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While ThumbsPlus is a long-standing image management and thumbnailing application, its support for modern formats like WebP can be a point of confusion for users of its older versions. WebP in ThumbsPlus Modern versions of ThumbsPlus, specifically from Version 10 onwards, have integrated support for a wider array of graphics formats to keep pace with web standards. Viewing and Managing: Users on current versions can typically browse, view, and generate thumbnails for WebP files just as they would for standard JPEGs or PNGs. WebP Advantages: Integrating WebP into your workflow allows you to maintain high-quality imagery with file sizes that are often 25-34% smaller than JPEGs , which is a primary reason for the format's popularity among webmasters using Google for Developers resources. Legacy Version Workarounds: If you are using an older version (e.g., Version 7 or 8) that does not natively recognize WebP, you might need to use external plugins or converters. Some users on the VirtueMart Forum have noted that while thumbnail creation for WebP can sometimes be "enabled" via manual helper file modifications in certain environments, it is generally safer to upgrade to a version that supports the format natively. Common Issues Missing Thumbnails: If WebP thumbnails are not appearing, it may be due to the software's underlying image library lacking encoding support, a known issue in some development frameworks discussed on GitHub . Compatibility: Some legacy versions of ThumbsPlus may require being run in "Windows 95" compatibility mode to function correctly on newer operating systems, though this is primarily for stability rather than format support. For those moving away from ThumbsPlus to more modern workflows, it is worth noting that the software's database export feature can help preserve your metadata, such as keywords and file names, during a transition. Files: Thumb not working with WEBP format #825 - GitHub
ThumbsPlus and WebP: The Ultimate Guide to Managing Next-Gen Images In the digital asset management world, few file formats have caused as much disruption—and subsequent confusion—as WebP . Introduced by Google in 2010, WebP promised smaller file sizes with equal or better quality than JPEGs and PNGs. For nearly a decade, however, software support lagged behind. Enter ThumbsPlus . For over 25 years, ThumbsPlus (from Cerious Software) has been the gold standard for professional image organization, batch processing, and thumbnail management. But a burning question has lingered on forums and support threads: Does ThumbsPlus support WebP? And if so, how do you make it work? This article dives deep into everything you need to know about using ThumbsPlus WebP workflows, covering native support, plugin setups, batch conversions, and troubleshooting.
Part 1: The State of WebP Support in ThumbsPlus Native Support (Version 10 and Beyond) If you are running an older version of ThumbsPlus (v7, v8, or v9), you will likely encounter a "Unknown file format" error when trying to open a WebP image. The format simply did not exist in the mainstream when those versions were architected. The good news: ThumbsPlus version 10 and version 11 (the latest as of this writing) offer native read support for WebP files. This means you can:
View thumbnails of WebP images in the browser window. Open WebP files in the editor. Copy/Paste metadata from WebP files. thumbsplus webp
The limitation: While reading is solid, writing (saving as WebP) is not always enabled by default in all distributions due to licensing nuances with the libwebp library. For many users, the challenge isn't viewing WebP—it's converting to or editing WebP. What About ThumbsPlus v9 and Earlier? For users clinging to the classic ThumbsPlus v9 (still beloved for its speed on legacy hardware), you are not entirely out of luck. You cannot natively load WebP, but you can use a workaround: External Viewers .
How to do it: Go to Preferences > File Types > Add . Define the .webp extension and point ThumbsPlus to an external WebP viewer (like IrfanView or XnView). ThumbsPlus will generate a generic icon, but double-clicking will launch the external app. This is not ideal for database management, but it works.
Part 2: How to Enable Full WebP Support in ThumbsPlus (Step-by-Step) If you are using ThumbsPlus v10/v11 and still cannot see WebP thumbnails, you likely need to register the WIC (Windows Imaging Component) codec. Unlike macOS, Windows does not ship with native WebP decoding. ThumbsPlus relies on the OS's codec infrastructure. Step 1: Install the WebP Codec for Windows While ThumbsPlus is a long-standing image management and
Download the WebP Codec for Windows from Google’s official repository (or via the Microsoft Store). Run the installer. This registers WebP with Windows Explorer. Restart your computer. (Restarting ThumbsPlus alone is often insufficient.)
Step 2: Refresh ThumbsPlus Database
Open ThumbsPlus. Navigate to the folder containing .webp files. Press Ctrl + Shift + F5 (Force Refresh Thumbnails). If ThumbsPlus still does not recognize them, go to View > Options > File Types and ensure .webp is checked. WebP Advantages: Integrating WebP into your workflow allows
Step 3: Manual Registry Tweak (Advanced Users) If the codec fails, ThumbsPlus may need a direct hint. Close ThumbsPlus, open Regedit , navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cerious Software\ThumbsPlus\10.0\Extensions Add a new String Value: webp with data 1 . This forces the software to treat WebP as a valid image type.
Part 3: Converting to and from WebP with ThumbsPlus Batch Processor The true power of ThumbsPlus has always been its Batch Convert feature. Here is how to integrate WebP into your mass conversion workflows. 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.