PixFiler 5.4.15

Overview

PixFiler is a digital photo organizing software with features that are interesting to professionals and easy to use for novices. In fact, it will categorize photos stored in your computer and storage devices (USB flash disks, CDs, DVDs, etc.) using several filtering and sorting tools and then let you add annotations on them, make reports, prints, contacts sheets as well as view EXIF and IPTC meta data.

Installation

The installation procedure is straightforward, normal and doesn’t have any settings out of the ordinary except for a step where you’re asked whether you want to allow your PC to update the database (enable if you want to use the program in a network). The main installation process lasts only a few moments and won’t install any malware or additional 3^rd party software.

Supported operating systems are Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 (32/64-bit OS compatible).

Interface

First-timers will be greeted with a message that prompts them to select Photo Index. PixFiler uses Photo Index (which is basically a set of data files) to keep track of your photos. Use Auto if you’re not a very experienced user, or Manual if you’d like fiddle with a few settings yourself. After successfully creating a Photo Index you will then see the program’s main window. It’s not complicated and consists of a menu bar, a toolbar, a sidebar and two screens; the sidebar is the navigator view, where you can find a list of certain items that you can use to find/sort your pictures (Date, Categories, Event, Place, Rating, Folders and Exif), whilst the left screen lists all the added photos in the Index. The right screen is the preview screen.

Pros

First and foremost, PixFiler supports a wide variety of image formats, such as JPG, TIFF, GIF PNG, BMP, PCD, PSD, PCX, TGA, as well as RAW image formats (CRW, RAF, NEF, X3F and others). PixFiler can act as a converter too. In addition, more than 70 camera models are supported (full list here: http://www.pixfiler.com/cameras_supported.html).

The search box at the top is a very useful tool for locating your photos, since you can search for a photo using any of the annotations you added to them. Speaking of annotations, there are 6 fields you can fill in to annotate a photo: ID, Date, Place, Event, Description and Quality. You can also add your photos in one or more categories for better organizing.

Printing photos is one more thing PixFiler can do. Just select the photos you want to print, choose a layout, and optionally print any desired annotations. Printing thumbnails (commonly known as contact sheets) is possible as well.

When in a network, the computers that have PixFiler installed can connect to and update the database.

Cons

The program’s interface could be improved and become a bit more modern.

Alternatives

A few alternatives to PixFiler are Phototheca (paid), digiKam (free), Zoner Photo Studio (pad) and Photodali (paid). Out of those, the best ones are Phototheca and digiKam.

Conclusion

PixFiler is a professional tool that can be used by anyone due to its simplicity. It might not have the most attractive interface in the world, but it does an excellent job in helping you organize your photos.