Migrate Photoshop Elements from Windows to Mac

Current: Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 on Windows, over 8,000 images cataloged with multiple tags per image

Goal: Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 on Mac/Leopard retaining all my tags

If I copy my complete directory structure to the Mac, images and PSE catalog, will that catalog import into PSE 6 and retain all my tags?

Strangely Adobe can't answer this question. I've asked it twice and both responses have been gibberish.

Thanks,
Bill

Adobe's response

1. We can't help you with an unregistered product. - All 4 versions of Elements that I've owned are registered.
2. We can't answer technical questions. - huh?
3. You can download the trial and test it. - the download site has been down for weeks and won't be up until July. I wouldn't have bothered them if I could do this.

Bill

Trying another approach

The files are just files, same format on Mac and Windows. The catalog is a MS Access database which doesn't run on Windows. Lightroom uses SQL Lite which runs on both platforms. So one possibility is to:

• download and install the Lightroom trial on Windows
• import the PSE catalog into Lightroom
• move the Lightroom database from Windows to Mac
• reconnect the images (if possible) in Lightroom

This creates a whole list of issues that I'll ignore for the moment not the least of which is spending $300 for a copy of Lightroom for the Mac.

However PSE does have the ability to export the Tags into the image as IPTC data, a universal photo standard. BUT, only for JPEGs. So for someone who uses only JPEGs, the following will work.

• in PSE browser select all the images
• export tags
• now all the images will have the tags embedded as IPTC data
• switch to your Mac
• Copy the full directory structure from the PC to the Mac
• start iPhoto
• choose Preferences - Advanced
• uncheck "Copy items to the iPhoto Library"
• choose File - Import to Library
• point to the highest level directory of your images
• click the Import button and go have a beer while it imports

You will now have your photos in the same directory structure on the Mac as they were on Windows. All the tags will have been retained and you can do boolean searches to find your images.

Bill