Merge 2 JPG files

Question

Level 1

7 points

Merge 2 JPG files

I would very much like to hear from anyone who uses bought or free software on an iMac which will take 2 jpg files (created on different cameras with different picture resolutions) and allow them to be merged into one jpg file and the combined images to be changed and saved into a new running order. They will then be transferred to an iPad for viewing/slideshow purposes.

So far the images from both cameras have been transferred to a single file but inevitably they are in two blocks according to the image number applied by the cameras. I am sure there will be numerous 'workarounds' that may do what I want but I have a simple brain and need a simple solution which is why I am hoping that someone will tell me that the 'xyz' product will do exactly what I want in easy steps.

Regards,

Craig

iMac

Posted on Nov 5, 2018 11:00 PM

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Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,804 points

Nov 6, 2018 11:02 PM in response to Zenodorus

I have 'Photos' on my iMac and you are saying that I could create an album with my combined folder (2 camera sources), move the images to where I want (hopefully deleting some if necessary in the process) and save this album with all the images in my chosen order.

Yes.

Presumably that order would only remain correct as long as I kept the album in Photos which is not what I want to do. I want to get all the images on to an iPad which is not the easiest device to transfer data to.

Yes... but with Photos you can use the iCloud Photo Library which both your Mac Photos.app and iPad Photos.app can read from, and now you have the same on both machines. Remember how are you going to build this slideshow on your iPad? 99% sure it's going to be with the iPad version of... Photos.app

Or, if you prefer you can do the same with apps like Lightroom CC or even Google Photos, or heck, even Dropbox, all of which are a lot more convenient than

a dual purpose USB stick - USB connection at one end and lightening connector at the other.

If you really want to do this in the Finder then you will need to rename the files to reflect your choices: Photo 1, Photo 2 Photo 3 etc. Doing it this way you could still airdrop then files to the iPad. Basically, between airdropping and/or the Cloud, you really never need to use a physical connection.

Some reading:

Use AirDrop on your Mac - Apple Support

Use AirDrop on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Adobe Lightroom CC - Buy Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC | Photo editing and organising software

Google Photos - Google Photos Help

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Answer 2

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,804 points

Nov 5, 2018 11:06 PM in response to Zenodorus

I'm not sure I understand your query. No Jpeg file can have a 'running order', they are by definition, static images.

So what do you mean by merge in this case?

You can create a single image from two by placing the, side by side or one above and so on, or you can superimpose on upon the other.

Slideshows are where individual photos are placed in an arrangement that is then played back, but there is no merging involved.

Can you clarify?

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Answer 3

Zenodorus Author

Level 1

7 points

Nov 5, 2018 11:49 PM in response to Yer_Man

Sorry my enquiry was not clear. One camera has images that all begin with DSC and the other has images that all begin with P. In both cases the rest of the image number runs sequentially. So I have one block of 1000 images starting DSC and another block of 300 images starting with the letter P. I want to mix these two files together and create a single running order by date from the earliest to the latest ( both cameras were used in the same location at the same time). Along the way I will be pruning the file of images I no longer want to keep. My experience - which I was only able to resolve when I used Picassa on Windows - is that photo management software tends to want to put jpg images in the order of the number allocated to them by the device they were taken on. Many times I have found that I have put jpg images in an order that I want, saved them and when re-opened they are back in their sequential jpg numbering. I need to be able to stop this when I have got a single folder of all the images ready to be transferred to an iPad. Hope this makes the problem clearer.

Regards,

Craig

and thanks for your prompt response

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Answer 4

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,804 points

Nov 6, 2018 5:43 AM in response to Zenodorus

The easiest way to do what you want:

Import the images into Photos or a similar app.

Then make an Album from these photos

In the Album, drag them to whatever order you want.

You need to use an app like Photos because otherwise the images are sorted by filename or date.

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Answer 5

Zenodorus Author

Level 1

7 points

Nov 6, 2018 10:27 PM in response to Yer_Man

Hello Terence,

Thanks for replying. As the saying goes, let me test my understanding to see if I have got this right. I have 'Photos' on my iMac and you are saying that I could create an album with my combined folder (2 camera sources), move the images to where I want (hopefully deleting some if necessary in the process) and save this album with all the images in my chosen order. Presumably that order would only remain correct as long as I kept the album in Photos which is not what I want to do. I want to get all the images on to an iPad which is not the easiest device to transfer data to. The way I am currently doing it is via a dual purpose USB stick - USB connection at one end and lightening connector at the other. The images cannot be transferred in a folder, they have to be transferred as individual jpg images and this is where I suspect they will all be put back into their sequential order so that I end up with all images starting with DSC and then all images starting with P. The iPad has something called Camera Roll on it and that is where I need to get these images in a fixed order. I cannot see a way round this but please let me know if you think it can be done.

Best Regards,

Craig

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Answer 6

Zenodorus Author

Level 1

7 points

Nov 7, 2018 3:44 AM in response to Yer_Man

Hi Terence

Many Thanks for all your trouble in answering this enquiry. I have had to cherry pick some of your points because I am not a fan of the Cloud and minimise use of it as much as I can. However, I have found with some experimentation that I can use Photos and output a re-numbered file that will suit my purposes of transferring it to the iPad without having to use the Cloud. Thanks again for your help.

Regards,

Craig

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Answer 7

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,804 points

Nov 7, 2018 3:58 AM in response to Zenodorus

Well I'll give you one other option: Mylio will manage your photos and sync them to your devices but not across the Internet, only within your own home wifi. It's a very powerful app and well worth checking out.

https://mylio.com

But by all means cherrypick...

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