14 DAY TRIAL // Image conversion must be carried out with care, lest you end up skimping on clarity, compatibility, color profiles, and other relevant factors that essentially make up the entire picture. The right tool for the job, as is often stated to photographers, is the one you have with you — and in the case of XnConvert, it's really quite a good one.
The software was created out of a desire to confer users with the necessary tools to carry out image conversion, while also being expandable enough to allow for batch operations. With that in mind, what XnConvert aims to do can even be classified as an attempt to automate at least some parts, if not the entirety of, your photo editing workflow.
A batch editor — with everything that involves
It should be noted that the software doesn't merely focus on just affording you some quick conversion functionalities, as it additionally confers you the ability to edit the appearance of your photos, much like you would on a traditional image editor.
That all sounds very ambitious, and to some extent, it is. Add that you're essentially getting all of that for free, provided you're using it non-commercially, and you've got a tool that tries to be a one-stop solution for picture-related workflows that almost seems too good to be true.
Is that the case, though? I would argue that it isn't, because XnConvert really is a prime example of software done well, without asking for much in return. As such, if you frequently use the software non-commercially, donating to the developer is recommended.
An extensive toolset for photo editing
In terms of a typical workflow you can expect, you'll first have to add the files or folders you're working with. Is it photo editing or conversion duties you're after? In the case of the former, the Actions menu should cover a wide range of needs.
These needs can practically involve most kinds of photo adjustment workflows. Applying filters, managing color profiles, changing contrast, brightness, and other such parameters, are just a few of the available actions. Mentioning them all here, while convenient for the article's minimum word quota, would have the potential to upstage other facets of the software, which are just as competent if not more.
To develop on how the Actions work, you select the types of adjustments you wish to make, and they'll be added to your list. While what you get here is convenient, it's to be noted that these actions will apply to all added images. This is both good and bad, but it largely depends on what you're trying to do. If you want to edit photos individually, then perhaps a dedicated photo editor would still be a better choice in that regard.
Presets can quicken the work
Upon selecting your actions, you can tweak them to assess their impact on the image, where the Before/After Preview window proves its usefulness. You may also save your actions as a Preset for use with other photo batches in the future. Again, all of this should work well for more generalist image editing, but if you're more particular about your post-processing and are after more fine-tuning, you can get both here, but the operation may feel a little cumbersome.
Either way, having these kinds of options is very much appreciated. The developer markets the program as a converter first, so finding such a solid base for photo editing is quite commendable. Dip your toes in and see what happens. After all, what kind of photographer are you if you don't fuss over the most minute post-processing detail before uploading?
You don't necessarily have to create presets if you're in for the odd photo conversion task, however. The program will not forget your configuration upon closing, so that you'll be able to keep the same configuration for subsequent uses. To exemplify, you can load images by dropping them on the program's icon and click convert to process them using your previous configuration.
A wide range of supported formats for conversion
The cream of the crop, as some may say, is really in the Output menu, where the program is fully able to prove its worth and live up to its designation: is it a good converter? Certainly, there's no shortage in terms of configurability, but what of a simpler kind of workflow?
Treading the line between offering a solution viable for both casual and advanced users indeed sounds very difficult for a developer, and perhaps there's no right balance. That doesn't mean you can't try, though: what you get here is perhaps the best of both worlds, in my opinion.
Why is that? If you're in for a quick conversion, then it's all good. Select your desired extension, and the tool will do its best to carry out the task. Should you want to modify your conversion, even if just a little, you should be able to do so within the confines of the selected extension. You may convert into more than 70 formats, so most uses should be covered.
Some extensions are a bit fussy when it comes to conversion operations, and scrolling through the supported formats will reveal as much: the Settings button will be greyed out in those cases. If it's a more common format, however, such as .JPEG, .PNG, .GIF, and so on, you should at least be able to tweak the compression level. In addition, you may also want to take a look at the Options area, which lets you preserve the file's color profile, manage metadata, and so forth.
The Good
The amount of configurability on offer is very high. Of course, your mileage may vary when converting something into a more particular extension. But even so, you get an awful lot of options to play with: various image editing controls are available — quite honestly more than I expected — and the Output menu too lends you several tools to work with.
