Manual & frequently asked questions
The same manual that's built into the app itself, plus the frequently asked questions, laid out here for easy reference.
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Frequently asked questions
Does SetTag work with RAW files like Canon CR3?
Yes. SetTag supports the main RAW formats (CR3, CR2, NEF, NRW, ARW, RAF, RW2, ORF, DNG) alongside JPEG and TIFF. Metadata is written via XMP, including on RAW formats like CR3 that don't support the older IPTC format.
Do I need an internet connection during a shoot?
No. SetTag checks your license locally via a cache. As long as it validated somewhere in the past 7 days, automatic tagging keeps working without wifi or 4G, handy on location.
What does SetTag cost?
€ 29,95 a month, € 599,00 a year, or € 699,00 one-time (lifetime), incl. VAT.
Does SetTag also work on Windows?
The app itself is macOS-only and is notarized by Apple. The metadata SetTag writes lives in the file itself, so keyword search also works in Windows Explorer, for example if a colleague or client uses Windows.
Can I just search by keyword afterwards?
Yes. Because the keywords live in the file itself, you don't need to keep a separate catalogue or database: search in Finder or Windows Explorer for, say, a colour or brand name and the right photos turn up.
Does SetTag work alongside Capture One?
Yes. SetTag watches your tethered-capture folder and tags every new photo automatically, regardless of which tethered software you shoot with.
Is SetTag only suited to fashion photography?
No. SetTag works just as well for portrait sessions (per model or look) and for product photography outside fashion, such as jewellery, interiors and electronics.
For a group portrait session, like a team at the office, can I prepare a name list beforehand?
Yes. Import a shotlist as a CSV with all the names beforehand, that turns every name into its own set. When you photograph someone, activate that person as the set (via scanner, manually, or automatically from a name card), and every photo is instantly tagged with the right name. That way, at the end of the day you know exactly who you've already photographed and who you haven't.
How does a license work after purchase?
Your license key appears right on the confirmation page as soon as the order completes, and is also included in the confirmation email. You can always find it again later under "My account" for that order. Open SetTag, paste the key into the license field, done, no account or login needed inside the app itself.
On how many devices does my license work?
On 2 devices at once by default, for example your Mac in the studio and one on location.
Is SetTag available in English too?
Yes. SetTag automatically follows your Mac's system language: set it to English and the app shows itself in English, including error messages and the log. If your Mac is set to any other language, SetTag falls back to Dutch.
Why SetTag is different
Bits of this idea already exist elsewhere: scan a code somewhere, fill in a field somewhere. What you won't find elsewhere is the whole combination in one product.
A Set is a real object
Brand, model, location and multiple items with colour, not a single bare code field like most alternatives.
Alongside Capture One, not instead of it
Runs as a watch folder alongside it. Your tethered workflow stays exactly as it is, no switch required.
Writes into the file itself
Real IPTC/XMP metadata, no filename trick and no separate sidecar file.
Three ways to activate a set
USB scanner, manual entry, or recognised automatically from the photographed QR set card.
A free prep app alongside it
Prep shoots, sets and QR cards in advance, even by a stylist or assistant, no license needed.
Choose your own term
Monthly, yearly, or lifetime, whatever fits you.
See the full comparison with Smart Shooter, Photo Mechanic and more →
1. Create a Shoot
- Go to the Sets tab and click "New Shoot".
- Enter a name (e.g. "Ibiza Summer 2026"), and optionally a location and client.
- A Shoot is the container that holds all your Sets for that day or assignment.
2. Create Sets
- A Set is one outfit/product combination: brand, model, location and the items in it.
- Click "+ Set" to create a set manually, or use "From catalogue" to pick a previously saved product (see point 5).
- Every set automatically gets a set number if you don't enter one yourself.
- Big batch in one go? Import a CSV via "Import CSV", handy for example for a group of portraits that doesn't show up in a fixed order: everyone is already in there, and you search by name during the shoot instead of scrolling.
3. Scanning during the shoot
- Three ways to activate a set while shooting:
- USB scanner: scan the QR code on the set card, active immediately at the bottom of the Sets tab.
- Manual: type or paste the set text into the same field and press Enter.
- Automatically from the photo: photograph the printed QR set card as the first photo of a new set. SetTag recognises it automatically from the preview and activates the set, no separate scan step needed. Toggle this under "Recognise QR code" on the Watch Folder tab.
- Print a set card via the QR icon next to a set, use the standalone QR Generator (menu bar) for a single card without a shoot, or use "Bulk QR export" to export a whole shoot's cards at once as a PDF (several per A4, with cut lines).
4. Watch Folder, automatic tagging
- Go to the Watch Folder tab and pick the folder where your tethering software (e.g. Capture One) writes photos to.
- As soon as that folder is actively watched, SetTag automatically tags every new photo with the currently active set (brand, model, location, items) in both IPTC and XMP.
- Works with any tethering software that writes to a folder, no direct integration required.
- Photos you took before a set was activated (or while SetTag wasn't running) get missed this way. Click "Process existing files" then: SetTag remembers when each set became active, and assigns every still-untagged file to whichever set was active at the moment the file appeared, based on its arrival time. Files from before the very first set was ever activated are never guessed at, they deliberately stay untagged and show up separately in the log. In a normal session (activate first, then shoot) this button correctly finds nothing, it's a safety net, not a routine step.
5. Product catalogue
- Manage reusable products (name + known colours) via the "Product catalogue" button.
- The catalogue is organised per brand, not per client: one client can easily carry several brands (an agency might shoot both Nike and another brand for the same customer). Add a brand via "+ Brand", every brand stays selectable for every shoot.
- When building a set you then choose "From catalogue" instead of retyping everything.
- Can also be filled via CSV import, handy for a large collection all at once. This is a different CSV format than the sets templates above.
6. Export, save and share
- Import CSV, Export CSV and Export JSON live up top next to Klanten. Export CSV/JSON is for Excel or archiving.
- "Open..." and "Bewaar..." (next to + Set) work with .settag files: the whole shoot at once, including all sets, items and tag counts.
- Handy as a backup, or to hand off a shoot prepared in SetTag Prep to SetTag: export it there as .settag, open it here (or just double-click the file in Finder).
- Watch folder and tag history are Mac-specific and deliberately not carried over when opening a .settag file.
Troubleshooting
- Photo not tagged? Check the Log tab, it states exactly why (no active set, file locked, license issue).
- Filename reused by your camera (e.g. rolling over from 9999 back to 0001)? SetTag recognises this automatically when the content changes, and warns you in the log.
- Lost access? Your license needs to revalidate online at least every 7 days. Working offline for a short while is not a problem.