If you work with multiple images,cropping them allindividually to the exact same size can be a real pain. Perhaps you have a batch of 30 images and they all need the same watermark. In either case, editing them all simultaneously can save you loads of time.
In this guide, we show you how to edit multiple photos at once in Windows, MacOS, and Chrome OS. All three platforms have native tools to make simple edits, but there’s no native way to manipulate more than one image at a time. That means we must turn to third-party solutions.
While there are plenty ofpaid applicationsthat will gladly take your money in exchange for batch edits, we focus oncapable free software.
Batch edit in Windows and MacOS
For Windows and MacOS, we use an open-source Photoshop replacement and a plug-in:
GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)–The biggest threat to Adobe Photoshop is this free, open-source desktop program. It has mostly everything you need to manipulate images, like cropping, color adjustment, adding effects, layers, and more. We highly recommend this software if you want to avoid Photoshop’s monthly subscription.
Batch Image Manipulation Program (BIMP)–This is a free plug-in for GIMP that adds batch editing. You need to install GIMP first, followed by this tool.
Once you install both tools, you can use them to edit multiple images simultaneously. The following instructions are based on Windows, but they apply to MacOS as well.
Step 1:Open GIMP and clickFileon the main menu.
Step 2:SelectBatch Image Manipulationfrom the drop-down menu.
Step 3:A pop-up window appears. UnderManipulation Set, click theAddbutton.
Step 4:Select a manipulation on the resulting pop-up menu.
The next window you see depends on the manipulation you choose. Here they are at a glance:
For each manipulation window, be sure to click theOKbutton so it’s saved in the current manipulation set.
Step 5:Click theAddbutton again if you want to add another manipulation to the set, as shown above.
Step 6:Click theAdd Imagesbutton located underInput Filesand Optionsand select the images you want to edit in bulk.
Step 7:Select an output folder.
Step 8:ClickApplyto begin the batch edit process.
Batch edit in MacOS
you’re able to now install both GIMP and the BIMP plug-in on MacOS. However, for this section, we chose an app-based alternative: PhotoScape X on theMac App Store. There are two batch edit features locked behind a “pro” paywall; however, the basic necessities like cropping and resizing remain free. Trouble is, the overall interface is a bit clunky, especially if you heavily rely on GIMP.
Step 1:With PhotoScape X open, clickBatchlocated on the menu.
Step 2:Click the blue “plus” icon next toAdd Folderon the left to load the folder containing your images.
Step 3:Your image gallery loads in the bottom left window. Drag the images you want to edit up into the top center window.
Step 4:On the right, select the manipulator you want to apply to the images. Like the GIMP plug-in, you can apply multiple image manipulators before exporting the altered images.
Here are the available manipulators at a glance:
Step 5:To export your modified images, click theSavebutton.
Batch edit in Chrome OS
Like Windows and MacOS, there is no native batch editing capability in Chrome OS. Instead, you’ll need to turn to the Linux-based version of GIMP and the BIMP plug-in.
In Ubuntu, you’re able to find the snap version in the Software Center. It may also be listed in other distribution’s software markets. Alternatively, you can download the flatpack build directly fromGimp.org. Keep in mind that for theBIMP plug-in, you’ll needGimptoolto compile the plug-in before you can instal it.
Those who are used to Linux may find this process a breeze. Unfortunately, those of us who have less experience with tech may find this solution to be more trouble than it’s worth. Instead, you can save yourself the headache by using web-based orAndroid appsthat can batch-edit photos. For example, you could use Polarr Photo Editor, Lightroom, Photoshop Express, and Pixlr. Just know that this is usually a paid feature.
