How do I convert multiple png to webp on a computer Windows 11?

[seana_2093]

Hello, recently I have been organizing a batch of pictures, about 500 in total, all in PNG format, which takes up nearly 2GB of space. I heard that the WebP format can greatly reduce the file size, but the image quality is almost unchanged, so I want to convert these pictures to WebP format in batches.

My computer is Windows 11, and I have tried several online png to webp conversion tools, but they can only convert a few pictures at a time, which is too inefficient. Is there any recommended desktop software or method that can convert these 500+ PNG to WebP at one time? It would be best if it supports batch processing and has a faster conversion speed. Thank you for your suggestions!

[Barcos458]

About converting multiple PNG to WebP on Windows 11. I once tried a sketchy freeware converter because I thought it would be quick and easy. I ended up with a bunch of images that looked faded and washed out. Lesson learned: stick to reputable tools like GIMP, or even Microsoft's built-in Photos app if you’re looking for something simple.

After I converted a batch of images, I realized they were all saved with the same generic name, which made it impossible to sort through them. I had to rename everything manually! Now, I always set a naming template before converting.

[zua_5558]

More than 500 images is indeed a big project! If you don't want to use third-party tools, some of the built-in functions and simple scripts of Windows 11 can also handle batch conversion. Windows comes with PowerShell, you can write a script to batch process images.

The sample script can call the System.Drawing function to convert PNG to WebP (you need to learn some scripting yourself, or find ready-made code online to modify it).

Advantages: fully automatic operation, completed in one go

Disadvantages: scripts need to be written and debugged.

[Joohnei]

You can convert one by one with the photoshop app. For bulk png to webp conversion, you can try the free command line tools instead, such as cwebp.  It is a free tool provided by Google as part of the WebP library. It is used to convert images from various formats (such as PNG, JPEG, or TIFF) into the WebP format, which is a modern image format designed for smaller file sizes and better compression efficiency without sacrificing quality.

Below is an example to convert png to webp in windows 11 with cwebp:

cwebp -q 80 input.png -o output.webp

The -q parameter specifies the compression quality (0-100, default is 75)

[seana_2093]

You can convert one by one with the photoshop app. For bulk png to webp conversion, you can try the free command line tools instead, such as cwebp.  It is a free tool provided by Google as part of the WebP library. It is used to convert images from various formats (such as PNG, JPEG, or TIFF) into the WebP format, which is a modern image format designed for smaller file sizes and better compression efficiency without sacrificing quality.

Below is an example to convert png to webp in windows 11 with cwebp:

cwebp -q 80 input.png -o output.webp

The -q parameter specifies the compression quality (0-100, default is 75)

By @Joohnei

Thank you for your suggestion. I did try to use cwebp to convert PNG to WebP format before, and I also followed the command line you mentioned, cwebp -q 80 input.png -o output.webp, for a while. But to be honest, I feel that this method is a bit unsatisfactory for me.

First of all, the command line tool is not friendly enough for batch processing. I have hundreds of PNG images that need to be converted to WebP, and I have to write a script to complete it at one time. I stepped on a lot of pitfalls when writing the script. Secondly, although the compression quality can be adjusted by the -q parameter, the final file size and effect did not achieve the "perfect balance" I expected.

Have you used cwebp to convert large quantities of PNG to WebP? Is there a more efficient or simpler method you can recommend? I really want to find a solution that can be batched and save trouble! Thank you! 😅

[eicker_5924]

Converting PNG to WebP on a Windows 11 using tools like cwebp definitely has its perks, but there are a few downsides you might run into based on my rounded-up experiences. While you can convert images one by one easily, doing it in bulk requires some extra steps—like writing a script or using batch files. This can be a headache if you’ve got a ton of images.

The quality control with the -q parameter is great, but it can be confusing to figure out what quality setting works best for your needs. You might end up doing a lot of test conversions before you hit the sweet spot. Sometimes, you might need to install additional software or dependencies depending on how you want to use cwebp. It’s not as straightforward as dragging and dropping into an app.

[shamekh_6062]

In order to save trouble, I used Microsoft Paint, which comes with Windows, to convert PNG to WebP in batches. Although the method is a bit clumsy, it can really be done! Here I share the steps and real experience with you.

1. Open a PNG file
2. Right-click the PNG file directly and select "Open with Paint". The paint tool that comes with Windows 11 supports saving in multiple formats.
   Save as WebP
3. In Paint, click "File" in the upper left corner, then select "Save As" and find the WebP format (Windows 11 supports this format).
4. Save the file to the folder you want.
5. If there are many pictures, you need to repeat the above steps one by one. Manually open and save as, and then do the next one.

At that time, I had about a dozen pictures that needed to be converted, so I tried this method. Although it is a bit slow to operate one by one, it is better than the system's built-in tools, which are simple and direct. After the WebP format came out, the size is indeed much smaller, which is still very effective in saving space.

[Stephen Marsh · Accepted solution]

@seana_2093 – Create a Photoshop Action and run it via Automate > Batch... Or use a custom script:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/export-many-files-at-once-in-webp-for...

[seana_2093]

@seana_2093 – Create a Photoshop Action and run it via Automate > Batch... Or use a custom script:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/export-many-files-at-once-in-webp-for...

By @Stephen Marsh

Does this application offer batch conversion function, seems I can't find it!

[Stephen Marsh]

Does this application offer batch conversion function, seems I can't find it!

By @seana_2093

The script is titled "WebP Batch Processor", so yes, it only offers a batch feature – select an input folder and all supported file formats (webp|tif|tiff|jpg|jpeg|psd|psb|png|tga) in the nominated folder will be batch processed, including all sub-folders if you tick that box.

[Aytomm]

A Photoshop action is a set of automated steps that can be recorded, saved, and replayed in Adobe Photoshop. When you create an action to convert PNG files to WebP, it allows you to batch-process multiple files with a single click.

However, it can be difficult to make changes or modify it without re-recording the entire process once the action is started.  In addition,  actions can be useful for small batches of files, they may not be the most efficient way to process large numbers of files. This is because Photoshop needs to load each file individually, which can slow down the conversion process.

In contrast, using a command-line tool or a dedicated PNG to WebP converter like cwebp can offer more flexibility, efficiency, and customization options when converting PNG files to WebP.

[Stephen Marsh · Accepted solution]

@Aytomm 

I agree that Photoshop has a lot of overhead if one needs to batch convert many files, usually in the thousands and this is where "slim" apps or command line tools often outperform.

Some other options include:

https://www.xnview.com/en/xnconvert/

https://www.xnview.com/en/nconvert/

https://imagemagick.org/script/convert.php

http://www.graphicsmagick.org/convert.html

[Joohnei · Accepted solution]

One more suggestion. For bulk PNG to WebP conversion, Aiseefox Any2Pic is a pretty good option as it is a dedicated image converter with 50+ image formats support. Almost no quality loss between two different conversion. Here is the step-by-step tutorial and screenshots on my own computer: 

https://www.aiseefox.com/convert-png-to-webp.html

[seana_2093]

One more suggestion. For bulk PNG to WebP conversion, Aiseefox Any2Pic is a pretty good option as it is a dedicated image converter with 50+ image formats support. Almost no quality loss between two different conversion. Here is the step-by-step tutorial and screenshots on my own computer: 

https://www.aiseefox.com/convert-png-to-webp.html

By @Joohnei

Thanks, man! But how many image files can I convert at a time? There are nearly 500 png files, can I add them all at once?