ImgArchive is a digital image archiving tool designed to organise, protect and manage long-term image collections. It uses a simple file-based structure, managed metadata and robust backup workflows to keep images discoverable, recoverable and safe while remaining compatible with standard operating system tools.
ImgArchive maintains a date ordered Camera Roll type archive of your images using a version control system to maintain the integrity of your images.
ImgArchive provides a practical archive workflow for photographers, teams and organisations that need more than a folder of image files. It imports unorganised images, arranges them consistently by date, identifies duplicates, protects originals in a secure vault and makes working copies available in a user-accessible workspace. Metadata, logs and reports are stored in open, searchable formats so the archive remains transparent and easy to audit.
Why it matters
Image collections become difficult to manage when files are duplicated, renamed inconsistently, edited without version control or stored without reliable metadata. ImgArchive reduces that risk by separating protected vault storage from day-to-day workspace activity, recording what has happened to each image and supporting online/offline backups for resilience.
Core features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Storage organisation | Reorganises unstructured image sets into a consistent date-based archive, similar to the way products such as Flickr or phone gallery applications group images by capture date. |
| Vault storage | Stores the primary, protected copy of each image in a vault that is not directly edited by users. User-accessible copies can be made available in a separate workspace when required. |
| Workspace support | Provides a workspace area for editing and day-to-day access, making it easier to integrate ImgArchive with graphical photo editing tools while keeping the vault protected. |
| Open file-system design | Uses the base operating system file system and open formats rather than a closed database, helping make the archive understandable, portable and easier to repair if problems occur. |
| RAW and JPG pairing | Maintains consistent folders and filenames for related RAW/JPG pairs and image groups so associated files stay together throughout the archive workflow. |
| Image versioning | Supports versioning for edited images so earlier versions can be recovered and protected through automatic backup processes. |
Metadata and search
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Managed metadata | Captures bulk, session, EXIF and custom metadata in managed plain text files, making image information easier to review, search and reuse. |
| Cascading metadata templates | Supports bulk metadata entry through reusable templates, allowing common information to be applied across image sets without repeated manual entry. |
| Hashtags and keywords | Manages hashtags and keywords consistently so images can be grouped, filtered and found more easily. |
| Multiple metadata formats | Stores user-accessible information in plain text formats including XML, JSON and human-readable files. |
Integrity and safety
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Unique image identification | Uses fingerprinting to uniquely identify images, reducing reliance on filenames alone. |
| Duplicate detection | Rejects images that have already been imported, helping prevent accidental duplication within the archive. |
| Filename clash prevention | Prevents images with the same filename and capture date from overwriting one another. |
| Logging and journaling | Records ImgArchive actions through logs, journals or both, supporting accountability and auditability across archive operations. |
| Integrity and recovery | Detects damaged image files and supports recovery workflows to help protect the long-term health of the archive. |
Import, export and workflow
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Bulk import | Imports large sets of images into the archive while applying organisation, metadata and duplicate-detection rules. |
| Bulk export | Exports images and related metadata for sharing, migration or downstream processing. |
| Editing workflow | Allows images to be worked on in a user-accessible workspace while preserving protected vault copies and recoverable versions. |
Backup and resilience
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Online and offline backups | Protects vault storage using online and offline backup strategies to reduce the risk of data loss. |
| Internal and cloud backup targets | Can back up to two online internal storage sources and three cloud storage sources using the popular Rclone product. |
Extensibility and integrations
| Feature | Description |
|---|
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Third-party tool integration | Provides hook scripts that run before or after archive events, allowing external applications to interact with ImgArchive as it operates. |
| Photo editor compatibility | Works with almost any graphical photo editing tool by using a file-based workspace model. |
| Open structure | Keeps the information structure simple and accessible, making it easier for other tools to integrate with the archive system. |
Reporting
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Activity reporting | Generates activity history reports for individual images and system-level archive operations. |
| Audit trail | Uses logs, journals, reports and metadata records to provide a clear history of archive activity. |
Practical usage examples
Recovering from damage: Integrity checks identify a damaged image file and recovery processes use available backups to restore the archive.
Importing a camera card: ImgArchive imports a mixed folder of RAW and JPG files, groups them by capture date, applies session metadata and rejects files that already exist in the vault.
Editing safely: A photographer works on a user-accessible workspace copy while the vault copy remains protected and previous versions remain recoverable.
Finding images later: A team searches by date, keyword, hashtag, EXIF data or custom metadata rather than relying on memory or inconsistent filenames.