Transferring iphoto library to external hard drive

You need to decide what you want to back up:

Your Library

or

Your Photos.

To back up your Library is easy: make a copy of the iPhoto Library in your Pictures Folder.

There are many back up utilities that wil do incremental back ups of the Library. DejaVu or Chronosync are two, but you can also search on MacUpdate.

Right now all my photos when looking it via Finder has only a number allocated to it plus (.jpg). This is annoying since I have to open it, to see which photo it is.

You're missing the point of iPhoto. You don't search using the Finder. And you don't need iPhoto to be running.

There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto:

*For Users of 10.5 and later*

You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Command-Click for selecting multiple pics.



You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:



*For users of 10.4 and later* ...

Many internet sites such as Flickr and SmugMug have plug-ins for accessing the iPhoto Library. If the site you want to use doesn’t then some, one or any of these will also work:

To upload to a site that does not have an iPhoto Export Plug-in the recommended way is to Select the Pic in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export and export the pic to the desktop, then upload from there. After the upload you can trash the pic on the desktop. It's only a copy and your original is safe in iPhoto.

This is also true for emailing with Web-based services. However, if you're using Gmail you can use iPhoto2GMail

If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.

If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.

*If you want to access the files with iPhoto not running*:

For users of 10.6 and later:
You can download a free Services component from MacOSXAutomation which will give you access to the iPhoto Library from your Services Menu. Using the Services Preference Pane you can even create a keyboard shortcut for it.

For Users of 10.4 and later:
Create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use this free utility Karelia iMedia Browser

Other options include:

1. *Drag and Drop*: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.

2. *File -> Export*: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.

3. *Show File*: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.

You can set Photoshop (or any image editor) as an external editor in iPhoto. (Preferences -> General -> Edit Photo: Choose from the Drop Down Menu.) This way, when you double click a pic to edit in iPhoto it will open automatically in Photoshop or your Image Editor, and when you save it it's sent back to iPhoto automatically. This is the only way that edits made in another application will be displayed in iPhoto.

All of which are faster and safer than rooting around in the Library folders via the Finder.

If, on the other hand, you simply want

When transferring the photos I would like to have the file name of each photo be the title which I have given it in iphotos.

Select the pics in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. Set the kind: to Jpeg and check the box at 'Titles and Keywords' then use the option to name the Files as per the titles.

However, remember that if you do this you are not backing up your Library. IF something goes wrong you will lose Originals of edited photos, any books, calendars, cards and slideshows that you have made.

Regards

TD

This is one of the most informative and thoughtful responses ever I've encountered in Apple Discussions.

Bravo Terence!

The screen shot you provide when referring to file / open / browse dialogue - how do I get there within my iMac?

It's not a FInder window. It's an Open / Browse dialogue. Go the the File Menu in any app and select Open... there it is.

It looks very similar to Finder but it does not have the Picture folder so I can make a copy of my library.

That's a method for accessing files. To back up your Library go to your Pictures Folder: that's

Hard Disk / Users / Your Name / Pictures

Your Library is there.

If I make a copy of my iPhoto library and then transfer this copy to the external hard drive - I am essentially transferring a copy of all my photos stored on my computer - right?

Yes. All you pics, all your Events, Albums etc etc.

I clicked on the link to Deja Vu and it seems exactly the application I need however what is the difference between this and Time Machine?

If you prefer Time Machine use it. However, DejaVu has one advantage. It stores the back up in exactly the same format as the original so checking the back up is easier.

I do have a question, when I press export will it ask me where to export all the photos by its title or albums name? Will I then have a choice to export them onto the external hard drive?

Really, it's a couple of seconds work to select a pic and go Fle -> Export. Look yourself and see the options that are there. And yes, like any dialogue in the entire OS, you can place the exported object anywhere you like.

Regards

TD