preserving the original folder directory structure and making it possible to control the name of the images.
Main features
- Multiplatform (Windows, Mac and Linux in editions of 32 and 64 bits).
- Multilingual (includes more than 20 translations including Spanish).
- Compatibility with more than 500 formats.
- It allows exporting approximately 70 different file formats.
- It includes more than 80 different actions (Metadata editing, transformations, adjustments, filters, effects, etc).
Batch convert and edit images
Once we run the application, its main menu appears immediately with a simple and neat interface, completely translated into Spanish. At the top we find a tool bar divided into tabs for “Input”, “Actions”, “Output”, “Status” and “Settings”.
Entry
We start from the “Entry” tab, which is the first one that appears active and in it we must add our images . For this we can use the buttons “Add files …” or “Add folder …” that we find in the lower left. We can also drag and drop them directly in the box that covers the entire center of the screen. In the event that we have made a mistake when entering an image, we can delete it using the “Delete” and “Delete all” buttons that we find in the lower right part.
Once we have entered the images at the top, we have the option to “View as”. From here we can select how we want the preview of the images to appear , either by “Small thumbnails”, “Thumbnails”, “Large thumbnails” or in “List”. The images that we have added can be sorted by “Name”, “Size”, “Modification date”, “Creation date”, “EXIF date”, “Property”, “Print size”, “Type”, etc.
Actions
If we go to the “Actions” tab, we can make different types of editing to our images. By clicking on the “Add Action” button, a drop-down menu will appear with the options of “Image”, “Map”, “Filter” and “Miscellaneous”. Within each group we will find a large number of actions with which to edit and make adjustments to our photos.
Within the “Image” action , we will find functions such as resizing, cropping, replacing color, adding a watermark, adding a mask, among others. Included in the “Map” function , we can find actions such as adjusting the brightness, color balance, saturation, temperature, light / shadow, among others. In the “Filter” section we can make a blur, soften, make the edges, reduce noise, etc. Finally, in the “Miscellaneous” option we can add noise, 3D edge, deinterlace, make a Polaroid effect, among others.
On the right side we have a preview of the image from where we can see it before or after the actions that we have been adding.
Exit
In the “Output” tab we find various configuration options for converting the images . On the one hand, we can select the folder where the conversions will be located, as well as the file name. Within the “Format” tab, on the right side we can choose the format to which we want to convert our image such as JPG, RAW, GIF, etc. In the “Options” and “Multipage” sections we can mark or unmark the boxes according to our interests. Here we can choose to keep the folder structure, keep the Metadata, etc.
State
Once we have finished editing all the parameters of our conversion, we only have to click on the “Convert” button , which we find in the lower right part and the program will begin the process. In the “Status” tab we can see the entire process , showing us, once completed, the source files, the extracted pages and the new files, as well as the total duration and the date of completion.
Download XnConvert
XnConvert is a program provided as Freeware for private or educational use (including non-profit organizations) without including any type of Adware or Spyware. Therefore, we can download it for free from its website . It is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. It is currently available in version 1.85.1 which corresponds to May 2020, so it has a good update policy from the developer.
Alternatives to XnConvert
If we need an application with which to be able to edit and perform batch file conversions, we propose a couple of alternatives to XnConvert to take into account:
rEASYze
This tool allows us to edit and convert a large number of images applying the same predetermined pattern and with the push of a button. The application also allows us to rotate images, add watermarks, make brightness adjustments, cutouts and apply effects. This program is completely free and portable that we can download from the developer’s website .
Flexxi
We are facing a free and open source application with which we can batch resize images simultaneously. It also has the ability to adjust the image to the size of the screen, as well as zoom tools or choose the resolution. It has support for a wide number of image formats, including the most popular ones such as JPG, PNG, GIF, etc. We can download Flexxi for free from this link.