Several of the command-line guides on this site — covering tools like ImageMagick, ExifTool, and SIPS — share one common prerequisite: you need to navigate Terminal to the folder containing your images before running the command.
It’s a basic operation, but if you’re new to Terminal it’s not obvious how to do it. Here are the main methods, from the quickest drag-and-drop approach down to typing the path manually. I’m keeping this as a standalone reference I can link back to from the various tool guides.
Method 1: Drag the folder into Terminal (fastest)
This is the method I use most. No typing the path required.
In Terminal, type cd followed by a space — don’t press Enter yet. Then drag the folder directly from Finder into the Terminal window. Terminal fills in the full path automatically. Press Enter.
That’s it. You’re now in that folder.
Method 2: Right-click the folder in Finder (New Terminal at Folder)
This opens a fresh Terminal window already navigated to the folder — no typing at all.
In Finder, right-click (or Control-click) the folder and choose Services > New Terminal at Folder. If you don’t see that option, it may need to be enabled.
On macOS Ventura or later, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Services and make sure New Terminal at Folder is checked.
On older macOS versions, the same setting is under System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Services.
If you do this often, you can assign a custom keyboard shortcut to it in the same place: find New Terminal at Folder in the Services list, double-click where it says “none,” and press whatever key combination you want to use.
Method 3: Type the path with cd
The manual approach. Use the cd (change directory) command followed by the full path:
cd /Users/yourname/Pictures/2026/IstanbulIf you don’t know the full path off the top of your head, you can navigate one folder at a time. For example, starting from your home folder and working down:
cd Picturescd 2026cd IstanbulEach command moves you one level deeper. To go back up a level at any point:
cd ..And if you lose track of where you are, pwd (print working directory) prints your current location:
pwdTab autocomplete: The time-saver worth knowing
When typing a path manually, you don’t have to type the full folder name. Start typing the first few characters and press Tab.
Terminal will autocomplete the name if it’s unambiguous, or show you the options if there are multiple matches. For a folder called “Istanbul RAW Files,” you’d type cd Ist and hit Tab rather than typing the whole thing. On a deeply nested folder structure or with long folder names, this makes manual navigation much less painful.
How to open Terminal on a Mac
Terminal comes preinstalled on every Mac. A few ways to open it:
- Spotlight: Press Cmd+Space, type “terminal,” and press Enter. Quickest method.
- Finder: Go to
Applications > Utilities > Terminal. - Launchpad: Press F4 (or click the Launchpad icon in your Dock), then search for “terminal” in the search bar at the top.
Once you’ve used Terminal a few times, it’s worth adding it to your Dock for quick access — right-click the Terminal icon in the Dock while it’s open and choose Options > Keep in Dock.
