CiderPress

HEIC/HEIF → JPG/PNG Converter for Windows

CiderPress is a fast, reliable, drag‑and‑drop converter for HEIC/HEIF images.
It uses FFmpeg for decoding, ExifTool for full metadata preservation, and includes a clean WIC fallback when FFmpeg isn’t available.

CiderPress exists because Windows still doesn’t handle HEIC/HEIF gracefully. iPhones produce HEIC by default, but opening, previewing, or converting those files on a PC is often slow, inconsistent, or locked behind paid codecs and clunky web tools.

This app is for anyone who needs a dependable, offline, privacy‑respecting way to convert HEIC photos — photographers, editors, archivists, IT staff, or everyday users who just want their pictures in a format everything supports.

No ads, no telemetry, no installers, no surprises. Just a small, portable tool that does the job properly.

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⭐ Features

✔ Drag‑and‑drop batch conversion

Drop files or entire folders directly into the list.
CiderPress automatically filters supported formats and avoids duplicates.

✔ JPG or PNG output

• JPG with adjustable quality
• PNG with adjustable compression

✔ Fast or Full metadata modes

• Fast Mode: FFmpeg‑only, partial metadata
• Full Mode: FFmpeg + ExifTool, maximum metadata retention
• Automatic fallback if ExifTool isn’t found

✔ Timestamp preservation

Optionally copy creation/modification timestamps to output files.

✔ Custom output folder

Save converted files next to the originals or route them to a dedicated folder.

✔ Multi‑threaded FFmpeg

Enable multi‑threading for faster batch conversions on multi‑core CPUs.

✔ Live preview

Displays a real‑time preview of the selected source image using FFmpeg, with WIC fallback.

✔ Clear progress tracking

Status bar shows:

• File count
• Pipeline mode
• Conversion state
• Working (X of Y) progress indicator

✔ Safe Stop button

Stop conversions at any time.
CiderPress cleanly terminates FFmpeg and ExifTool without leaving orphaned processes.

✔ Quiet Mode

When starting a conversion, CiderPress warns that Settings are disabled during processing.
Choose Quiet once, and the warning is permanently suppressed until the INI is reset.

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📦 Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• FFmpeg (recommended)
  • Place ffmpeg.exe next to the app or ensure it’s in PATH.
• ExifTool (optional, for full metadata mode)
  • Place exiftool.exe next to the app or in PATH.

CiderPress automatically detects both tools.

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🧳 Portable by Design

CiderPress is a fully portable Windows application — no installation, no registry entries, and no system modifications. Just extract the ZIP and run CiderPress.exe.

Portability benefits include:

• No installer required
• No admin rights needed
• No registry usage
• No files written outside the app folder
• Works from USB drives, network shares, or cloud folders
• Self‑contained settings (INI stored next to the EXE)
• FFmpeg and ExifTool auto‑detected when placed in the same folder

This makes CiderPress ideal for portable toolkits, restricted environments, temporary workstations, and privacy‑focused users. Everything stays in its own folder, and it runs anywhere.

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🔒 Privacy‑Focused

CiderPress is built with a strict privacy‑first design. The app never sends data anywhere, never connects to the internet, and never collects analytics or usage information. All processing happens locally on your machine.

• No telemetry
• No background network requests
• No cloud dependencies
• No hidden logs or data collection
• All settings stored locally in a simple INI file
• FFmpeg and ExifTool run entirely offline

Your images stay on your system, your metadata stays private, and nothing leaves your computer — ever.

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🚀 How to Use

1. Launch CiderPress
2. Drag HEIC/HEIF files or folders into the list
3. Choose JPG or PNG
4. Adjust quality/compression if desired
5. Click Convert
6. Watch progress in the status bar
7. Click Stop anytime to cancel safely

Converted files appear in the source folder or your custom output folder.

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⚙ Settings Overview

Decoder

• Auto
• FFmpeg
• WIC (no metadata)

Output Options

• Custom output folder
• Overwrite existing files
• Preserve timestamps
• Append suffix (e.g., _converted)

Metadata

• Fast (FFmpeg only)
• Full (FFmpeg + ExifTool)

Error Handling

• Skip failed files
• Stop on first error

Appearance

• Windows
• Dark
• Light
• Aqua

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📝 Logging & Diagnostics

Enable diagnostic logging to generate a detailed CiderPress.log file.
Useful for debugging FFmpeg/ExifTool behavior or reporting issues.

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📄 Licensing

CiderPress uses a custom dual‑license model:

✔ Free for Personal Use

You may use CiderPress at no cost for:

• Home use
• Hobby projects
• Personal photo management
• Student or educational use
• Non‑profit individual use

✔ Commercial Use Requires a One‑Time $10 License

Commercial use includes:

• Business or organizational use
• Use by employees as part of their job
• Professional photography, real estate, insurance, etc.
• Any revenue‑generating workflow

Commercial licenses can be purchased here:
https://ko-fi.com/superevil

See License.txt for full terms.

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❤️ Support the Project

If you find CiderPress useful, consider supporting development:
https://ko-fi.com/superevil

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🪟 Screenshots

Below is a preview of the CiderPress interface, showing the drag‑and‑drop file list, conversion options, live preview panel, and progress display.

CiderPress is designed to stay clean, compact, and predictable — everything you need for batch HEIC/HEIF conversion without clutter or noise.

🙌 Credits

• FFmpeg — https://ffmpeg.org
• ExifTool — https://exiftool.org
• Delphi VCL for the UI framework

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CiderPress is built to be fast, predictable, and pleasant to use — a small utility that does one job extremely well.