How to edit a batch of product photos the same way

If you have forty photos from a shoot, editing them one at a time with different settings wastes hours and gives a patchy catalogue. A simple routine lets you edit once and apply the result to the whole batch.

Start with consistent shooting

Batch editing works best when the photos start out similar. Shoot the whole batch in the same place, at the same time of day, with the same backdrop and camera settings. If the light changes halfway through the session, the photos will need different fixes. A repeatable setup like the one in photographing products on a phone makes the editing step almost automatic.

Sort and cull first

Before you edit anything, go through the photos and delete blurry, duplicate and badly framed ones. Pick the best frame for each angle. This avoids spending time editing photos you will never use. Group the photos by product so you can keep track.

Edit one photo as a reference

Choose a typical photo from the batch and edit it carefully:

1. Crop to your standard shape, as in how to crop product photos consistently.
2. Adjust exposure, highlights and shadows, following how to brighten product photos without making them look fake.
3. Correct any colour cast with white balance.
4. Add light sharpening if the photo looks soft.

Compare it with the real product and fix anything that does not match.

Copy the settings to the others

Many free editing apps let you copy the edits from one photo and paste them onto others. Look for options named "copy edits", "paste edits", "presets", "filters you can save" or "sync settings". Apply them to the rest of the batch. Then flick through each photo to check it, because the same settings will not suit every image. Products with different colours or brightness, such as a black bag and a white one, may need individual touch-ups.

What to keep per photo

Some adjustments should not be copied blindly:

• Crop and position. Each photo may need a slightly different framing.
• Spot removal. A speck on one photo does not exist on the others.
• Exposure for very light or dark products. Adjust individually.

Copy the colour and light corrections, and handle the rest by hand.

Name and organise the files

Rename files clearly, such as the product name followed by the angle. Keep an untouched originals folder and an edited folder, so you can redo any photo. This makes uploading to your store much quicker, and is useful if you add colour options later, as in product variants, colourways and sizes.

Export in one go

Once edited, export the batch at a size and quality suited to the web. How to choose is in how to resize and compress product images. Many apps can export many photos at once with the same settings.

A simple routine

• Shoot in one session.
• Delete the bad frames.
• Edit one reference photo.
• Paste its settings to the rest.
• Touch up exceptions.
• Export all together.

No single app is required, since features change. Any editor that lets you copy and paste edits will do the job, as discussed in what free apps can edit product photos.