How do I batch optimize a folder of product photos?

A good batch workflow is:

1. Select the folder of photos
2. Apply the same crop/resize/color corrections to all
3. Export in web-friendly formats
4. Review a few samples before finalizing

Here are the easiest ways, depending on what tools you have.

Option 1: Adobe Lightroom / Bridge / Photoshop

Best if you want quality control and consistent edits.

• Import the folder
• Apply edits to one photo:
  • exposure/white balance
  • contrast
  • crop
  • sharpening
  • noise reduction
• Sync or copy/paste settings to the rest
• Export all files:
  • JPEG
  • quality around 80–90
  • long edge size based on your needs, e.g. 2000 px
  • sRGB color space for web

If you use Photoshop:

• Create an Action
• Use File > Automate > Batch
• Point it to the folder
• Save to a new output folder

Option 2: Free tools

GIMP + batch plugin

• Use BIMP (Batch Image Manipulation Plugin)
• Add operations like resize, crop, rotate, sharpen, rename
• Run it on the whole folder

XnConvert

Very easy for batch optimization.

• Add folder
• Choose actions:
  • resize
  • convert format
  • adjust levels/color
  • rename
  • compress
• Export to another folder

ImageMagick command line

Good for automation.

Example resize/compress JPEGs:

magick mogrify -path output -resize 2000x2000\> -quality 85 *.jpg

• -path output saves to a new folder
• -resize 2000x2000\> only shrinks images larger than that
• -quality 85 controls JPEG compression

If your images are PNGs:

magick mogrify -path output -resize 2000x2000\> *.png

Recommended settings for product photos

For ecommerce/product images:

• Format: JPEG for photos, PNG only if transparency is needed
• Color: sRGB
• Size: around 1500–2500 px on the longest side for most web use
• Quality: 80–90
• Background: clean white or transparent, depending on platform
• Sharpness: mild sharpening after resize
• File naming: keep consistent names like product-001.jpg

If you want full automation

You can use a script to:

• resize
• crop to consistent aspect ratio
• compress
• rename
• export to a new folder

If you want, I can give you:

1. a Photoshop batch workflow,
2. a free-tool workflow,
3. or a Python script to optimize an entire folder automatically.