img2cbz: Folder to CBZ Archive Converter
img2cbz is a powerful, user-friendly Python command-line utility to convert folders of images (including WebP, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF) into CBZ (Comic Book Zip) archives. It is located at img2cbz and is globally runnable from the terminal.
Key Features
- Multi-Format Support: Processes
.jpg,.jpeg,.png,.webp,.gif,.bmp, and.tiff. - Natural Sorting (Alphanumeric): Sorts filenames naturally (e.g.,
page_2.pngcomes beforepage_10.pngrather than alphabetical order). - Parallel Image Conversion: Convert images to
webp,jpg, orpngin parallel using multithreading.- Space Saving: Converting images to WebP can compress the CBZ size by 30-70% with virtually no loss in quality.
- Maximum Compatibility: Convert WebP/PNG to JPEG with automatic transparency flattening (pasting transparent images over a solid white background to avoid black-background issues).
- Recursive Mode (
-r): Scan a parent directory recursively to locate all directories that contain image files, converting each folder into its own CBZ archive. - Dry-Run Mode (
-d): Safely test commands and see what files would be processed and where archives would be saved without making modifications. - Interactive Mode: If run without arguments, it launches a step-by-step interactive setup wizard guiding you through configuration.
- Verify & Clean (
--clean): Safely deletes source folders only after verifying the created CBZ archive is complete, uncorrupted, and has a matching file count.
Command-Line Arguments Reference
| Option | Long Option | Description |
|---|---|---|
DIR |
One or more folders containing images to convert. | |
-r |
--recursive |
Find subdirectories containing images and convert each to a CBZ. |
-o |
--output-dir |
Path to save CBZ files (defaults to next to each source folder). |
-e |
--extensions |
Comma-separated list of image extensions to scan (default: all). |
-c |
--convert |
Convert images to webp, jpg, or png before archiving. |
-q |
--quality |
Compression quality (1-100) for WebP/JPEG conversions (default: 85). |
-j |
--jobs |
Number of parallel threads to use for conversion (default: CPU core count). |
--overwrite |
Replace existing .cbz files if they exist. |
|
--clean |
Delete source folders after successful CBZ creation & integrity checks. | |
-d |
--dry-run |
Show planned archive creations and image conversions without executing them. |
--verbose |
Print debug information. | |
--quiet |
Suppress standard log output (only outputs errors). |
Common Usage Examples
1. Simple Single-Folder Conversion
Create Chapter_01.cbz in the same directory as Chapter_01/:
img2cbz Chapter_01/
2. Recursive Multi-Folder Conversion
Convert all subdirectories containing images in a series folder (e.g., Manga_Series/Volume_1/Chapter_1/, Manga_Series/Volume_1/Chapter_2/) into separate CBZ archives (Chapter_1.cbz, Chapter_2.cbz):
img2cbz -r Manga_Series/
3. Compress Archives to WebP
Convert all images to space-saving WebP format with 80% quality during archiving:
img2cbz -c webp -q 80 Chapter_01/
4. Output to a Specific Directory
Save all created CBZ archives in a separate Comics/ folder instead of next to the source directories:
img2cbz -r -o ~/Comics/ Manga_Series/
5. Safe Conversion & Cleanup
Convert to WebP, save to a separate directory, verify archives, and then delete the original uncompressed source folders:
img2cbz -r -c webp -o ~/Comics/ --clean Manga_Series/
6. Dry Run (Test First)
Preview which folders and images would be processed by a command:
img2cbz -r -c webp -o ~/Comics/ --clean -d Manga_Series/