How can I batch-convert a large photo archive into screen-sized JPEGs while keeping the folder structure?
Asked 3/31/2020
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I have a Lightroom-cataloged archive of 20,000+ photos organized in year/month folders. I’d like to make a separate copy for family members as screen-sized JPEGs so they can browse the images without needing Lightroom. The goal is to preserve the same hierarchical folder structure and automate the conversion, since exporting small batches from Lightroom is too slow and unreliable for this volume. What’s a practical way to batch-convert mixed image files into JPEGs while keeping the directory layout intact?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
1
I can't stop recommending IrfanView if you use windows. Just be careful with the options you choose, specially Overwriting and deleting files, make some tests with dummy files and folders before running any batch script. Make a backup of your original files.
File > Batch Conversion / Rename
And in Advanced options, you can choose to create subfolders.
You can simply drag folders from the top preview window into the bottom list.
Irfan View recognizes a lot of file formats, and you can choose to export them all into jpg, define the quality of the files, apply some sharpening, etc.
Originally by user37321. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user37321
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—use a dedicated batch-conversion tool outside Lightroom.
A simple Windows option is IrfanView. Its File > Batch Conversion/Rename feature can process many files, convert mixed formats to JPEG, set output quality, resize for screen viewing, and create/preserve subfolders. It’s well suited to large batches, but test first and make a backup so you don’t overwrite originals by mistake.
If you’re comfortable with scripting, a Python solution using Pillow (PIL) can walk through your source folders, recreate the same folder tree in a destination directory, and save resized JPEG copies there. That gives you full automation and keeps your originals untouched.
Best practice:
- Write output to a new destination folder
- Preserve the original folder structure
- Test on a small subset first
- Back up originals before any batch job
So the practical answer is: use a batch tool like IrfanView, or a scripted Pillow workflow if you want more control.
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