Batch tools in every tier · CLI + MCP in Max

Photo Editing Automation, Done Properly

Most "automated" photo editing is a preset and a progress bar. imagic automates the whole pipeline: scan a shoot, AI-cull it, apply a look, and batch export the keepers. Run it from the app, from a single CLI command, or hand it to an AI agent over MCP.

One-time pricing from €19. No subscription, no card required for the trial.

Three ways to automate imagic

Same engine underneath. Pick the interface that fits how you work, from point-and-click batch runs to fully agent-driven shoots.

Batch tools in the app

Every tier

No terminal, no config. Point imagic at a folder and it scans the shoot, scores every photo across sharpness, exposure, noise, composition, and detail, flags duplicates and burst groups, and keeps the sharpest frame from each.

Apply a preset or color grade across the whole selection, then batch export the keepers in the format and size you choose. This is batch photo editing software working as it should: you make the decisions, imagic does the repetition.

Headless CLI

imagic Max

The same pipeline with no GUI at all. One command scans, analyses, and exports a shoot, so it drops straight into scripts, schedulers, and ingest workflows:

imagic --headless --scan D:\Shoots\2026-08-02 --analyse --export

Prefer repeatable settings? Keep them in a YAML file and reuse it per job:

imagic --headless --config wedding.yaml --scan D:\Shoots\Smith --analyse

More examples in the photo editing with CLI guide.

MCP server for AI agents

imagic Max

imagic is the first photo editor with a built-in MCP server. Any MCP client, including Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Codex CLI, can scan, cull, edit, and export a real shoot from one plain-English prompt.

The agent calls the same tools the CLI exposes, and every edit lands in imagic's normal history, so you can review or undo anything it did.

Setup is one command per client. The MCP guide walks through each one.

The two features that make automation trustworthy

Speed is easy. Automation you can rely on for client work needs to handle changed minds and personal taste.

Instant re-culling

Culling decisions are rarely final. The client wants 60 photos instead of 40, or you decide your sharpness threshold was too strict. In most tools that means running the whole cull again.

imagic keeps the full analysis for every photo, so when you change thresholds or say "keep my best 50", it re-ranks the shoot instantly. No re-analysis, no waiting, just a new selection in seconds. AI culling itself, including quality scoring and duplicate detection, is in every tier.

Style calibration

Automated edits are only useful if the output looks like you edited it. imagic Max runs a short guided calibration: it pulls up to 8 scenario photos from your own library, covering a spread of lighting and subject types, and asks you to edit them the way you normally would.

It learns the exposure, color, and crop pattern in your choices and applies that learned style on future automated passes, whether they come from the batch tools, the CLI, or an AI agent. Re-run the calibration any time your style evolves.

Manual vs. automated, honestly

Automation does not remove you from the process. It removes the repetition between your decisions.

Cull a 1,000-photo shoot
30-90 second analysis pass, then review the keepers
Typically 2-3 hours of side-by-side comparing
Change the keep count later
Instant re-cull, re-ranked in seconds
Start the cull again
Apply a consistent look
One pass across the folder, presets or your calibrated style
Adjust photo by photo
Export the deliverables
Batch export, resumable if interrupted
Queue it and babysit it

Analysis times depend on your hardware. The review step stays yours: automation proposes, you approve.

Automation questions

The things photographers ask before letting software touch a paid shoot.

Do I need to know how to code to automate imagic?

No. The batch tools inside the app are point and click, and they're in every tier. The headless CLI is a single command you can paste into a script or scheduler. The MCP route means typing plain-English prompts to an AI assistant. None of the three requires writing code.

Which imagic tier do I need for automation?

In-app batch tools and AI culling are in every tier, starting with Lite at €19 once. The headless CLI and the MCP server are part of imagic Max (€99 once), alongside style calibration. The free 7-day trial includes full Max access with no card required, so you can test the whole automation stack before buying anything.

Which AI tools can drive imagic?

Any MCP-compatible client, including Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex CLI, and GitHub Copilot. On the OpenAI side, Codex CLI supports local MCP servers directly; ChatGPT's own MCP connector support varies by plan and version. Setup for each client is covered in the MCP guide.

Do my photos leave my machine?

No. Batch processing, the headless CLI, and the MCP server all run locally on your own machine, the same as using imagic by hand. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.

Is automated editing destructive?

No. Automated edits are stored as non-destructive adjustments in imagic's normal edit history, exactly like manual edits. Your original RAW and source files are never overwritten unless you explicitly export.

Go deeper

Step-by-step guides for every automation route, from your first batch run to a fully agent-driven wedding workflow.

Try the whole automation stack, free for 7 days

The trial includes everything in imagic Max: batch tools, the headless CLI, the MCP server, and style calibration. No card required, no subscription, nothing to cancel.

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