Baking your XMP data into a DNG file is an excellent way to clean up cluttered storage drives, safeguard your photo edits, and ensure your photography archive remains accessible for years to come. By using free tools like the Adobe DNG Converter or Digikam, you can easily implement a clean, single-file workflow without spending a dime.
Install ExifTool for your operating system, open a command prompt or terminal, navigate to your image folder, and run the appropriate command. The -r option can be added to process DNG files in subdirectories as well.
If you have a folder full of camera raw files accompanied by individual .xmp sidecar files and want to merge them into a single, clean .dng raw image, the is the best choice. It is completely free, runs natively on Windows and macOS, and processes files in batches. How it Works xmp to dng converter free
exiftool -tagsfromfile edits.xmp -all:all original.dng -overwrite_original
To help me tailor this workflow to your specific needs, please let me know: Baking your XMP data into a DNG file
Embedding edits makes it easier to keep your portfolio organized. Best Free XMP to DNG Converters in 2026
If you edit photos on your smartphone or tablet, the mobile version of Lightroom allows you to import images and export them natively as DNG files containing your edit metadata. The -r option can be added to process
A common question is: “Is there a free way to convert XMP to DNG?”