
MERGE IPHOTO LIBRARIES HOW TO
To read how to back up your iPhoto library, or parts of it, click here. To switch between libraries, you will need to quit iPhoto, launch iPhoto while pressing Option, and choose a different library to open. Unless you hit Option when launching iPhoto to choose a library to open, iPhoto will open the last library you used. Lastly, there is no way to designate a default iPhoto library. Use the arrows to go back in time to the last state of your Library that you want to restore. If you don’t see it in the sidebar, click Go > Home > Pictures. You can then move the exported photos to the trash and remove them from your original iPhoto library. Here’s how you should merge your old photo backup: Make sure you’re connected to your Time Machine drive and launch Time Machine. If you have Aperture, however, you can import and consolidate multiple Aperture and iPhoto libraries there first, then get the merged library into Photos for OS X. You can choose File > Import to Library to select files to import or you can simply drag files or folders from the desktop to the iPhoto window. Photos for OS X does let you work with multiple libraries, but it doesnt let you import them and combine them all together into a single, unified library. You'll first need to export photos (File > Export) from your original iPhoto library to your desktop before importing them into your new library. Hit save and iPhoto will open your new library. Merging iPhoto or Aperture Libraries While you can create multiple Photos libraries, as Chapter 10 explains, maintaining and merging them is a nightmare. Hit the Create New button, give the library a name, and choose a location (including an external hard drive, if you have one connected). This will open a window that displays a list of your various libraries. To create a second iPhoto library, quit iPhoto and then hold down the Option key while you launch iPhoto. Multiple iPhoto libraries are easy to set up and switch between. For laptops, however, it's a great way to offload some of the seldom viewed or older pictures in your library.
MERGE IPHOTO LIBRARIES FOR MAC
You can set up additional iPhoto libraries on an external hard drive, though this solution is probably more useful for Mac desktops, where a hard drive is connected or always nearby. It's also useful if your iPhoto library is eating up a large chunk of your hard drive. The solution? Multiple iPhoto libraries.ĭividing your photos among multiple iPhoto libraries is useful if you use your Mac for home and work.


I also take a lot of photos of things that aren't tech products, and I don't like have to sift through pictures of PCs and printers when I'm browsing my iPhoto library.

If you're handy with writing AppleScript scripts (Chapter 12), then you can write. I was able to merge three iPhoto libraries into one Photos library with PowerPhotos. Merging Photo Libraries iPhoto Library Manager is fully AppleScriptable. I take a lot of photos of laptops and other hardware that I review as a freelance tech writer. Take entire libraries and merge them together into one, eliminating duplicates in the process.
