Batch JPEG Workflow

Recommended sequence of steps for creating JPEG copies of multiple images

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This workflow assumes you have a large number of images and you need to create JPEG copies of them as simply and quickly as possible.  If you are processing a single image, you may want to refer to the Web, email and Projection Workflow page.

This workflow will work with many different file types, including Raw, DNG, TIFF, PSD, GIF and even JPEG.

 

Remember, just because a step is listed here, does not mean it has to be done.

 

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1. Go to the Downloads page and download the action set TZ-Actions-JPEG.
   1. Do I need this action?
      1. No.  This action set allows you to change a file's resolution and adjust overall image brightness if the image was optimized on one operating system and is to be displayed on another.  For example, optimized on a Windows based computer and will be displayed on a Mac computer.
      2.  
2. Place the action file in Photoshop's Presets\Actions folder.
3. Open Photoshop.
4. Activate the Actions panel.
5. Click the flyout menu icon .  The flyout menu will be displayed.
6. Click Load Action.
7. Use the Load dialog box to browse to the action TZ-Actions-JPEG.atn.
8. Highlight it and click the Load Button.

 

1. If Photoshop is open, close any open files.
2. Open Adobe Bridge.
3. Make sure the file navigation panels are visible.  How?
   1. Either click Window > Folders Panel or Window > Favorites Panel.  In CS2, click Window > Workspace > Reset to Default Workspace.
   2.  
4. Using either the Favorites panel or the Folders panel, create a new folder.  This folder will contain copies of the images to be processed and will be referred to as the target folder.  How do I create a folder?
   1. Navigate to the area where you want the new folder to be created.
   2. Click File > New Folder.  A folder with the default name of New Folder will be created.
   3. In the Content panel, rename the folder.
       
5. Use the file navigation panels to browse to the folder(s) containing the images you wish to process.
6. In the Content panel, click the image you wish to process.  If more than one image is to be processed, Ctrl + click (Command + click) each additional image.
7. Click Edit > Copy.
8. In the file navigation panel, highlight the target folder created in Step 4.
9. Click Edit > Paste.  The files will be copied to the target folder.
10. Repeat steps 5 through 9 until all the files you wish to process have been copied to the target folder.

 

In these steps, we sort the files in the order we wish them to be viewed and give them a common name and sequence number so they will stay in the desired order.

1. In the target folder, arrange the images in the order you wish them to be viewed.
   1. Tell me how?
      1. In the Content panel, click and drag each image to place them in the desired order.
      2. If you have many images, you can use the top handle of the Content panel to enlarge the panel and then use the slider to make the thumbnails smaller.
          
2. Click Edit > Select All.
3. Click Tools > Batch Rename.  The Batch Rename dialog box will be displayed.
4. For Destination Folder, select Rename in same folder.
5. In the first New Filenames drop down box, select Text.
6. In the text field, type the name that will be used as the prefix, such as JohnDoe.
   1. Avoid special characters.  Why?
      1. Avoid special characters, especially the underscore character _ and spaces.  The underscore character may not be processed correctly by a web server or scripting language.
      2. To be safe, file names should be limited to the characters a through z (both upper and lower case), the numbers 0 through 9 and the dash -.
          
   2. Be careful with upper and lower case.  Why?
      1. Inconsistent use of upper and lower case may cause problems if the files are loaded onto a web server.  A file whose actual name is MyImage.jpg on a web server but is coded in the web page as src="myimage.jpg" will not be found if the web server is Unix or Linux based because these operating systems are case sensitive.  While Windows based web servers are not case sensitive, it is best to use a consistent naming standard.
      2.  
7. If a second New Filenames drop down box is not visible, click the plus sign + to display another drop down box.
8. In the second drop down box, select Sequence Number.
9. Make sure value is 1.
10. If the number of images to be processed is 1 to 9, select the option One Digit.  If 10 to 99, select Two Digits.  If 100 to 999, select Three Digits.  If 1,000 to 9,999, select Four digits and so on.
11. If additional New Filenames drop down boxes are visible, click their minus sign - to remove them.
12. Check the appropriate Compatibility options.
    1. What does this mean?
       1. By enabling these options, Photoshop will convert any invalid character used in the file name to a legitimate one.  Unfortunately, this conversion is not always shown in the Preview area.  Only until you click Run and the files are renamed will all invalid characters be converted.  Invalid characters are usually converted to a dash - or the underscore _ character.  The underscore character is not a character the web author recommends for a file that is to be loaded onto a web server.
       2. To be safe, file names should be limited to the characters a through z (both upper and lower case), the numbers 0 through 9 and the dash -.
           
13. Click the Rename button.  The files will be renamed.

 

1. Make sure the newly renamed files are still selected.
2. Click Tools > Photoshop > Image Processor.  Photoshop will open, if not already open, and the Image Processor dialog box will be displayed.
3. In section 1, make sure the number following the statement Process files from Bridge only (n), is the correct number of files.  If not, click Cancel and reselect the files in Bridge.
4. Do not check Open first image to apply settings.
5. In section 2, select Save in Same Location.
6. In section 3, select Save as JPEG.
7. Enter a desired Quality if you do not want to use the default.  Quality must be a number between 0 and 12 inclusive.
8. Check Convert Profile to sRGB.
9. Check Resize to Fit.
10. Enter the desired maximum values for width and height.  For example, 1400 for width and 1050 for height.
    1. Will this force all images to be exactly the same size?
       1. No.  This feature will not change the aspect ratio of the image.  You are specifying a maximum limit for each dimension.  As Photoshop resizes each image, it will resize it so as not to exceed the specified limit for the longest side of the image.
       2.  
    1. What do I do if no image can have a side longer than a specific number, such as 650 pixels?
       1. Set both width and height to that number.  In the example of 650 pixels, by setting width to 650 and height to 650, no image will have a side longer than 650.
       2.  
11. In section 4, select the appropriate Run Action.
    1. What are my choices?
       1. Unchecked:  Leave this option unchecked if you do not want any Actions to execute.
       2. 72ppi only:  Changes file resolution to 72 ppi.  While the previous steps will change the pixel dimensions and save the file as JPEG, it will not change file resolution.  If you want to change file resolution to 72 ppi, select this action.
       3. 72ppi Win2Mac:  Changes file resolution to 72 ppi and adjusts image brightness for display on a Mac computer.  If your images were optimized on a Windows based computer and these JPEG files will be displayed on a Mac computer, the images will appear too bright unless adjusted.
       4. 72ppi Mac2Win:  Changes file resolution to 72 ppi and adjusts image brightness for display on a Windows based computer.  If your images were optimized on a Mac computer and these JPEG files will be displayed on a Windows based computer, the images will appear too dark unless adjusted.
       5. Win2Mac only:  Adjusts image brightness for display on a Mac computer.  File resolution is not changed.
       6. Mac2Win only:  Adjusts image brightness for display on a Windows based computer.  File resolution is not changed.
           
    1. I do not see the Actions described above.  Where are they?
       1. They are in the action set referred to in the first section of this workflow.  Once you have downloaded the action set into the Presets\Actions folder, activate the Actions panel in Photoshop.  Click the flyout menu and select Load Actions.  Use the dialog box to browse to the action TZ-Actions-JPEG.atn, highlight it and click the Load Button.
           
    1. How do I select the Action?
       1. In section 4 of the Image Processor dialog box, select the action set TZ-Actions-JPEG.  Then select one of the five available actions.
           
    1. Do I really need to change file resolution?
       1. Not necessarily.  File resolution does not affect the appearance of an image viewed on a web page, in an email or projected onto a screen.  File resolution only affects an image when it is printed.  So if the JPEG images being created are only to be viewed on a computer, then the conversion to 72 ppi is not necessary.  But this option is provided for those who want it.
           
12. Enter any information you wish to appear in the copyright section of the file's metadata.
    1. What should the format be?
       1. The format of a copyright notice is the word Copyright, followed by the copyright symbol ©, followed by the year the image was taken or copyrighted, followed by the name of the copyright owner.  For example, Copyright © 1978 John Doe.  The year should not be the current year unless the image was taken or copyrighted in the current year.
       2. If the images were taken in different years, do not specify a year in the copyright statement.
       3. To create the copyright symbol, type Alt + 0169 (Option G).  Windows users should make certain they use the numeric keypad on their keyboard and not the top row of keys.
           
13. Check Include ICC Profile.
14. Click Run.  Photoshop will create a subdirectory called JPEG inside the target folder and place the JPEG copies of your images in the folder called JPEG.  Please note, Photoshop will not tell you when it is done.

 

1. Once you no longer need the files, you can delete the target folder created earlier and all its contents.  This will also delete the folder called JPEG.