Library File Structure Explanation

Eagle’s library is designed to provide users with an efficient file management and previewing experience. To achieve this, in addition to storing imported original files, Eagle generates additional thumbnails and metadata files (JSON files). These files help optimize library performance but also slightly increase storage usage. Below is a detailed explanation of the different file types in the library:

Thumbnail Generation Rules:

For image files that are not in JPG, PNG, or BMP format, Eagle automatically creates a _thumbnail.png file.
For JPG, PNG, or BMP images wider or taller than 1440 pixels, a thumbnail is also generated.

Note: Most standard image formats will not generate extra _thumbnail.png files.

Note: JSON files are extremely small (typically less than 1KB) and have a minimal impact on total storage usage.

📖 Related Article:
Why do some images generate extra _thumbnail files?

Storage Usage Analysis: Less than 5% Additional Space

By comparing the storage usage of the library and the original files, we found that Eagle's additional space usage is typically within 5%. For example:

Importing 2.18 GB of photos and videos into Eagle results in a total library size of 2.2 GB, an increase of only 0.9%.

Causes of Abnormally High Storage Usage

Some users have reported that their Eagle library takes up significantly more space than the original files, sometimes even double. After investigation, we confirmed that this is usually related to hard drive file system settings rather than Eagle itself.

If your Eagle library is using abnormally high storage, check the allocation unit size of your hard drive. For libraries containing many small files, setting a smaller allocation unit size (e.g., 4096 bytes) can improve storage efficiency.

Tips to Optimize Library Storage Usage

If you've been using Eagle for a while and want to optimize storage, here are two ways to better manage your resources:

Use Eagle’s "Scan for Duplicate Files" Tool to Remove Redundant Files
This tool allows you to scan your entire library, specific folders, or selected files to efficiently remove duplicate content.
Install the Image Compression & Format Conversion Plugin to Reduce File Sizes
This plugin helps compress images and convert file formats, reducing storage usage. You can choose lossy or lossless compression and adjust quality levels to save space.

Following these suggestions will help you manage your Eagle library more efficiently and optimize storage usage.

Why does the Eagle library take up more space than the original files?