There are a bunch of different ways to rotate images. Any image editing app worth its salt will have a rotate function as one of its most basic operations. There are online services, where you can upload images, have the online service rotate them, and then save them again.
If you’re using a Mac, there’s another option that can be extremely quick and convenient. It takes just a few minutes to set up the first time, but after that, it’s just a right-click away. It’s free, and it doesn’t involve installing any apps or software–it’s already baked into macOS.
It’s also very simple, which makes it easy and quick to use, but it also means you only have limited control over the output.
It’s worth noting upfront that this process only gives you basic controls: Left, Right, and 180-degree.
If you need something more granular than that, another option will be a better bet. It also doesn’t make much sense to set this up for one-off operations. But if you’re routinely finding yourself having to rotate landscape (horizontal) images to portrait (vertical) orientation, or vice versa, it can be a time-saving and convenient tool to have available.
Open the Automator App
You can find it under:
/Applications/Automator.appSet Type of Action
When it asks you for the type of document, choose Quick Action. (In older versions of Mac OSX, it was called Service.)
Then hit the Choose button.
Set Workflow Options
It will have added an initial section to the workflow area at the right. For the top option next to “Workflow receives current”, select the “image files” option. Leave the rest at their defaults (you can customize the image and color fields if you like, but there’s no need to).
Set Processing Type
From the Library in the left column, click on Photos to narrow the available actions. In the list of actions (second from left), scroll down and choose “Rotate Images”. Or use the search bar to search for “rotate”.
Click and then drag to the right-hand workflow panel.
Next, in the Rotate Images Panel, click on the Options button.
And then check the box for “Show this action when the workflow runs.”
What this will do is when you run the workflow, it will popup with the option for what kind of rotation you want to do: Left, Right, or 180-degrees. If you don’t check that box, it will only run whatever rotation it’s showing in that panel.
Export Automator Quick Action
That’s all you need to do with the workflow section. Now you just have to export it as an action.
In Automator’s main menu, go to File > Export.
In the Export As section, name it to whatever you like. Something like Image Rotate seems like a logical choice for this particular action. Then choose where you want to save it. This is only a temporary spot for it, so it makes sense to put it somewhere you’ll find it quickly, like the Desktop. Then click the Save button.
Install Automator Quick Action
Next, find the file you just saved using Finder or, if you put it on the Desktop, just go to the Desktop. Double-click on the file.
You’ll get a popup asking if you want to install it as a quick action (or service).
Click on the Install button. The .workflow version will then be automatically moved, and you can now use right-click in Finder to convert the file using the quick action.
Using Your New Quick Action
The app you’ve just created is available immediately. There’s no need to restart the computer or Finder.
To use it, select the image or images in Finder or your preferred Mac file browser (I use Forklift; Commander One is another popular option). 1
Then right-click and go to Services and choose from the list.
It works on one image file or multiple files. If for some reason you’re mixing image files amongst other files in the same folder, it is possible to add a filter earlier in the workflow so that it only applies to image files. Explore the Filter Finder Items action under Files & Folders in the actions Library panel (far left).
Things Worth Knowing
Automator is baked into macOS, so there’s no need to install anything and buy anything.
The app you’ve just created is available immediately. There’s no need to restart the computer or Finder.
While I’ve only outlined a very basic Quick Action here, it’s quite possible to expand on this workflow and add other actions and operations into the workflow sequence. For instance, you could combine it with converting the image type or some other manipulation or action that’s available in Automator.
Tip: Add a Keyboard Shortcut
You can also apply keyboard shortcuts to your Quick Actions. To do that, go to:
Automator > Services > Services PreferencesThen, find the service on the list and click on it. You’ll see a small “Shortcut” button appear to the right of the name. When you click on the Shortcut button, you’ll get a field where you can just press the keyboard combination you want to use for it.
Just be sure to avoid other global shortcut combinations–there’s no warning message if you step on an existing shortcut’s toes–it just won’t work as expected.
What is macOS Automator?
Automator is a tool that’s baked right into macOS. It doesn’t receive a lot of attention, but it’s really, really handy to have. You can find it under:
/Applications/Automator.appBasically, automaton gives you visual tools in the form of building blocks to build workflows. So you can accomplish a bunch of useful tasks without writing any code (although you can add Applescript code, if you need something more customized).
Even better, some Mac apps add actions and tools to Automator that extend the power and functionality of Automator. This usually happens automatically in the background when you install the app. Sadly, an excellent collection of Automator tools to interact with Photoshop that was put out by Ben Long no longer works with current versions of macOS (although Photoshop has its own separate toolkit for creating Photoshop actions which can be incredibly powerful but work differently from Automator actions).
Where Automator excels is in saving time and adding convenience with time-consuming, repetitive tasks such as this. But it can also be surprisingly powerful if you want it to be.
- If you’re specified Finder in the top panel where it says “Service Receives Selected…”, then use Finder for this. :) [↩]
