Lightroom uses numerous kinds of previews and caches for different purposes. Having a basic idea of their usage can help you pick the right ones for your needs. The main ones you need to know about are rendered previews and smart previews. To fully … Click to continue
Why is Lightroom asking to upgrade my catalog and what does it do?
When you first launch Lightroom after a major update, such as the recent update to 10.0, it asks your permission to upgrade your catalog - but why? Is it safe? What does it actually do? Sometimes database changes need to be made in the catalog to … Click to continue
Merging Catalogs – Stage 4 – Cleanup
In the last few posts, we've been merging multiple catalogs into a single new Master catalog. Once the photos are all in a single catalog, you can finish cleaning up. Fix Missing Photos If any photos are still marked as missing, now's the time to … Click to continue
Merging Catalogs – Stage 3 – Using Import from Another Catalog to Merge
In the last post, we finished gathering information about the catalogs and created a plan of action. With all of the information to hand, you're ready to start merging catalogs. Open Lightroom and go to File menu > New Catalog. This will … Click to continue
Merging Catalogs – Stage 2 – Prepare Catalogs for a Clean Merge
In the last post, we figured out which of your multiple catalogs you want to merge into your new Master Catalog. We want a smooth merge of catalogs. so there's a little more to do to prepare. Then we'll be ready to go ahead with the merge. Stage 2 - … Click to continue
Merging Catalogs – Stage 1 – Identifying Catalogs
In the last post in the series, we gained an overview of the process of merging multiple catalogs into a single Master catalog. The first task is to identify which catalogs contain metadata you want to keep. The easiest way to do this is to make a … Click to continue
Merging Catalogs – The Overview
In another post, we discussed the arguments for and against multiple catalogs. So, if you decide to merge some catalogs, how do you go about it? In this first of five posts, we'll take an overview of how to merge catalogs and some of the reasons you … Click to continue
Should you have one catalog or multiple catalogs?
Since version 1.1, Lightroom has been able to create and switch between multiple catalogs. But the question is, just because you can, should you? Should you have one catalog or multiple catalogs? There is no 'right' number of catalogs. As with the … Click to continue
What is a Lightroom catalog?
There are basically two different types of local image management software - databases (catalogs) and file browsers. So what's the difference? What actually is a Lightroom catalog? Let's compare to a physical library of books to illustrate. File … Click to continue
How do I correct duplicate folders with the same name in my catalog?
Have you ever edited photos in Photoshop, only to find the edited photo appears in a different folder in Lightroom's Folders panel? Or perhaps you've ended up with two Pictures folders in Lightroom, but only one on your hard drive. The cause is … Click to continue
How do I rearrange existing photos into a new dated folder structure?
In a previous post entitled How do I reorganize my Folders panel we discussed how to create, rename and delete folders, and how to move photos between folders. If you're moving to a dated folder structure, Lightroom won't create the folder structure … Click to continue
How do I reorganize my Folders panel?
Lightroom only automatically organizes photos (for example, into dated folders) while importing. But if your existing folder structure is a mess, you can tidy it up manually by creating, moving, renaming and deleting folders and photos. While … Click to continue
Lightroom Classic Catalogs – Top 10 Misunderstandings
Lightroom Classic has two primary functions - organizing your photos and editing them. Although its organizational tools are powerful, they're also the most misunderstood. These are some of the most common catalog-related misunderstandings. #1 - … Click to continue
How do I consolidate photos from multiple drives?
When you start to run low on hard drive space, you may try to solve the problem by buying additional hard drives. However, over time, it's easy to end up with photos all over the place, and then it’s hard to check that they're all being backed up. In … Click to continue
How do I move only my photos to another hard drive, leaving the catalog where it is?
If you need to move photos to another hard drive, perhaps because you’ve outgrown your existing hard drive, there are two main options. As a rule of thumb, you can use option one for moving a few photos/folders, but option two is safer when moving … Click to continue