ImageType is an image filetype detector and extension appender.
ImageType is an image filetype detector and extension appender. It operates through a very basic drag'n'drop interface, adding the correct filetype association to each file deposited.
While Preview and other applications will usually be able to open an image even if it's given the wrong extension, knowing the proper type can be a boon to developers and other digital professionals. For the home user, ImageType is perhaps most useful when a folder that's should be filled with images is filled with "Document" files instead due to a lack of any file extension (sometimes caused by transfer between operating systems).
The app appears to be identical in everything but name and icon to Scaxion, a commercial offering from the same developer. There's some additional explanatory text in ImageType's Preferences drop-down, but otherwise the interfaces are indistinguishable, down to a telling tooltip in ImageType that mistakenly references Scaxion. It's somewhat unclear which is the newer or more official version, but for such a simple application it scarcely seems to matter.
Pros
- Automated solution to a fairly common problem
- Ability (in Preferences) to prevent specific extensions from being used
Cons
- Such a minimalist interface you may forget what it's for
- No feedback on success or progress
- Appends rather than replacing previous (incorrect) extension