GIMP batch processing

have Tackling mass image processing is a walk in the park when you Karsten Günther on your side and BIMP installed alongside GIMP.

- Karsten Günther

GIMP is excellent for editing individual images, but what about editing multiple images at once? The answer usually involves either ImageMagick or GraphicsMagick, which are used with ‘for’ loops on the shell. This can be done quickly if shellsavvy users can handle the syntax, but this is not necessarily the case. Both programs offer everything that GIMP can do – and more – but they don’t show a preview and take longer to become familiar with.

This is where BIMP comes in. The program offers a simple interface for applying GIMP’s functions to any number of images. Only a few steps are required to get it up and running. The Batch Image Manipulation Plugin option appears in the File menu after installation (see the box, facing page, for installation advice).

For all of GIMP’s functions that are used in BIMP, the parameters with which they’re applied on the images must first be determined. When used interactively in GIMP, they can be found in the dialog window. In addition to many GEGL (Generic Graphics Library) functions, many script-based functions can also be used. However, not all of the functions within GIMP are available. BIMP collects all the functions used for editing as a Recipe, which is then applied to the selected images individually.

Selecting images