User Guide Cancel

Importing media from files and folders

Last updated on Jun 18, 2024

Elements Organizer User Guide
Introduction
Workspace and workflow
Importing media files
Viewing and fixing media files
Marking places, faces, and events
Managing catalogs, folders, and albums
Searching photos and videos
Creating photo projects
Creating video projects
1. Create instant movies and video stories
2. Viewing video projects
Printing, sharing, and exporting

Learn how you can import media from files and folders in Elements Organizer.

You can import photos and videos from your computer, CD/DVD, removable drive, or network places into Elements Organizer to manage them in various ways. For example, you can create albums with the photos or tag the people in the photos.

When you import a media file from a folder saved in the hard drive of your machine, Elements Organizer creates a link to the media file in a catalog. It does not copy or move the original image unless you specify it. You can import media files from a CD, DVD, or device such as a scanner, camera, card reader, or phone. By default, Elements Organizer first copies the media file into a folder on your hard disk and then creates a link to that copy.

Note:

If you delete the original file from your hard disk, you cannot edit it, even though its thumbnail remains in a catalog.

Import photos and videos from folders

In Elements Organizer, click Import.
Select From Files And Folders to import media from a particular file or folder location. The folder location can be on your computer, external drive, pen drive, or network places.

Note:

Alternatively, to import media from files and folders, you can also select File > Get Photos And Videos > From Files And Folders.

Get photos and videos
Select the media in the Get Photos And Videos From Files and Folders dialog box.
(Optional) Select the desired options:
- Automatically Fix Red Eyes: Fixes red eye problems as the files are imported.
- Automatically Suggest Photo Stacks: Suggests photo stacks for you according to date and visual similarity.
- Copy Files On Import: Makes copies of files being imported from an external drive.
- Generate Previews: Creates low-resolution copies called preview files while importing.
Click Get Media.
You can import keyword tags added to your media as well. Select the tags you want to import and click OK.

Note:

After you import media in Elements Organizer, select the media files and click Editor in the task panel to edit the photo or video in Photoshop Elements or Adobe Premiere Elements.

Import tags attached to media files

When you receive media files that contain keyword tags or keyword metadata, you can import them with the media file. You can decide whether to keep the attached keyword tag, rename the keyword tag, or map it to one of your own keyword tags. If you import a new keyword tag, it appears in your Keyword Tags panel, and you can use it to tag other media files.

Import media files in Elements Organizer. For more information, see Import photos and videos from folders.

Note:

If the media files include tags or keyword metadata, the Import Attached Keyword Tags dialog box appears.
Do one of the following:
- Select the tags you want to import. The tags you select are added to the Keyword Tags panel when the media files are imported. If a tag has an asterisk (*), you already have a tag of the same name in your catalog. The existing tag is attached to the media files.
- Click Advanced for additional options.
If you selected Advanced, do any of the following, and click OK.
- Select the tags you want to import by clicking the boxes next to the tag names. When you select a tag, the options to the right of the tag become active.
- To rename a tag you are importing, select the tags you want to import by clicking the boxes next to the tag names. Click the button to the right of the tag under Import As New Keyword Tag Named, and type a name in the textbox. Elements Organizer adds a tag with the new name to your catalog and attaches the tag to the imported media files.
- To map an imported tag to an existing tag in your catalog, select the tags you want to import. Click the button in the right column under Use An Existing Keyword Tag and choose a tag from the pop‑up menu. The tag name you choose gets attached to the imported media files instead of the original tag name.
- Click Reset To Basic to clear your changes and return to the Import Attached Keyword Tags dialog box.
Additional options for importing keyword tags

Note:

If the media files you are importing have many tags attached, a dialog box appears. You can choose to import all the tags or none of them. If you prefer to select individual tags to import, close the dialog box and undo the import by choosing Edit > Undo Import Media. You can also undo the import by selecting the entire import batch and deleting it from the catalog. Then, reimport the media files in smaller batches.

Import from camera or card reader

You can easily bring media files from your camera or card reader, and import them directly to Elements Organizer.

Connect your camera or card reader to your computer.
In the Organizer workspace, select Import > From Camera or Card Reader.
Under Source in the Photo Downloader dialog box, select where to copy or import from using the Get Photos From drop-down list. Use default settings, or set the options in the Import Settings area.

Photo downloader dialog box.
Select Get Media.
If you get the Import Attached Keyword Tags dialog box, select the Keyword Tags you would like to import and select OK.
Select OK in the Files Successfully Copied dialog box.

Note:

If the Elements Organizer is launched while copying the photos, select Yes in the Files Successfully Copied dialog box.

Set file preferences

Setting the file preferences determines how files are managed in Elements Organizer.

In Elements Organizer, do one of the following:
- (Windows) Choose Edit > Preferences > Files.
- (Mac OS) Choose Elements Organizer > Preferences > Files.
File preferences

Note:

The Browse button is not available in Windows Application Store version of Photoshop Elements.
Choose any of the following options and click OK.

Import EXIF Caption

Imports any caption that was stored with the media file in the camera. Deselect this option if you want to delete this information, and type your own caption for each media file.

Note:

Caption data may be stored in different places in a file. Deselecting this option only blocks EXIF caption data.

Automatically Search For And Reconnect Missing Files

Searches for missing, disconnected files. Select this option to avoid getting messages about disconnected files.

Automatically Generate Thumbnails For Video Files

Generates a preview thumbnail for the video files imported.

Automatically Prompt To Backup Files And Catalog

Allows you to automatically back up files and the catalog while importing.

Rotate JPEGs Using Orientation Metadata/Rotate TIFFs Using Orientation Metadata

When these options are selected, the orientation metadata of the image is updated to rotate the image. The image data is untouched; the rotation is specified by just changing the metadata. Rotating an image using its metadata is a faster process than rotating the image itself.

Not all applications recognize orientation metadata. If you plan to import your images into such applications, leave these options deselected.

Folders For Saved Files

Specifies the default folder location where projects and other saved files are stored. To change the location, click Browse and navigate to a new location.

Preview File Size

Specifies the size of preview files used by the Elements Organizer when storing media files offline.

Note:

If you have changed the settings and are having trouble importing your media files, try clicking the Restore Default Settings button in the Preferences dialog box to restore the original preferences.

Media Cache

When importing video and audio into Elements Organizer, it processes versions of these files that it can readily access for faster performance. These are referred to as "media cache" files. These are stored in the Media Cache Files folder. You can clear media cache files from within Elements Organizer.