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ThumbsPlus and WebP: Bringing Modern Web Image Support to a Classic Asset Manager

ThumbsPlus is a longstanding image management and editing application favored by photographers, archivists, and creative professionals who need fast browsing, batch processing, and robust metadata handling for large image collections. WebP, developed by Google, is a modern image format that provides superior compression for both lossy and lossless images compared with older formats such as JPEG and PNG, plus support for animation and alpha transparency. This article explores why adding WebP support matters for ThumbsPlus users, what practical benefits it brings, how integration can be implemented, and workflow tips to leverage WebP within a ThumbsPlus-centered pipeline.

Summary Table

| ThumbsPlus Version | WebP Thumbnails | WebP Viewing | Batch Convert WebP | |--------------------|----------------|--------------|--------------------| | v10 or older | No | No | No | | v11 + Windows WebP codec | Sometimes | Limited | No | | v11 + external converter | No | Via “Open With” | No (manual pre-conversion needed) | thumbsplus webp

The Blind Spot

ThumbsPlus relies heavily on the Windows Imaging Component (WIC) and its own internal decoders. For many years, it lacked native WebP support. If you dragged a .webp file into ThumbsPlus, you often saw a generic icon or a "format not recognized" error. ThumbsPlus and WebP: Bringing Modern Web Image Support

2. Enabling WebP Thumbnails

If WebP files show as generic icons:

1. Go to Tools > Options > File Types.
2. Scroll to WebP.
3. Check Enable and Show thumbnails.
4. Click Rebuild Thumbnails for selected folders.

ThumbsPlus and WebP: The Ultimate Guide to Managing Next-Gen Images

Part 5: The Best Workflow – Integrating ThumbsPlus with External WebP Tools

Honestly? If you handle thousands of WebP files, forcing ThumbsPlus to support them is like teaching a diesel engine to run on gasoline. Instead, create a hybrid workflow using ThumbsPlus for management and external tools for conversion. Go to Tools &gt; Options &gt; File Types

"Thumbnails generate, but I can't open the file."

If the thumbnail looks good but double-clicking the file fails:

• Solution: Go to Options > Preferences > Viewer. Ensure that the internal viewer is set to use installed Windows codecs, or configure an external editor (like Photoshop or IrfanView) to handle the .webp extension automatically.

Scenario A: Convert a Folder of JPEGs to WebP (Saving Space)

You have 5,000 high-res JPEGs taking up 2GB of space. WebP can shrink that to 500MB.

1. In ThumbsPlus, select all JPEG thumbnails.
2. Right-click > Batch Convert.
3. In the "Save as type" dropdown, look for WebP File Format (*.webp).
   • If missing: You need the external plugin (see Part 4 below).
4. Set your quality slider:
   • 80-85% (Visual parity with JPEG quality 90, but 25-35% smaller)
   • Lossless mode: Check this if converting PNGs with sharp text/logo edges.
5. Choose your output directory.
6. Click Start. ThumbsPlus will decode the JPEG and re-encode as WebP.