Discover The Secret Trick To Saving Hours Of Time - Batch Convert Images On Mac With This One Easy Automator Hack!
Are you tired of spending hours converting images one-by-one on your Mac? Image conversion is an essential task for many professionals and hobbyists, but it can be tedious work. However, there is a solution that can save you hours of time - batch converting images using an Automator hack! In this article, we will explore how to use Automator to batch convert images on your Mac.
What is Automator?
Automator is a built-in application on your Mac that allows you to automate repetitive tasks. With Automator, you can create workflows that automate common tasks, such as renaming files, resizing images, and much more. Automator works by recording the steps you take and then playing them back again in the same sequence.
How to Batch Convert Images using Automator
To batch convert images on your Mac using Automator, follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Open Automator
First, open the Automator application on your Mac. You can find it by searching for Automator in Spotlight or by going to the Applications folder.
Step 2: Create a New Workflow
Click on “File” in the top menu bar and select “New” to create a new workflow.
Step 3: Choose the “Photos” Action
In the left-hand pane, choose “Photos” under the “Actions” category. Then, drag and drop the “Change Type of Images” action to the right-hand pane.
Step 4: Choose the Image File Type
To select the image file type that you want to convert, click on the “To Type” drop-down menu and choose your preferred file type. For example, you may want to convert all of your PNG files to JPEG files.
Step 5: Add the Images to the Workflow
Click on the “Add…” button to add the images that you want to convert to the workflow. You can select multiple images at once by holding down the Command key while selecting.
Step 6: Run the Workflow
To run the workflow and start the batch conversion, click on the “Run” button located in the top right-hand corner of the Automator window. The batch conversion process will begin, and you will see a progress bar at the bottom of the window.
Step 7: Save the Converted Images
Once the batch conversion is complete, you can save the converted images to a folder of your choice. To do this, drag and drop the “Export Images” action to the right-hand pane, and choose the folder where you want the converted images to be saved.
Conclusion
Batch converting images on your Mac using Automator is a simple and easy way to save time and streamline your workflow. With just a few clicks, you can convert multiple images at once and save them to a specific folder. Give this Automator hack a try and see how it can save you hours of time!
So, in this article, we demonstrate to you how to use Automator to batch convert images from one image format (PNG) to another (JPEG). If you wish to convert to another format, you can choose to do so by selecting your desired input/output format from the different options available.
Create Service to Convert Images from PNG to JPEG
First, open the Automator app, and click New Document on the dialog box.
In the Choose a type for your document section, select Quick Action.
On the next screen, from the right pane, select image files from the dropdown menu beside the Workflow receives current option.
Now, let’s create a separate folder for the converted images. This is because, in case something goes wrong, you always have access to the original image. For this, on the leftmost pane, select Files & Folders, and beside it, from the right pane, select New Folder and drag it into the workflow area on the right. Give the folder a name and location. For convenience, let’s call it ‘PNG to JPEG’.
Again, with Files & Folders selected, click on Get Folder Contents and drag it below the previous action in the workflow area.
Next, on the leftmost pane, select Photos, and from the right pane beside it, select Change Type of Images, drag it below the previous action. On the pop-up that appears, hit Don’t Add, since we are already saving the converted images to a different folder. Now, on the new action window, select ‘JPEG’ from the dropdown menu for To Type.
Finally, select Save from the top menu or press command + s and give a name to the service. For future reference, let’s call it ‘PNG-to-JPEG’.
Execute Service
To execute the service you just created, head over to the folder that contains the PNG image(s) you wish to convert. And from here, select all images.
Now, control-click for a right-click, and from the Services, select (name of the service/PNG-to-JPEG) to execute it.
Once done, you will notice a folder appear on the Desktop or the location that you selected in Step-4 for how to create service, above.
Create Shortcut to Execute Service
Although the process for converting a PNG image to JPEG has minimized considerably with the service we just created, it still requires you to perform a few steps. Fortunately, there’s a way to avoid this by assigning a shortcut (key combination) to the service we created.
Open System Preferences and choose Keyboard.
Next, on the top bar in the dialog box, select Shortcuts.
Now, in the left pane, select Services, and from the right pane, tap on the service we just created.
Upon clicking the service, you will see an Add Shortcut option. Tap on it and enter a key combination that you want to use to trigger the service, the one that you can easily remember. Now, to execute the service using the shortcut, navigate to the folder with the PNG image, and select the images that you want to convert to JPEG. Once done, hit the key combination you assigned to the service. And that’s it! You should now see a folder pop-up with the JPEG equivalent for your selected PNG images.
