Hate How Your Digital Photos Are Named? Use Adobe Bridge to Rename
Do your digital photos have names that make no sense? Are you tired of sorting through a mishmash of filenames like "IMG_123456.jpg" or "DSC_7890123.jpg"?
My general rule of thumb - don’t spend the time to change the name of your digital photos. Your folders should do the work for you. But if you are set on changing the names of your photos, I’m going to tell you when to rename photos, what not to do, and how to use a tool called Adobe Bridge for renaming.
When Should You Rename Photos?
It's a good idea to change the names of your digital photos when:
- Your photo has a long, nonsensical name because you downloaded it from Facebook or somewhere else.
- You're adding photos to a batch and want them to be named for better organization.
- You're confident you have all the photos in order, and you just want them to be named because it suits your preference.
This helps in making your collection more accessible. Now, I’ll share things you should avoid when renaming your digital photos.
What Not to Do
- Avoid changing names with no rhyme or reason. Instead, use a consistent formula like YYYY-MM-DD_Description.
- Be cautious about using prefixes, dividers, or counters, as these can clutter filenames.
- For Windows File Explorer users, do not use the “Rename” function. This creates a number system with parentheses. Not all programs read parenthesis in order and it is extremely frustrating to get things back in order.
Using Adobe Bridge to Rename
If you’re looking for a program for renaming and organizing digital photos, I’ll show you how to use Adobe Bridge. To start, you'll need to download Adobe Bridge and during the installation, you’ll also be downloading the Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Bridge.
Watch this video, and I'll walk through the layout, rename windows, reorder photos, and how to add descriptions and tags.
You can download XNView MP and watch this video on using it if you want to avoid Adobe. There's so much more to preserving your family photos than renaming them or adding even the metadata.
Deciding whether to change the names of your digital photos is like choosing what to wear—it depends on what you need! If you're not sure, it's okay to keep things simple, unless there’s a clear need.
If you're struggling with all of the moving parts of saving your family collection, I'd love to talk with you. Schedule a research call with me! I've been doing research calls for like three years now, and I always learn something new when I talk with people about the challenges that you're facing.
