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Introduction
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Updates
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Quick Start Essentials
The Basics
Basic Workflow
The Top 10 Gotchas
Remember Lightroom’s Rule Number 5
Import
Shooting Raw, sRAW or JPEG
Can I use Lightroom on JPEG files as well as raw files?
If I can use all of Lightroom’s controls on JPEG files, why would I want to shoot in my camera’s raw file format?
If I shoot raw, can Lightroom understand the camera settings?
If I shoot sRAW format, can Lightroom apply all the usual adjustments?
The Import Dialog
What’s the difference between the compact Import dialog and the expanded Import dialog and how do I switch?
What’s the difference between ‘Add,’ ‘Copy,’ ‘Move,’ and ‘Copy as DNG’?
Selecting Folders & Files for Import
How do I import multiple folders in one go?
Is it possible to import from multiple card readers at the same time?
Why do the folders keep jumping around and what is Docking?
Can I use the operating system dialog to navigate to a folder instead of using Lightroom’s Source panel?
Can I save favorite folders?
How do I select only certain photos to import?
How do I select photos from a specific date?
How do I select specific file types to import?
Why are some photos unavailable or dimmed in the Import dialog?
Can I see larger previews of the files before importing?
Import Options
Why do I have to create previews? Why can’t I just look at the photos?
What does ‘Don’t Import Suspected Duplicates’ do?
What does the ‘Make a Second Copy’ option do?
What Develop settings, metadata and keywords should I apply in the Import dialog?
How do I apply different settings to different photos while importing?
Renaming
How do I rename the files while importing?
What’s the difference between Import#, Image#, Sequence# and Total#?
Can Lightroom continue my number sequence from my previous import?
How do I pad the numbers to get Img001.jpg instead of Img1.jpg?
Can I have more than 5 digit numbers?
Destination Folders
I’ve chosen ‘Copy’ or ‘Move’—how do I organize the photos into a folder structure that will suit me?
Why are some of the Destination folders in italics?
How should I organize my photos on my hard drive?
Can I create a different dated folder structure automatically?
Can I leave Lightroom to manage my photos like iTunes moves my music files?
Import Presets
How do I create Import presets, and what do they include?
Proprietary Raw vs. DNG
Should I convert to DNG?
Do I lose quality when converting to DNG?
If I convert to DNG, can I convert back to the proprietary raw file format again?
Which preferences should I choose when converting to DNG?
How do I convert to DNG?
Should I convert other formats like JPEG or TIFF to DNG?
How do I update my embedded preview?
How do I change my embedded preview size?
Why do some files get bigger when converting to DNG?
I embedded the proprietary raw file—how do I extract it to use it?
I embedded the proprietary raw file—is there any way to remove it?
Other Import Questions
How do I import my existing photos into Lightroom?
Why does Lightroom load or open the Import dialog every time I insert a memory card or device?
I can’t see thumbnails in the Import dialog, I just see grey squares. How do I fix it?
Can I set Lightroom to delete the photos from the memory card once they’ve uploaded?
What happens to the other files on a memory card, such as sound or video files?
Can I import CMYK photos into Lightroom?
It says: ‘Some import operations were not performed. Could not copy a file to the requested location.’
It says: ‘Some import operations were not performed. The file is too big.’
It says: ‘Some import operations were not performed. The file is from a camera which isn’t recognized by the raw format support in Lightroom.’
It says: ‘Some import operations were not performed. The files use an unsupported color mode.’
It says: ‘Some import operations were not performed. The files could not be read. Please reopen the file and save with ‘Maximize Compatibility’ preference enabled.’
It says: ‘Some import operations were not performed. The file appears to be unsupported or damaged.’
Lightroom appears to be corrupting my photos—how do I stop it?
Why is Lightroom changing the colors of my photos?
I shot Raw+JPEG in camera—why have the JPEGs not imported?
Tethered Shooting & Watched Folders
Which cameras are supported by the built-in Tethered Capture?
How do I set Lightroom up to use Tethered Capture?
Crops can’t be saved in presets, so how do I get it to apply a crop to my Tethered photos?
Can I convert to DNG while tethering?
How do I set Lightroom up to use a watched folder?
Workspace
The Main Workspace
Menu bar, Title bar and screen modes
Module Picker
Identity Plate / Activity Viewer
Panel Groups & Panels
Panel Auto Hide & Show
Filmstrip
Preview Area
Toolbar
Grid View & Filter Bar
Loupe View, Info Overlay & Status Overlay
Zooming using the Navigator panel
Thumbnails
Thumbnail (1)
Cell Border (2)
Index Number (3)
Top Label (4)
Flag (5)
Metadata Status Icon (6)
Quick Collection Marker (7)
Badges (8)
Video Icon (9)
Rotation (10)
Bottom Label (11)
Selections
What’s the difference between the selection shades of grey?
Why don’t the rest of my photos deselect when I click on a single photo?
How do I select multiple photos?
I’ve got multiple photos selected—why is my action only applying to a single photo?
Viewing & Comparing Photos
Grid View
Compare View
Survey View
Loupe View
Lights Out
Working with Sliders & Panel Icons
Moving Sliders
Resetting Sliders
Disclosure Triangles
Panel Switches
Working with Dialogs
Saving Presets in Pop-Up Menus
Renaming, Updating and Deleting Presets in Pop-Up Menus
Using Tokens in Dialogs
Secondary Display
Which views are available on the Secondary Display? How are they useful?
Why do shortcuts and menu commands only apply to a single photo even though I have multiple photos selected on the Secondary Display Grid?
Why does the Secondary Display switch from Grid to Loupe when I change the Main Screen to Grid?
What does ‘Show Second Monitor Preview’ do?
How do I move the Library Filter bar to the Secondary Display?
Frequent Workspace Questions
My toolbar’s disappeared—where’s it gone?
How do I stop the panels opening every time I float near the edge of the screen?
Where have my panels gone?
Can I detach the panels and rearrange them?
Where have the Minimize, Maximize and Close Window buttons gone?
It’s all gone black! How do I change the view back to normal?
I can see Badges in Grid view, but not in my Filmstrip. Where have they gone?
How do I turn off the overlay which says ‘Loading…’?
Is it possible to see camera setting information while in Develop module, ratherthan constantly switching back to the Metadata panel?
Why is there an exclamation mark near the preview in the Develop Module?
How do I bring back the warning dialogs I’ve hidden?
Why won’t Lightroom show a dialog, such as the Export dialog?
Library Module
Folders
Can I change the way the folders are displayed?
When I look at a parent folder in Grid view, I see the photos in the subfolders as well. Can I turn it off so I can only see the contents of the selected folder?
I have a long list of folders—can I change it to show the folder hierarchy?
Why aren’t ‘Add Parent Folder’ and ‘Promote Subfolders’ showing in my context-sensitive menu?
How do I expand or collapse all of a folder’s subfolders in one go?
How do I find out where a photo is stored on my hard drive?
I’ve added new photos to one of Lightroom’s folders—why don’t they show in my catalog?
How does the Synchronize Folder command work?
Collections
How are Collections different from Folders?
How do I organize my collections into collection sets?
How do I add photos to a collection?
What are the Quick Collection and Target Collection?
How do I see which collections a photo belongs to?
Stacking
How do I stack photos?
Why are the stacking menu options disabled?
How do I move a photo to the top of the stack?
How do I apply metadata to multiple photos in a stack?
I’ve placed retouched derivatives into the same folder as the originals and I’d like them stacked in pairs. Can I do it automatically?
When I create a virtual copy, it should automatically stack them, but it hasn’t—why not?
Rating & Labeling
Which rating or labeling system should I use?
How do I apply ratings and labels quickly?
How do I use the Painter tool to quickly add metadata?
Is it possible to view flag/rating/color labels status when in other modules?
I’ve flagged my photos, but the flags disappear when I view these photos in another folder or collection—why?
I gave my photos stars or color labels in Lightroom—why can’t I see them in Bridge?
I gave my photos different color labels in Lightroom—why are they all white in Bridge? Or I labeled my photos in Bridge—why isn’t Lightroom showing my color labels?
Lightroom’s not quick enough to sort through a large shoot—is there anything I can do to speed it up?
Renaming, Moving & Deleting
How do I rename one or more photos?
How do I move or copy photos between folders?
When I delete photos, am I deleting them only from Lightroom, or from the hard drive too?
Why can’t I delete photos from the hard drive when I’m viewing a collection?
I’m deleting photos in Lightroom, set to send to Recycle Bin/Trash, so why isn’t it deleting them?
I accidentally deleted my photos from my hard drive and I don’t have backups! Can I create JPEGs from Lightroom’s previews?
Viewing & Editing Metadata
How do I add metadata to multiple photos at once?
How do I create a Metadata preset?
How do I select which metadata to view in the Metadata panel?
Can I import and listen to my camera’s audio annotations?
Why do some files say CR2+JPEG and some just say CR2?
Some of my lenses are listed twice in the Metadata filters, for example 24.0-105.0 mm and also as EF24-105 IS USM. Why?
Keywording
How should I keyword my photos?
How do I change my long list of keywords into a hierarchy? Or change the existing hierarchy?
How many keywords can I have?
How can I keep certain keywords at the top of the list?
Is there a quick way of finding a particular keyword in my long list?
What do the symbols in the Keyword panels mean?
Is there an easier way to apply lots of keywords in one go, other than typing or dragging them all?
Why are there only 9 keywords in the Keywords panel?
I mistyped a keyword and now Lightroom keeps suggesting it—how do I clear the autofill?
Is it possible to display all of the photos in a catalog that aren’t already keyworded?
I use multiple catalogs, but I’d like to keep my keyword list identical and current across all of the catalogs—is there an easy way?
How do I import my keywords from Bridge?
If I can import keywords from Bridge using a text file, does that mean I can create my keywords manually using a text file and then import them into Lightroom?
Editing the Capture Time
What do the different options in the Edit Capture Time dialog do?
The time on my camera was incorrect—how do I change it?
How do I sync the times on two or more cameras?
Managing Videos
What can I do with my imported videos?
How I do change which program opens my videos?
Sorting, Filtering & Finding Photos
How do I change my sort order?
Can I set a default sort order regardless of folder?
How do I sort my entire catalog from earliest to latest, regardless of their folders?
Why can’t I drag and drop into a custom sort order or User Order?
Why does Lightroom add new photos to the end of the sort order when editing in Photoshop?
Why does my filter disappear when I switch folders?
What does the Filter Lock icon in the Filter bar do?
How do I filter my photos to show photos fitting certain criteria?
Can I save the filters I use regularly as presets?
How can I view all of the photos tagged with a specific keyword or keyword combination?
How do I filter my photos to show… just one flag/color label/rating?
Can I select all photos with a specific flag, color label or rating without changing the filtering?
How can I use the Text filters to do AND or OR filters?
How do I change the Metadata filter columns?
How do I select multiple options within the Metadata filter columns?
Can I combine Text filters, Attribute filters, and Metadata filters?
How do I search for a specific filename?
Smart Collections
Why would I use smart collections instead of standard collections or filters?
How do I create smart collections?
How do I transfer smart collection criteria between catalogs?
Quick Develop
Why is the Quick Develop panel so useful?
Why am I missing some Quick Develop buttons?
Can I adjust any other sliders using Quick Develop?
Missing Files
Lightroom thinks my photos are missing—how do I fix it?
How do I prevent missing files?
Why does Lightroom keep changing my drive letters and losing my files?
Where has the Missing Files collection gone? How do I find all of the missing files in my catalog now?
I’ve renamed the files outside of Lightroom and now Lightroom thinks the photos are missing. Is it possible to recover them?
I’ve deleted some renamed photos. I do have backups but they have the original filenames, so Lightroom won’t recognize them. Is it possible to relink them?
Working with Catalogs
Managing Catalogs
How do I create a new catalog and switch between catalogs?
Why do I have a few different files for my catalog?
What does the catalog contain?
Is there a maximum number of photos that Lightroom can hold?
Is there a maximum number of photos before Lightroom’s performance starts to degrade?
Is there a maximum image size that Lightroom can import?
Can I move or rename my catalog?
How do I set or change my default catalog?
How can I remove everything I’ve done and start again?
What general maintenance will keep my catalogs in good shape?
Why can’t I open my catalog?
Catalog Corruption
How do catalogs become corrupted?
How can I keep my catalogs healthy and prevent corruption?
Lightroom says that my catalog is corrupted—can I fix it?
Single or Multiple Catalogs
Should I use one big catalog, or multiple smaller catalogs?
Can I search across multiple catalogs?
How do I set default Catalog Settings to use for all new catalogs?
I seem to have 2 catalogs. I only use 1, so can I delete the other?
How do I split my catalog into multiple smaller catalogs?
How do I merge multiple catalogs into one larger catalog?
How do I transfer photos between catalogs?
When I used ACR I only kept the XMP files archived—can’t I just do that?
Backup
I run my own backup system—do I have to let Lightroom run backups too?
Does Lightroom back up the photos as well as the catalog?
How do I back up Lightroom?
I back up photos using the Import dialog—isn’t that enough?
How often should I back up my catalog?
Where does Lightroom save the backups?
How do I change the backup location?
Should I turn on ‘Test integrity’ and ‘Optimize catalog’ each time I back up?
Can I delete the oldest backups?
Is it safe to have Time Machine back up the catalog?
I’m worried about keeping all changes in one catalog—are there any other options?
I haven’t got time to back up now—can I postpone the backup?
Why does Lightroom say it’s ‘unable to backup’?
Restoring Backups
How do I restore a catalog backup?
How do I restore everything from backups?
If I’m restoring from backups, does the catalog or the XMP data take priority?
Moving Lightroom on the Same Computer
How do I move only my catalog to another hard drive, leaving the photos where they are?
How do I move only my photos to another hard drive, leaving the catalog where it is?
How do I move my catalog & photos to another hard drive?
Moving Lightroom to a New Computer
How do I move my catalog, photos and other Lightroom files to a new computer?
How do I move my catalog & photos from Windows to Mac or vice versa?
Working with Multiple Machines
How does Export from Catalog work?
What are the limitations of offline files?
How does Import from Catalog work?
I need to work on my photos on my desktop and my laptop—what are my options?
How do I use a portable catalog with originals, for example, the whole catalog on an external drive with the photos?
How do I use a portable catalog without originals, for example, the whole catalog copied without the photos?
How do I upload and start editing on my laptop, and then transfer that back to the main catalog?
How do I export part of my catalog to another computer and then merge the changes back later?
How can I use my presets on both computers?
Can I synchronize two computers?
XMP
Why would I want settings written to XMP?
Which of Lightroom’s data isn’t stored in XMP?
Where are the XMP files for my JPEG/TIFF/PSD/DNG files?
How do I write settings to XMP?
Should I turn on ‘Automatically write changes into XMP’?
What’s the difference between ‘Write Metadata to Files’ and ‘Update DNG Preview & Metadata’?
Should I check or uncheck ‘Include Develop settings in metadata inside JPEG, TIFF, and PSD files’?
How do XMP files relate to the catalog?
Can I view the content of my XMP sidecar files?
XMP has been updated on another program or computer. Why don’t the changes show in Lightroom?
Lightroom says it can’t write to XMP—how do I fix it?
Networking
Can I share my catalog with multiple users on the same machine?
Can one catalog be opened simultaneously by several workstations across a network?
Is it possible to have the catalog stored on a Network Accessible Storage unit (NAS) but open it on a single machine?
Is it possible to use XMP files to allow some degree of sharing across the network?
Offline Archives
How do I archive photos to offline hard drives?
How do I archive photos to CD/DVD/Blu-Ray?
Previews & Speed
Previews
What’s the difference between Minimal, Embedded & Sidecar, Standard and 1:1 previews?
What size and quality should I set for Standard-Sized Previews?
When I choose Render 1:1 Previews from the Library menu, does it apply to the entire catalog or just the selected photos?
The previews folder is huge—can I delete it?
If I delete a photo, is the preview deleted too?
I’ve discarded 1:1 previews—why hasn’t the file/folder size shrunk?
Can I move the previews onto another drive?
Preview Problems
Why do I just get grey boxes instead of previews?
Everything in Lightroom is a funny color, but the original photos look perfect in other programs, and the exported photos don’t look like they do in Lightroom either. What could be wrong?
How do I change my monitor profile to check whether it’s corrupted?
How should I calibrate my monitor?
The previews are slightly different between Library and Develop and Fit and 1:1 views—why is that?
My photos have imported incorrectly rotated and distorted—how do I fix it?
Speed Tips
How can I get Lightroom to import faster?
How can I speed up browsing in Library module?
How can I speed up moving files between folders?
It’s taking forever to delete photos—should it really take this long?
How can I speed up browsing in Develop module? And what are these Cache*.dat files?
Are there any other Lightroom tweaks to make it run faster?
Are there any hardware or operating system tweaks to make Lightroom faster?
Develop Module
Raw File Rendering
Why do my raw photos change color? When the first preview appears, it looks just like it did on the camera—how do I stop it changing?
I set my camera to black & white. Why is Lightroom changing them back to color?
How do other programs like iView, PhotoMechanic, Apple’s Preview, Windows Explorer, Breezebrowser, etc., get it right?
There are some hot pixels on my sensor in other programs, but I can’t see them in Lightroom. Where have they gone?
Process Versions
Which settings are affected by the Process Version?
Which Process Version should I use?
How do I switch between PV2003 and PV2010?
Why are my new imports set to Process Version 2003?
White Balance
Where should I be clicking with the White Balance Eyedropper?
The White Balance Eyedropper disappears every time I click anything—how do I keep it turned on?
Why don’t the Temp and Tint sliders have the proper white balance scale when I’m working on JPEGs?
Where have the other White Balance presets gone, such as Cloudy and Flash?
Why is Lightroom showing different Kelvin values than I set in my camera custom white balance?
Can I change the eyedropper averaging?
How do I adjust for an extreme white balance, under 2000k or over 50000k?
Basic Adjustments
What’s the difference between Exposure and Brightness?
Why does the Recovery slider add a colored tint?
Fill Light creates halos and drops the contrast too far—is there an easy solution?
What does the Clarity slider do?
What’s the difference between Vibrance and Saturation?
Working with Sliders & Targeted Adjustment Tool
The slider movements are too coarse—how can I adjust them?
How do I apply Auto settings to individual sliders?
Does it matter in which order I apply sliders?
How do I use the TAT, or Targeted Adjustment tool?
Tone Curves
How do I use the standard Parametric Tone Curve?
What do the three triangular sliders docked at the base of the Tone Curve do?
How do I use the Point Curve?
Where have the Tone Curve sliders gone?
HSL, Color, B&W & Split Toning
What is the HSL panel used for?
What’s the difference between the HSL and Color panels?
How do I create a Black & White photo?
How do I use the Split Tone panel?
How do I create a Sepia photo?
Adjusting Multiple Photos
How do I copy or synchronize my settings with other photos?
Why won’t my white balance sync?
What does ‘Match Total Exposure’ in the Settings menu do?
Can I make relative adjustments, for example, brighten all selected photos by 1 stop?
Before / After Views
Can I see a Before / After preview?
Can I change the ‘Before’ state to something other than the Import state?
Can I turn off the effect of a whole panel’s settings, to see the preview with and without those settings?
Histogram & RGB Values
Is it possible to see clipping warnings? Or, why are there red and blue areas on my photos?
Why does the Histogram look different when I open the exported sRGB photo in Photoshop? Why are my highlights clipping in Photoshop but not in Lightroom?
Can I view RGB values using a normal 0-255 scale?
Presets
Where can I download Develop presets?
How do I install Develop presets?
How do I preview and apply presets to my photos?
How do I create my own Develop Presets?
How can I organize my presets into folders or groups?
How do I rename Develop presets?
How do I remove the default Develop presets?
How do I uninstall Develop presets?
Where have my presets gone?
Can I apply multiple presets to the same photo, layering the effects?
I have some Develop presets that I use in ACR in CS4—can I use them in Lightroom?
Why do my presets look wrong when used on JPEG/TIFF/PSD files, even though they work on raw files?
Is there a way to add a keyboard shortcut to a preset?
Defaults
Why would I change the default settings instead of using a preset?
How do I change the default settings?
Why would I want different defaults for each ISO and serial number combination?
Why don’t all of the sliders default to 0?
What settings should I use as the defaults?
Snapshots & Virtual Copies
Why would I want to use virtual copies?
When would I use a snapshot instead of a virtual copy?
Can I rename virtual copies?
Can I turn virtual copies into snapshots and vice versa?
Can I swap virtual copies for masters and vice versa?
What do Sync Copies and Sync Snapshots do?
History & Reset
How do I reset a single slider or panel section to its default setting?
How do I reset photos back to their default settings?
If I don’t like the last adjustment I made, can I just undo that step, rather than resetting everything?
How long do the adjustments stay in the History panel?
Detail—Sharpening & Noise Reduction
Why are my pictures softer and noisier than other programs?
What is multiple pass sharpening?
How do the sharpening sliders interact?
Can I apply or remove sharpening selectively?
How do I use the different Noise Reduction sliders?
I’ve turned sharpening and noise reduction right up to the maximum, but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything—why not?
Why is the Noise Reduction sometimes visible in Fit View and other times only visible in 1:1?
Lens Corrections
How do I apply lens corrections to my photo?
Why is the lens profile not selected automatically?
How do I set a default lens profile?
In the Setup pop-up menu, what’s the difference between Default, Auto & Custom?
How do the Amount sliders interact with the profile?
Can I use the profiled lens corrections to correct the chromatic aberrations without removing the distortion?
Why have the lens corrections created new chromatic aberration and vignetting instead of fixing it?
Can I correct multiple photos in one go?
Can I turn on the lens corrections by default?
What are my options if my lens profile isn’t available?
What do the Manual Lens Corrections sliders do?
How is the Rotate slider different from Straighten in the Crop options?
How is the Scale slider different to cropping?
What does the ‘Constrain Crop’ checkbox do?
Why doesn’t the Lens Correction Vignette adjust to the Crop boundaries?
How do I fix Chromatic Aberration?
Can I save Manual lens corrections as defaults for lenses?
When in my workflow should I apply lens corrections?
How do I turn off the grid overlay?
How do I create a Lens Profile using the Lens Profile Creator?
Does it matter which camera body is used when creating a lens profile?
Effects—Post-Crop Vignette & Grain
What’s the difference between Highlight Priority, Color Priority and Paint Overlay?
How do the Post-Crop Vignette sliders interact?
How do the Grain sliders interact?
Why does my grain not always look exactly the same in the exported file as in the Develop preview?
Calibration Profiles & Styles
How do I install and use the profiles?
Which are the profiles for my camera?
Why does my Nikon D300 have D2X profiles?
Why does the profile pop-up menu just say ‘Embedded’?
Why do I only have Matrix listed?
The ACR version number in the Calibration section is an old version—how do I update it?
DNG Profile Editor
Why is the DNG Profile Editor better than the Calibration sliders?
Can I use the profiles on proprietary raw files, not just DNG?
Why doesn’t it use ICC profiles?
Where do I download the DNG Profile Editor?
How do I use the DNG Profile Editor? It looks complicated!
Is there a simpler way of creating a DNG Profile for my camera?
Cropping
Why does the crop go in the wrong direction when I try and move the grid around?
How do I crop a vertical portion from a horizontal photo?
Can I zoom while cropping?
How can I change the default crop ratio?
How do I set a custom crop aspect ratio?
How do I delete a custom crop aspect ratio?
How do I set my crop grid back to thirds or bring the Crop Overlay back when it goes missing?
Is it possible to change the Crop Overlay color?
How do I straighten or rotate a photo?
Can a crop be saved in a preset?
Is there a way to see what the new pixel dimensions will be without interpolation?
Spot Removal—Clone & Heal Tools
How do I retouch a spot?
How do I adjust the brush size or the size of an existing spot?
How do I adjust the opacity of an existing spot?
How do I move or delete an existing spot?
Can I copy or synchronize the clone/heal spots?
Red Eye Reduction Tool
How do I work the Red Eye Reduction tool?
Lightroom’s Red Eye Reduction tool can’t lock on to the red eye—is there anything I can do to help it?
Why doesn’t the Red Eye Reduction tool work properly on my dog’s red eye?
Local Adjustments—Graduated Filter & Adjustment Brush
Why would I use the Graduated Filter & Adjustment Brush rather than editing a photo in Photoshop?
How do I create a new brush mask?
What do Size and Feather do?
What’s the difference between Flow & Density?
Is the Adjustment Brush pressure sensitive when used with a graphics pen tablet?
What does Auto Mask do?
Why are there speckles in the brushed area?
How can I tell if I’m applying a color tint when using the Adjustment Brush?
Can I select a color tint from the photo itself?
Can I brush on a lens blur effect?
If I apply sharpening using the Adjustment Brush, where do I adjust the Radius, Detail and Masking?
Where have my mask pins gone?
How can I tell whether I’m creating a new mask or editing an existing mask?
How do I reselect and edit an existing mask?
How do I create a new gradient mask?
How do I adjust an existing gradient?
How do I show the mask I’ve created?
Can I change the color of the mask overlay?
How do I fade the effect of an existing mask?
Can I layer the effect of multiple masks?
Can I invert the mask?
Can I synchronize my settings with other photos?
Can I save my Adjustment Brush strokes in a preset?
Editing in Other Programs
Editing in Other Programs
How do I change my Edit in… file settings?
In the Edit in… options, should I choose TIFF or PSD?
Can I have more than two External Editors?
How do I get Lightroom to use a different version of Photoshop?
Lightroom can’t find Photoshop to use Edit in Photoshop—how do I fix it?
Can I open the raw file into another raw processor?
Why isn’t Lightroom creating a TIFF or PSD file according to my preferences?
How do I open my layered file back into Photoshop without flattening it?
What’s the difference between ‘Edit Original,’ ‘Edit a Copy,’ or ‘Edit a Copy with Lightroom Adjustments’?
What do the other options in the Edit in… menu do?
Adobe Camera Raw Compatibility for Photoshop
How do I check which Lightroom and ACR versions I have installed?
Which ACR version do I need for the settings to be fully compatible?
What happens if I’m still using an older version of ACR and Photoshop?
What’s the difference between ‘Render Using Lightroom’ and ‘Open Anyway’ in the ACR mismatch dialog?
Can I open a raw file directly into the ACR dialog?
Rendered Files (JPEG/TIFF/PSD)
Raw Files
If I use ACR to convert, having created XMP files, will the result be identical to Lightroom?
I’d prefer to let Bridge run the conversion to JPEG using Image Processor to run an action. Is it possible?
Why is Bridge not seeing the raw adjustments I’ve made in Lightroom?
Export
Export Locations & File Naming
Can I set Lightroom to automatically export back to the same folder as the original?
Can I set Lightroom to automatically re-import the exported files?
Why is the ‘Add to Stack’ checkbox unavailable?
Can I set Lightroom to overwrite the original when exporting?
Can I stop Lightroom asking me what to do when it finds an existing file with the same name?
How do I burn the exported files to CD or DVD?
How do I change the filename while exporting?
File Settings
What’s the equivalent of JPEG quality…?
How do I set Lightroom to a JPEG level 0-12 so that Photoshop doesn’t ask me every time I save?
If a photo is imported as a JPEG, and it’s not edited it any way, is what I am exporting identical to what I imported?
Why won’t Photoshop allow me to save my Lightroom file as a JPEG?
Should I choose 8-bit or 16-bit?
I am a high volume photographer (weddings, etc.)—do I have to convert to PSD or TIFF for light retouching, or can I use JPEG?
Color Space
Which color space should I use?
Why do my photos look different in Photoshop?
Why do my photographs look different in Windows Explorer or on the Web?
Can I export with a custom ICC profile?
Sizing & Resolution
What’s the difference between Width & Height, Dimensions, Longest Edge & Shortest Edge?
When I enter 4×6 as my output size, why do the vertical photos become 4×6 but the horizontal photos become 2.5×4?
What does the ‘Don’t Enlarge’ checkbox do?
What PPI setting should I enter in the Export dialog?
I set the export PPI to 300—why is it 72ppi when I open it in Photoshop?
When I crop to 8×10 in Lightroom and then open in Photoshop, why is it not 8”x10”?
Is it better to upsize in Lightroom or in Photoshop?
Can I export to a specific file size?
Output Sharpening
Why does the Export Sharpening only have a few options? How can I control it?
Which Export Sharpening setting applies more sharpening—screen, matte or glossy?
Copyright & Watermarking
How do I create a basic watermark?
Are the watermarks intelligent for vertical and horizontal images?
Which file formats can I use for the graphical watermark?
Can I overwrite an existing watermark?
What is ‘Simple Copyright Watermark’ in the watermark menu?
Where can I use my watermarks?
How do I change the watermark placement for each photo?
Can I create more complex watermarks, such as text and a graphic?
Post-Processing Actions & Droplets
How do I get Lightroom to attach the exported files to an email?
Can I run a Photoshop action from Lightroom?
The droplet runs, but it doesn’t save—what have I done wrong?
The droplet runs, but it keeps asking what JPEG compression to use—what have I done wrong?
The droplet doesn’t run at all—why not?
The droplet only works on some of the photos and then stops—what’s wrong?
In my droplet I used a ‘Save for Web’ instead of a standard ‘Save As’—why won’t it overwrite the original file?
Plug-ins
What plug-ins are currently available?
How do I install Export plug-ins?
Where should I store my plug-ins?
Why can’t I remove this Export plug-in?
How do I use Export plug-ins?
Can I export directly to an FTP server?
Other Export Questions & Troubleshooting
Can I save my Export settings as a preset?
Do I have to use the Export dialog every time I export?
Can I strip the metadata from my files, like Save for Web in Photoshop?
Why can’t CS2 save as JPEG when I’ve used Local Adjustments on the photo?
It gives an error message—‘Some export operations were not performed. The file could not be written.’ or ‘The file could not be found.’ What went wrong?
The files appear in the export folder and then disappear again. Why is Lightroom deleting them?
Publish Services
Setting Up Your Publish Services
Why is Flickr the only website? Where’s my favorite photo sharing website?
What can I use the Hard Drive option for?
How do I set up my Publish Services accounts?
Can I choose the size of the photos to upload?
How do I prevent it uploading a particular version of a photo?
How do I control which keywords are visible on my published photos?
Which settings should I used for Privacy & Safety?
Creating Collections & Photosets
Can I divide my photos into different sets?
How do I add photos into a photoset that already exists on Flickr?
I didn’t mean to remove a photo from a photoset—how do I restore it?
Synchronizing Changes
How do I publish to Flickr or my hard drive?
Does it automatically publish changes I make to my photos?
How do I update Flickr or my hard drive with the changes I’ve made to my photos?
How do I remove photos from my Lightroom catalog without removing them from Flickr?
I deleted a photo on the Flickr web interface—how do I upload it again?
What happens if I rename a photo and then republish it?
Can I use Export as Catalog to transfer my Publish collections between catalogs?
Flickr Account Questions
What are the limitations of the Free vs. Pro Flickr accounts?
How do I upgrade Lightroom to a Pro account?
Can I have more than one Flickr account connected to my catalog?
Can I have the same Flickr account connected to multiple catalogs?
How do I disconnect Lightroom from my Flickr account?
I accidentally revoked the authorization on Flickr’s website—how do I fix it?
Publish Services Troubleshooting
Why is the new Comments panel unavailable?
Why is there a question mark on my Flickr service?
What does ‘Flickr API returned an error message (function upload, message Not a Pro Account)’ mean?
Slideshow Module
Styles & Settings
How do I create my first slideshow?
How do I add my Identity Plate to my slideshow?
How do I adjust the anchor point?
How do I add captions to the slides?
How do I change the font on my text overlays?
How do I remove the quotation marks when a caption is blank?
How do I change the background?
What does ‘Zoom to Fill Frame’ do?
Can I add Intro and Ending slides?
Can I advance the slides manually, but still have them fade from one to the next?
Can I rate photos while a slideshow is running?
How do I make the slideshow display on my second screen?
Music
How do I select or change the music track?
Which music formats can Lightroom play?
How do I adjust the slide timings to fit the length of the music track?
Why can’t Lightroom find my iTunes playlists?
How do I play multiple different music tracks during my slideshow?
Saving & Exporting Slideshows
Can I save my settings for a specific slideshow?
How do I save my settings as a template for use on other photos?
Can I export my slideshow to run in a DVD player?
Can I export my slideshow for viewing on the web?
Can I export the slideshow with the music?
Where has the ‘Export to JPEG’ option gone?
I exported to PDF, but it doesn’t automatically start the slideshow when I open the PDF. Why not?
Which movie size option should I choose?
Errors
Why does it stall part way through the slideshow or go much slower than the times I’d chosen?
Everything appears to be running correctly, then the screen just goes plain grey or black when I try to running the slideshow. Why?
Why is my noise reduction and sharpening not applied to my slideshow?
Print Module
Laying Out Your Photos
How do I set up a single borderless print, for example, a 4×6 snapshot?
How do I change the page size?
How do I create a contact sheet?
How can I change the order of contact sheet photos?
How do I use Picture Package?
What does the exclamation mark in the top right corner mean?
How do I create a Custom Package?
What’s a pinned or anchored cell?
How do I replace a photo in an existing cell?
How do I see the cell size?
How can I stop the photos being cropped by the cells?
How do I rotate a photo within a cell?
How do I move a photo within a cell?
How do I scroll through custom package pages?
Can I use the Print module to design albums and books?
Styles & Settings
How do I add the filename and watermark to my contact sheet?
Is it possible to personalize my print by changing the background color?
How can I overlay a graphic such as a border onto my print?
With 1 photo on a sheet, I can place the Identity Plate anywhere on the photo. Is that possible for multiple photos?
I have the Rulers and Grid checked in the Rulers, Grid & Guides panel—why can’t I see them?
How can I save my Print settings for later?
Printing
Why do Page Setup, Print Settings and Print buttons show the same dialog?
Which Print Sharpening option do I choose?
When should I turn on 16-bit printing?
What is ‘Draft Mode Printing’?
How do I set up my printer to match the preview I see on screen?
Why do Lightroom’s prints not match the preview on screen?
How do I print to a file such as a JPEG to send to my lab?
How do I get Lightroom to see my custom printer profile?
Why does my custom ICC printer profile not show in Lightroom’s list of profiles?
Web Module
Styles & Settings
How do I create my first web gallery?
How can I change a web gallery I’ve already created?
How do I save my settings as a template for use on other photos?
The default flash gallery appears to be capped at 500 photos—how do I increase the number of photos it can hold?
Is it possible to add music to the galleries?
Why do my galleries show stray white pixels on some photos?
Additional Galleries
Where can I download additional web galleries?
Are there any web galleries with download links or an integrated shopping cart such as PayPal?
How do I install new web galleries?
When using some third party galleries, the panels are clipped—can they be resized?
Exporting & Uploading
How do I upload my gallery?
Why doesn’t the FTP upload work—it says ‘Remote Disc Error’?
Why are my FTP settings not saved in the templates?
Can I have multiple galleries on my website?
Is it possible to embed a web gallery into an existing website or webpage?
I changed an existing gallery—why hasn’t it changed on the website?
Troubleshooting & Useful Information
Troubleshooting Steps
I have a problem with Lightroom—are there any troubleshooting steps I can try?
How do I delete the Preferences file?
What is deleted when I delete my Preferences file?
I installed Lightroom, but it says ‘An error occurred while attempting to change modules’. How do I fix it?
It says ‘There was an error working with the photo’ or there’s an exclamation mark in the corner of the thumbnail and a small fuzzy preview. What’s wrong?
Preferences & Settings
Lightroom Preferences & Catalog Settings are…
Photoshop Preferences are…
Photoshop Color Settings are…
Default File Locations
The default location of the Lightroom catalog is…
The default location of the Preferences is…
The default location of the Presets is…
The default location of the Camera Raw Cache is…
The default locations of the Adobe Camera Raw & Lens Profiles are…
Your custom Camera Raw & Lens Profiles can also be installed to the User folders…
64-bit
How do I install the 64-bit version?
Lightroom isn’t certified for XP x64—does that meant it won’t run?
My Mac version doesn’t have an ‘Open as 32-bit’ checkbox. Why not?
How can I check whether I’m running the 32-bit or 64-bit version?
Initial Installation
Should I buy the download or the boxed version?
Do I have to install the 3.0 version from my CD before installing updates?
Why won’t Lightroom 3 install on my Mac?
Upgrading from Lightroom 1, 2, or version 3 beta
How do I upgrade Lightroom?
Do I have to install Lightroom 1 or 2 if I purchased an upgrade version?
If I install Lightroom 3, will it overwrite my current 1.x or 2.x version?
Which catalog versions will upgrade to 3.0?
How do I upgrade my catalog from version 2 to version 3?
If I upgrade, can I go back to version 2?
Do I have to upgrade a catalog before I can import it into version 3 using Import from Catalog?
What happens if I try to upgrade a catalog that I’ve already upgraded?
Can I delete my previous installations?
Installing, Upgrading & Downgrading
How do I check which update I’m currently running?
How do I find out whether my new camera is supported yet?
How do I update Lightroom with the latest version of ACR?
How do I update to a newer Lightroom dot release?
How do I downgrade to an earlier Lightroom dot release in the case of problems?
Languages
How do I switch language?
Some of the shortcuts don’t work with my language version or non-English keyboard—can I fix it?
Licensing Information
I’m switching from PC to Mac—how do I switch my Lightroom license?
How many machines can I install Lightroom on?
How do I deactivate Lightroom to move it to another machine?
Final Words…
Where else can I go to find solutions to my problems that aren’t covered here?
I’ve got a great idea, or I’ve found a repeatable bug—how do I tell Adobe?
Keyboard Shortcuts
Shortcut Tables
Standard Modifier Keys
