Expert: LizaL - 8/4/2005

Question
I have alot of images (about 300) that are .bmp and I wanted to convert them to jpg. Is there anyway to convert them all at once, like a batch converting. (using photoshop 7)

Answer
Hi Matt,

Basically this is a two-step operation. You first have to set up an action, then play that action within the batching process.

I have two pages that were taken straight from the Photoshop online help. The first explains how to set up an action -- in your case this would be recording the steps of converting one photograph. You'll save this set of steps as an action, then use it in the batch process.

Here's how to record an action:
http://little-works.com/all_experts/actions.html

This little movie also illustrates the steps; the action here was to reduce the size and resolution of an image and apply it automatically to the next image:

http://little-works.com/all_experts/actions.mov



Batch processing lets you use your actions on a quanitity of images. Pay particular attention to step number 4 on this page:

http://little-works.com/all_experts/batch.html

because what it sounds like you want to do is have the images open and close automatically, and I've found this to be the trickiest part of the whole batching process.


Hope this helps --

Lisa