Batch Renaming

Use this function to batch rename pictures, with the option to make use of their picture information.

Cameras give pictures fairly meaningless names made up of some letters and a number. That number may be a picture’s position in a folder, its position in all the pictures you have ever taken, etc. In any case, it is of little use for organizing or publishing.

You can rename a single file in the same way as in Windows: select the file and then click on it (after a pause) or press [F2].

You can also select a whole group of files and rename them in the window that appears when you use Organize | Batch Rename… [Ctrl+Shift+Q] in the Browser.

Use the Filename box to set the pattern using which the new name is formed. This pattern can make use of a limited subset of the program’s “Variable Text” feature, and/or a counter – see the table.

Existing filename {N} Year {Y}
Existing extension {E} Month {M}
Author* {A} Date {d}
Title* {T} Hour {h}
Counter {C} Minute {m}
Second {s}

*information from the picture information field of the same name

The code for including the existing filename can be supplemented with information on which part of that filename to include; for example {N5-8} would include the fifth through either character. The date that is filled in is either the file’s date of creation or the date of last changes.

You can leave the newly renamed photo files in their original locations or set a new location to which they should be moved.

Use Remove accents, replace spaces if you wish to place files on the Web or some other environment where spaces or accent marks could cause technical problems.

Note: Batch renaming is not available when the current selection contains one or more RAW/JPEG stacks.

More Information

Tips for Batch Renaming

Get Your Photo Collection Organized With Help From Batch Renaming