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Language System Overview

ImageGlass supports multiple languages through .iglang.json language pack files. Each language pack contains translations for all UI text, menus, and messages.

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Language File Location

Language packs can be installed in two locations: 
%APPDATA%\ImageGlass\Languages\*.iglang.json
User language packs take precedence over built-in packs.

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Setting Language

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Via Configuration File

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Language
string
default:"English"
Language pack filename (with or without .iglang.json extension)Example: "Language": "Spanish.iglang.json"Or simply: "Language": "Spanish"

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Via Settings UI

1

Open Settings

Launch ImageGlass → Menu → Settings
2

Navigate to Language

Click Language in the left sidebar
3

Select Language

Choose from installed language packs in the dropdown
4

Apply

Click Apply to switch language immediately

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Available Languages

ImageGlass includes these built-in language packs:

English

Default language

Arabic

العربية (ar-SA)

Armenian

Հայերեն

Bulgarian

Български

Catalan

Català

Chinese (Simplified)

简体中文

And many more...

View all languages

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Installing Language Packs

1

Download Language Pack

Get .iglang.json file from:
2

Install via Settings

Option 1: Using ImageGlass Settings
  1. Open Settings → Language tab
  2. Click Install new language packs…
  3. Select one or more .iglang.json files
  4. Click Open to install
3

Install Manually

Option 2: Manual Installation
  1. Copy .iglang.json file to %APPDATA%\ImageGlass\Languages\
  2. Click Refresh button in Language settings
  3. Select new language from dropdown
4

Apply Language

The language changes immediately when selected

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Language Pack Structure

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File Format

Language packs use JSON format:
Example.iglang.json
{
  "_Metadata": {
    "Code": "en-US",
    "EnglishName": "English",
    "LocalName": "English",
    "Author": "ImageGlass Team",
    "MinVersion": "9.0"
  },
  "Items": {
    "FrmMain.MnuFile": "File",
    "FrmMain.MnuOpenFile": "Open file…",
    "FrmMain.MnuSave": "Save",
    "FrmMain.MnuExit": "Exit",
    "_._OK": "OK",
    "_._Cancel": "Cancel"
    // ... hundreds more translations
  }
}

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Metadata Section

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_Metadata.Code
string
required
ISO language code (e.g., "en-US", "es-ES", "zh-CN")
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_Metadata.EnglishName
string
required
Language name in EnglishExample: "Spanish", "Chinese (Simplified)"
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_Metadata.LocalName
string
required
Language name in the native languageExample: "Español", "简体中文"
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_Metadata.Author
string
Name(s) of translator(s)Example: "John Doe, Jane Smith"
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_Metadata.MinVersion
string
required
Minimum ImageGlass version requiredCurrent: "9.0" or "9.3"

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Translation Items

The Items object contains key-value pairs:
  • Key: Internal string identifier (don’t change)
  • Value: Translated text in your language
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Items.{KeyName}
string
Translation for a specific UI elementSpecial characters:
  • {0}, {1}, etc. - Placeholders for dynamic values (preserve these!)
  • … (U+2026) - Ellipsis character
  • \r\n - Line breaks
Example:
"FrmMain.MnuSave._Success": "Image saved to {0}"
Always preserve placeholders like {0}, {1} in your translations - they are replaced with dynamic values at runtime

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Creating a Language Pack

1

Export English Template

  1. Open ImageGlass Settings → Language
  2. Select English language
  3. Click Export language pack…
  4. Save as YourLanguage.iglang.json
2

Edit Metadata

Open the file and update metadata:
{
  "_Metadata": {
    "Code": "es-ES",
    "EnglishName": "Spanish",
    "LocalName": "Español",
    "Author": "Your Name",
    "MinVersion": "9.0"
  }
}
3

Translate Items

Translate each string in the Items section:Before:
"FrmMain.MnuOpenFile": "Open file…"
After:
"FrmMain.MnuOpenFile": "Abrir archivo…"
Use a JSON editor with validation to avoid syntax errors
4

Test Translation

  1. Save the file
  2. Install it via Settings → Language
  3. Select your language
  4. Check all UI elements for correctness
5

Submit to Community

Share your translation:

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Translation Guidelines

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String Length

Keep translations similar in length to English text when possible. Very long translations may be truncated in the UI.

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Placeholders

Preserve all placeholders in the correct order: 
// ✅ Correct
"FrmExportFrames._Exporting": "Exportando {0}/{1} fotogramas\r\n{2}…"

// ❌ Wrong - missing placeholders
"FrmExportFrames._Exporting": "Exportando fotogramas…"

// ❌ Wrong - wrong order
"FrmExportFrames._Exporting": "Exportando {1}/{0} fotogramas…"

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Special Characters

  • Ellipsis: Use … (U+2026), not ... (three periods)
  • Line breaks: Use \r\n for new lines
  • Quotes: Use proper typographic quotes for your language
  • Ampersands: & for keyboard shortcuts (e.g., "&File" for Alt+F)

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Context Awareness

Some keys have contextual suffixes:
  • ._Description - Descriptive text or help message
  • ._Error - Error message
  • ._Success - Success message
  • ._Tooltip - Tooltip text
Example: 
"FrmMain.MnuSave": "Save",
"FrmMain.MnuSave._Success": "Image saved successfully",
"FrmMain.MnuSave._Error": "Could not save the image"

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Updating Existing Translations

1

Check for New Strings

Compare your language pack with the latest English version:
  1. Export current English pack
  2. Compare with your translation
  3. Find missing keys
2

Add Missing Translations

Add new keys to your Items section
3

Update MinVersion

Update _Metadata.MinVersion to current ImageGlass version
4

Test

Verify new strings appear correctly in ImageGlass

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Language Pack Management

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Refresh Language List

After manually copying language files:
  1. Open Settings → Language
  2. Click Refresh button
  3. New languages appear in dropdown

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Viewing Contributors

  1. Open Settings → Language
  2. Select a language
  3. Click Contributors to see translator names

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Exporting Your Current Language

  1. Settings → Language
  2. Select active language
  3. Click Export language pack…
  4. Save for backup or sharing

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Common Translation Keys

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General UI

"_._OK": "OK",
"_._Cancel": "Cancel",
"_._Apply": "Apply",
"_._Close": "Close",
"_._Save": "Save",
"_._Delete": "Delete"

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Settings Tabs

"FrmSettings.Nav._General": "General",
"FrmSettings.Nav._Image": "Image",
"FrmSettings.Nav._Viewer": "Viewer",
"FrmSettings.Nav._Toolbar": "Toolbar",
"FrmSettings.Nav._Gallery": "Gallery",
"FrmSettings.Nav._Language": "Language",
"FrmSettings.Nav._Appearance": "Appearance"

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Troubleshooting

  • Verify .iglang.json file extension
  • Check JSON syntax is valid (use a validator)
  • Ensure _Metadata section is complete
  • Click Refresh in Language settings
  • Translation key may be missing from your language pack
  • Compare with latest English version for new keys
  • Add missing translations to Items section
  • JSON syntax error in language file
  • Missing or incorrect translation value
  • Validate JSON structure
  • Ensure file is saved as UTF-8 encoding
  • Use proper JSON escape sequences
  • Check for BOM (Byte Order Mark) issues

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Contributing Translations

Help make ImageGlass accessible to more users:
  1. Check existing translations at ImageGlass Languages
  2. Create or improve a language pack
  3. Submit via:
Your contribution will be credited in the language pack metadata and ImageGlass about dialog

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See Also

Settings Overview

Configuration basics

Themes

Visual customization

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