How can I combine hundreds of PNG frames into one long side-by-side image strip?

Asked 2/20/2014

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2 answers

I have 439 PNG frames and want to turn them into a single sequence image where each frame is placed directly next to the previous one, like a filmstrip or motion sequence. I tried using Photoshop actions and droplets, but I can't get the layout I want. What's a practical way to merge a very large number of images into one horizontal strip?

photoshop image-sequence post-processing batch-processing

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

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I don't see photoshop as the right tool for that purpose. pnmcat from the netpbm package will easily produce such a strip, from an arbitrary number of images.

Originally by user20069. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user20069

12y ago

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For 439 frames, Photoshop is probably not the best tool. A command-line image utility is better suited to this kind of batch task.

One option mentioned is pnmcat from the Netpbm package, which can concatenate an arbitrary number of images into a single strip. The basic idea is:

Make sure all frames are the same size.
Use a batch tool to join them horizontally into one image.
Save/export the result in the format you need.

Netpbm is designed for simple image-processing jobs like this and will handle large numbers of files more predictably than Photoshop actions. If needed, you can first convert your PNGs into a format Netpbm expects, concatenate them, then convert back.

So the practical answer is: use a dedicated batch image tool rather than Photoshop for this job, and pnmcat is a good fit for building one long side-by-side sequence from hundreds of frames.

How can I combine hundreds of PNG frames into one long side-by-side image strip?

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