Using queues for batch processing

Have you ever noticed how tedious it can be to apply the same corrections to several images in a row? Normally, you have to open an image, correct the brightness and color temperature, for example, and save the image. Then you have to open the next image, repeat the same operations, etc. And then the next image...and the next.

There is a better way to deal with this kind of repetition: with queues.

It's simple: just add several similar images to a queue and then let Helicon Filter do the work for you, applying the same corrections to all of them automatically.

Typical processing tasks for images in a queue

The following are examples of tasks that can be applied to images in a queue:

• Downsizing
• Conversion to another format. To convert an image, go to the Main Menu and select Queue → Add current image to queue (or Add current folder to queue) → Convert only. After you add images to the queue, open the queue (F7), switch to the Saving results tab, and select the output format.
• Automatic correction of brightness
• Automatic correction of contrast
• Automatic noise reduction
• Increasing saturation of colorrs

How to apply a current set of filters to images in a queue

Normally you'll set your filters (Brightness, Colors, Sharpening, etc.) for the first image in a series, add a number of similar images to a queue, and then let Helicon Filter apply the current set of filters to the queue. Here's what you do:

1. Open an image. This image should be similar enough to the others you're going to add to the queue that they all will need the same corrections.
2. Set the current filters. For example:
• Brightness: select Auto correction (25%)
• Colors: move the Saturation slider to +20
• Noise: switch to the Noise filter and press the Apply button. Then move to the next filter. This will be enough to include it in the current set of filters. The Noise level is detected automatically for every image.
• Sharpening: move the Sharpen edges slider to +20
• Text: add date
• Frame: add a frame
3. Now you can either add several images from the current folder (see A) or add the whole folder to the queue (see B) or add just one image (see C):
1. On the Thumbnails panel mark the images that you want to add to the queue. Right-click on the Thumbnails panel and select the option Add to the queue → Apply current set of filters.
2. Go to the main menu and select Queue → Add current folder to queue → Apply current set of filters (or press CTRL + SHIFT + F7)
3. Open the next image. Go to the main menu and select Queue → Add current image to queue → Apply current set of filters
4. Open the queue (press F7 or go to the Main Menu and select Queue → Show queue) and confirm that the list of images and the filters are correct.
5. Switch to the Saving results tab of the Queue dialogue and set saving parameters.
6. Press the Start button.

How to use queues with presets

You can read about what the presets are and how to create them here.

If you have presets, you can apply them to images in a queue.

1. You can either add several images from the current folder (see A) or add the whole folder to the queue (see B) or add just one image (see C):
   1. On the Thumbnails panel mark the images that you want to add to the queue. Right-click on the Thumbnails panel and select: Add to the queue → <Preset name>.
   2. Go to the Main Menu, select Queue → Add current folder to queue → <Preset name> or select Queue → Add current folder to queue → Load from library, and select the *.hfs file of the preset.
   3. Go to the Main Menu, select Queue → Add current image to queue → <Preset name> or select Queue → Add current image to queue → Load from library, and select the *.hfs file of the preset.
2. Open the queue (press F7 or go to the Main Menu and select Queue → Show queue) and confirm that the list of images and filters are correct.
3. Switch to the Saving results tab of the Queue dialogue and set saving parameters.
4. Press the Start button.

Viewing queue and setting saving parameters

When you open a queue (F7 or Queue → Show Queue), the Queue dialogue appears.

Before making the following screen capture, I clicked on the image "Croatia, Krka.jpeg." Below you can see a thumbnail of it and the source folder, plus that the Brightness, Colors, Sharpening filters will be applied to it. To skip a filter, simply deselect it.

The Saving results tab lets you choose format of the results and output folder for the results. By default Helicon Filter will create a subfolder called "Filtered" in the source folder and will put the results there.