photos on mac copy keywords between libraries

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Level 1

8 points

photos on mac copy keywords between libraries

I am attempting to use Photos on my Mac (High Sierra) to manage collection of 15 thousand photos. To do this I have multiple libraries, including:

System library for accessing photos on iPhone and iPad
New photos library used during editing
Archive libraries

I use keywords extensively with approx a 100 different keywords. I do not want to have create these keywords for every library. Is there a way to copy or export the keywords out of one library and import them into another. In Adobe LightRoom this was possible but I have yet to find a method in Apple photos.

MacBook Pro TouchBar and Touch ID, macOS High Sierra (10.13.2)

Posted on Dec 17, 2017 1:01 AM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

200,531 points

Dec 17, 2017 4:51 AM in response to RoderickT

A good plan!

Add all keywords to this photo. A bit laborious if you have a lot of keywords. I have not found an easy method to Select All keywords.

I'm not sure, how many keywords you can copy and paste this way, but try this: For me it worked with thousand keywords selected.

Create an album with all your photos; you could drag the photos from the All Photos album to an empty album. Call it "My All Photos". Or a smart album with the rule "Date is after 1.1.1000".
Now select the "My All Photos" album in the sidebar and open the Info panel for the album with ⌘I. The keyword section of the Info panel will show all keywords from ll photos in the album.
In the Info panel click into the keywords section and enter the key combination ⌘A to select all keywords at once. All keywords will be selected by ⌘A , even if you have to scroll the keywords section to see all selected items.

Enter ⌘C to copy the selected keywords.
Open the Info panel for the dummy photo and paste the copied keywords into the keyword field with ⌘V .

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

200,531 points

Dec 17, 2017 4:35 AM in response to RoderickT

You cannot copy the list of keywords separately between libraries, but if you copy a photo with keywords to the other library, the keywords will be added to the libraries Keyword Manager. So you could create one photo with all keywords assigned and add this photo to any new library. This way the keywords will sync with iCloud as well. Only used keywords will sync with iCloud, not the unused keywords.

Or, to create a new library with all keywords from your main photoslibrary, duplicate the main library on a drive, where you have enough storage, then delete all photos from this copy and keep the empty library as a template of the keywords.

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Answer 3

RoderickT Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 17, 2017 4:34 AM in response to RoderickT

Since asking this question I have tried following work around.

Duplicate any photo.
Rename Title to Keywords. (Optional)
Add all keywords to this photo. A bit laborious if you have a lot of keywords. I have not found an easy method to Select All keywords.
Export photo to file. I use Title as file name.
Switch to other photo library.I have created aliases for all my libraries which I have copied to folder called Photo Libraries on my desktop, so to switch I just open folder and click on required library.
Import photo that I have exported and called Keywords. This creates all keywords not yet created on this library.
Delete Keywords photo and all keywords remain ready for use. (Optional)
To update just select Keywords photo in original library and any new keywords will be obvious as they will not be highlighted blue. Repeat above to update.

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