How to Batch Convert Images on Mac using Automator

The Automator app on Mac can be used to automate a wide variety of tasks to avoid mundane routine and save some time. For instance, you can use it to create a service to perform actions like rename multiple files, resize multiple images, convert PDF to images, and a lot more.

So, in this article, we demonstrate to you how to use Automator to batch convert images from one image format (PNG) to another (JPEG). If you wish to convert to another format, you can choose to do so by selecting your desired input/output format from the different options available.

Create Service to Convert Images from PNG to JPEG

1. First, open the Automator app, and click New Document on the dialog box.

2. In the Choose a type for your document section, select Quick Action.

3. On the next screen, from the right pane, select image files from the dropdown menu beside the Workflow receives current option.

4. Now, let’s create a separate folder for the converted images. This is because, in case something goes wrong, you always have access to the original image. For this, on the leftmost pane, select Files & Folders, and beside it, from the right pane, select New Folder and drag it into the workflow area on the right. Give the folder a name and location. For convenience, let’s call it ‘PNG to JPEG’.

5. Again, with Files & Folders selected, click on Get Folder Contents and drag it below the previous action in the workflow area.

6. Next, on the leftmost pane, select Photos, and from the right pane beside it, select Change Type of Images, drag it below the previous action. On the pop-up that appears, hit Don’t Add, since we are already saving the converted images to a different folder. Now, on the new action window, select ‘JPEG’ from the dropdown menu for To Type.

7. Finally, select Save from the top menu or press command + s and give a name to the service. For future reference, let’s call it ‘PNG-to-JPEG’.

Execute Service

1. To execute the service you just created, head over to the folder that contains the PNG image(s) you wish to convert. And from here, select all images.

2. Now, control-click for a right-click, and from the Services, select (name of the service/PNG-to-JPEG) to execute it.

3. Once done, you will notice a folder appear on the Desktop or the location that you selected in Step-4 for how to create service, above.

Create Shortcut to Execute Service

Although the process for converting a PNG image to JPEG has minimized considerably with the service we just created, it still requires you to perform a few steps. Fortunately, there’s a way to avoid this by assigning a shortcut (key combination) to the service we created.

1. Open System Preferences and choose Keyboard.

2. Next, on the top bar in the dialog box, select Shortcuts.

3. Now, in the left pane, select Services, and from the right pane, tap on the service we just created.

4. Upon clicking the service, you will see an Add Shortcut option. Tap on it and enter a key combination that you want to use to trigger the service, the one that you can easily remember.

Now, to execute the service using the shortcut, navigate to the folder with the PNG image, and select the images that you want to convert to JPEG. Once done, hit the key combination you assigned to the service. And that’s it! You should now see a folder pop-up with the JPEG equivalent for your selected PNG images.