In the macOS, you can easily convert images in bulk using the Preview application on your system. However, if you work constantly requires you to convert images, then you can create a Folder Action which can get the job done quickly and easily.
This guide will show you a step-by-step process on how you can do this. For this, we will be using Folder Action that will automatically convert images dropped into the folder to your desired extension. That too without the need for you to open the image in any application.
Guide to create auto image converting folder in your Mac
Step 1: Open the “Automator” application on your system. You can do so by going to the Applications folder or from the Launcher. You can also press Command + Space bar and type in Automator in the Spotlight Search to open the app.
Step 2: When the application opens, select the “New Document” button from the top-left corner.
Step 3: It will now ask you to choose the type of document. From the given options, click on “Folder Action” and then click on “Choose” at the bottom-right corner.
The Info window in Photos reveals the image’s file name. Select the image in Photos. Click the i (information) button. Mac 911 cannot reply to email or publish answers to every question. Here's how to customize your Mac's icons, for free, in just a couple simple steps. Customizing your desktop icons isn't strictly a time waster. Open the image you want to use for the folder's.
Step 4: At the top of the workflow area, click the dropdown next to “Folder Action receives files and folders added to:” and then select “Other…”.
Step 5: Now, select the folder that you would like to attribute the image conversion process.
Step 6: From the Library option in the sidebar on the far left, select “Photos”.
Step 7: From the Actions column, drag “Change Type of Images” to the workflow area on the right side.
Step 8: You will now be asked if you want your action to convert copies of images placed in the folder and preserve the originals, select “Add”. If you want it to convert the original images, select “Don’t Add”.
Step 9: In the Change Type of Images action panel, choose the type of format that you want images to be converted to. Here, we are selecting JPG.
Step 10: Now in the menu bar, select File > Save… or press Command-S. Name the file action to whatever you like and then click on “Save”.
That’s it. Now, whenever you want to convert an image to JPG format, just drag and drop the file into this folder and the process will be automatically done. You can also do the same using other actions, such as “Quick Action” and “Applications”. More about that will be covered in upcoming guides.
We have written a lot of guides related to Windows 10, macOS, Android, iOS, Chromebooks, among others. So, make sure to check out our Guides section for more of such helpful guides and tips.
This Applescript was created by user code!z and published at Github: ImportPhotoFolders where you can download an already compiled and saved Applescript file. With his permission I'm publishing the script here.
When run it will import selected folders of image files into your Photos library and create albums in the sidebar for each folder with the same name as the folder.
Open Script Editor and paste the following into its window:
onrun
set folderList to (choose folderwith multiple selections allowed)
tellapplication 'Photos'
activate
delay 2
endtell
repeatwith baseFolder in folderList
importEachSubFolder(baseFolder, null)
endrepeat
endrun
on importEachSubFolder(aFolder, parentFolder)
tellapplication 'Finder'
set albumName to (name of aFolder astext)
set subFolders toeveryfolderof aFolder
endtell
if (countof subFolders) > 0 then
set fotoFolder to createFotoFolder(aFolder, albumName, parentFolder)
repeatwith eachFolder in subFolders
importEachSubFolder(eachFolder, fotoFolder)
endrepeat
else
set fotoFolder to parentFolder
endif
importFotos(aFolder, albumName, fotoFolder)
end importEachSubFolder
on importFotos(aFolder, albumName, parentFolder)
set imageList to getImageList(aFolder)
if imageList is {} thenreturn
set fotoAlbum to createFotoAlbum(albumName, parentFolder)
tellapplication 'Photos'
withtimeoutof 600 seconds
import imageList into fotoAlbum skip check duplicates no
endtimeout
endtell
end importFotos
on createFotoFolder(aFolder, folderName, parentFolder)
tellapplication 'Photos'
if parentFolder isnullthen
make new folder named folderName
else
make new folder named folderName at parentFolder
endif
endtell
end createFotoFolder
on createFotoAlbum(albumName, parentFolder)
tellapplication 'Photos'
Documents Folder On Mac
if parentFolder isnullthen
make new album named albumName
else
make new album named albumName at parentFolder
endif
endtell
end createFotoAlbum
on getImageList(aFolder)
set extensionsList to {'jpg', 'png', 'tiff', 'JPG', 'jpeg', 'gif', 'JPEG', 'PNG', 'TIFF', 'GIF', 'MOV', 'mov', 'MP4', 'mp4', 'MPG', 'mpg', 'BMP', 'bmp', 'TIF', 'tif', 'AVI', 'avi', 'PSD', 'psd', 'ai', 'AI', 'orf', 'ORF', 'nef', 'NEF', 'crw', 'CRW', 'cr2', 'CR2', 'dng', 'DNG', 'PEF', HEIC'}
Home Folder Mac
tellapplication 'Finder' toset theFiles toeveryfileof aFolder whose name extension isin extensionsList
set imageList to {}
repeatwith i from 1 tonumberofitemsin theFiles
set thisItem toitem i of theFiles asalias
settheendof imageList to thisItem
endrepeat
imageList
end getImageList
This code will produce the following:
For this folder configuration on the hard drive: You'll get the following configuration in Photos:
For this folder configuration on the hard drive: You'll get this configuration in Photos:
Again, thanks to code!z for his contribution of this script.
You can download a compiled version of the script as an application from this tutorial site: P01 - Applescripts from Photos’ User Tips Compiled as Applications. Both versions will be downloaded by the same link.