Renaming Multiple Files

You can use the Batch Rename tool to rename multiple files. You can specify a template with a numerical or alphabetical sequence, save your template for future use, replace specific characters or phrases, change cases, and insert or remove text or spaces. This can be particularly useful if you deal with large quantities of images, or you organize your images by file name.

To Rename Multiple Files:

  1. In Manage mode, select one or more files, and then click Tools | Batch | Rename File| Rename... If selecting two or more files, you can alternatively press F2.
  2. In the Rename dialog box, you will see a list of operations. You can use the checkboxes to select or deselect which operations to run when batch renaming. The following operations enable you to perform the following actions:
    • Template - create a renaming template to apply to all selected files.
    • Search and Replace - search for and replace parts of your file name.
    • Case Change - change the case of text in your file name.
    • Insert Text - add text to your file name.
    • Remove Text- remove text from your file name.
    • Strip Spaces - remove spaces from your file name.
  3. Review changes you have made to file names in the Preview field.
  4. Click Rename.

You can save your rename settings as a preset by clicking the save icon beside the preset drop-down. From there, enter a name and press OK. You can also access your Last Used Settings in the preset menu, if you wish to repeat an action. To delete a preset, press the trash icon.

You can assign shortcuts to speed up your process of renaming multiple files by following the directions in the Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts topic.

Rename Settings

Template

Template:

Type a file name format to set as a template. You can type any text into this box, including hyphens and underscores.

Use the * symbol to insert the original file name, so renaming IMG-9359.jpg using the template "Summer Wedding*" will rename the file "Summer WeddingIMG-9359.jpg".

Use the # symbol to begin a sequence, either numerical or alphabetical.

Insert Metadata...

Choose one or more metadata properties to include in the renaming template by checking the relevant checkboxes. Press OK.

Clear Templates

Select this option to clear the existing templates to create a new one, or change the existing template.

Use numbers to replace #'s

Select this option to replace #s in the rename template with sequential numbers.

Use letters to replace #'s

Select this option to replace #s in the rename template with sequential letters.

Start at:

Select either Fixed value or Auto detect. If you select Fixed value, choose a number to start the sequence with. Select Auto detect to identify an existing numerical system and continue it.

Search and Replace

Search for:

Enter a term to search for.

Replace with:

Enter a term to replace the searched term with.

Insert Metadata...

Choose one or more metadata properties to include in the renaming template by checking the relevant checkboxes. Press OK.

Case sensitive

Check this checkbox to search only for results that match the case of your search term. You can use this to remove all capitals in your file names, or all lowercase terms.

Include extension

Check this checkbox to include file extensions in your search and replace.

Case Change

Name

Choose from Lowercase, Uppercase, or Title case to make a change to the case in your file name, or select No change to keep as is.

Extension

Choose from Lowercase, Uppercase, or No change. This can be useful to unify case differences in file names, for example .JPG and .jpg

Insert Text

Insert:

Type the text you want to insert into the file name.

Insert Metadata...

Choose one or more metadata properties to include in the renaming template by checking the relevant checkboxes. Press OK.

At location

Choose from Prefix, Suffix, Position (meaning how many characters into the name), After text:, or Before text:. After and before text lets you enter text to prelude or follow.

Add from right to left

Check this box to add the text from right to left, rather than from left to right.

Overwrite existing name

Check this box to rename the file by overwriting the existing file name.

Include extension

Check this checkbox to include file extensions in your renaming process.

Case sensitive

Check this checkbox to search only for results that match the case of your search term.

Remove Text

Start From

Choose a Position or a Delimiter.

  • Enter a position, meaning how many characters into the name to start removing text.
  • Enter a Delimiter, which is where you start removing text from.

Remove Until

Choose Count equals, Delimiter, or The end.

  • Enter a Count equals, this is how many characters of text to remove.
  • Type a Delimiter, which is where to stop removing text from.
  • When you choose The end, text is removed until the end of the file name.

Remove from right to left

Check this box to remove text from right to left, rather than from left to right.

Remove delimiters

Check this box to remove the delimiters when renaming, else they will remain.

Include extension

Check this box to include the file extension in the text you remove.

Case sensitive

Check this box to make text in the delimiter fields case sensitive.

Strip Spaces

Type of space removal

Choose Remove all, Remove trailing, Remove consecutive, or Replace with.

  • Remove all removes all spaces in the file name.
  • Remove trailing removes spaces following the file name.
  • Remove consecutive removes multiple spaces in the file name.
  • Replace with gives you the option to enter alternatives, such as a letter, number, or dash.

Advanced...

Handle name conflicts

Choose from the following options:

  • Ask: produce a prompt when a name conflict occurs.
  • Skip: skip names that include conflicts.
  • Rename: rename files with conflicts.

Handle extension changes

Choose from the following options:

  • Ask: produce a prompt when a rename affects an extension.
  • Skip: skip changes that affect extensions.
  • Rename: rename extensions where required by the rename.

As well as editing the options listed in the table, you can also reorder how these operations run. To reorder operations, use either the up or down arrows at the bottom of the list, or click and drag the name of the operation to its new location.

You can add additional operations, up to 10 in total. To do this, press the plus button at the bottom of the list.

To remove an operation, press the trash icon.

See also: