EPSON FF-680W Photo Sorter
When the Epson FF-680W photo scanner scans a photo, it produces two copies of each image:
karen-hirst_0001.jpg— original, uncorrected scankaren-hirst_0001_a.jpg— colour-corrected copy (Epson appends_a)
The Photo Sorter tool automatically separates these into corrected/ and uncorrected/ subfolders so staff never have to move files by hand. It runs 100% locally — no uploads, no internet required.
How to Use — macOS
One-time setup (2 minutes)
- Open Script Editor (Applications → Utilities → Script Editor).
- Open the file
SortPhotos_Droplet.applescript(or copy its contents into a new script). - File → Save As → set File Format: Application → name it Photo Sorter → save to the Desktop.
Sorting photos
-
Scan your photos with the Epson software as normal.
-
Drag the folder of scanned photos onto the "Photo Sorter" app icon — or simply double-click the app and choose the folder when prompted.
-
A popup confirms the result:
Done! Moved 39 corrected files (_a) Moved 39 uncorrected files
macOS will ask permission for the app to access the folder — click OK once and it is remembered.
How to Use — Windows
- Double-click
SortPhotos_Windows.bat. - A folder picker appears — choose the folder containing the scanned photos.
- A popup confirms how many files were moved.
The .bat launcher handles PowerShell execution policy automatically, so staff never see a script error. (Drag-and-drop of a folder onto the .bat also works.)
What the Tool Does
| File | Destination |
|---|---|
Ends in _a.jpg / _a.jpeg / _a.png / _a.tif / _a.tiff | corrected/ |
Any other image (.jpg / .jpeg / .png / .tif / .tiff) | uncorrected/ |
Anything else (.txt, .pdf, …) | Left in place, untouched |
- Both subfolders are created automatically if they don't exist.
- The tool never deletes anything — it only moves files.
- Non-image files are ignored, so notes or log files in the folder stay put.
- Sub-folders are not touched, so re-running the tool on a parent folder won't reshuffle already-sorted files.
- Safe to re-run at any time: only loose images in the top level of the chosen folder are moved.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| macOS says the app "can't be opened" | Right-click the app → Open → confirm once. Only needed the first time. |
| Drag-and-drop onto the app does nothing | Double-click the app instead and use the folder picker. |
| Files not being sorted | Check filenames actually end in _a before the extension (e.g. _a.jpg, not a.jpg or _A.JPG — the tool handles capital letters either way). |
| Windows popup is blocked | Right-click the .bat → Properties → check Unblock, then run again. |