extension as the RAW file from where it originated, but at this point it’s no longer a RAW file.
The file will appear in Photoshop in the resolution, bit depth, and color space you’ve specified in the External Editing Prefer- ences (Lightroom [PC: Edit]>Preferences). When you save the file in Photoshop (using the normal File>Save menu command, or the Command-S [PC: Ctrl-S] shortcut), it will be saved in the file format specified in this dialog, and placed back into the same folder as the original RAW file. (There’s also an option in the External Editing Preferences to stack this edited file with the original.)
alternate paths into photoshop
Depending on what you want to do with your file, there are a few other choices available in the Photo>Edit In menu.
Open as Smart Object in Photoshop will do just that, extending all the nondestructive flexibility of smart objects (far too numerous to list here) to the file when it arrives in Photo- shop. If it’s a RAW file, you’ll be able to re-edit any Lightroom Develop adjustments by double-clicking the smart object layer thumbnail and opening the embedded RAW file into Adobe Camera Raw.
Open as Layers in Photoshop is one of my favorite com- mands and is for opening multiple files as layers into one document. This is ideal for when you want to create a multi- image composite and have Lightroom and Photoshop do the basic layer setup for you.
• Edit Original: The term “original” here is quite problematic. Most people think it refers to the original file that the camera created, but this isn’t necessarily the case, especially with a RAW file. It refers to the original file that was created during the first trip into Photoshop, or to an original JPEG (possibly a camera original, but possibly not), TIFF, or PSD file. All layers will be preserved and, as long as metadata is saved to the file before making the trip into Photoshop, any Lightroom edits will be reapplied once the file arrives back in Lightroom.
the curse of the multiplying files
Since each of the first two options in this dialog create a copy of the file, using them too many times with the same file is a sure way to end up with lots of files that all look very similar, and it can be easy to lose track of just which file is which. Because the default behavior for Lightroom is to append “-Edit” onto the original filename, if you see files that are named something like “Img_2384-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit- Edit-Edit.tiff,” then you know that you’ve probably invoked that command many times on the same original file.
changing the way externally edited
files are named
In the aforementioned External Editing Preferences, the last option in the dialog lets you modify how the filenames are appended for files that are edited in external applications. For instance, I use the naming convention of “-M” to indicate a “master file,” which is how I think of the layered files I create from a RAW original.
creating alternate edit in
photoshop presets
In the center section of the External Editing Preferences is where you can specify an external editor in addition to Photoshop. This is also the place where you set up some plug-ins. I’ve used this section to set up an alternate Photoshop editing preset that I use for JPEG files from my iPhone. My default edit in the Pho- toshop configuration opens the images as 16-bit ProPhoto RGB files, which isn’t really appropriate for 8-bit JPEGs from a camera phone. So I’ve created a special preset for those files that, when used, will open them as 8-bit Adobe RGB files. Once you’ve chosen your application and file settings in the Addi- tional External Editor section, select Save Current Settings as New Preset from the Preset drop-down menu, name it in the New Preset dialog that appears, and click Create. This preset will now appear in the Photo>Edit In menu. ■
One of the cool things about Lightroom and Photoshop is that, since they’re both Adobe products, they “play well together.” Because of this, it’s easy to take a file from Light- room into Photoshop for additional editing. In this month’s column, we’ll take a closer look at the details of the back and forth between Lightroom and Photoshop.
why make the trip to photoshop?
Lightroom is a very capable program in terms of applying “global” adjustments that affect the overall image, as well as targeted “local” modifications that affect only specific parts of a photo. These changes are nondestructive and can be modified or undone at any time, which is one of the great things about working in Lightroom. In my own workflow, a trip to Photo- shop might be triggered because I need a much more precise and specific local edit than I can create with Lightroom’s local adjustment tools, or perhaps I need to apply more intricate and complex retouching, or I might want to use the photo as part of a multi-image composite. For some people who are new to Lightroom, but already well acquainted with Photoshop, a trip into that program may occur simply because they’re more familiar with Photoshop. My approach is to do as much as I can to the file in Lightroom and then bring it into Photoshop for those adjustments or modifications that I just can’t do in Lightroom, such as the precise layer mask seen here.to photoshop and back with raw files
When you open a RAW file from Lightroom to Photoshop using the Photo>Edit In>Edit in Adobe Photoshop command (Command-E [PC: Ctrl-E]), Lightroom will apply any adjust- ments you’ve added in the Develop module and process the RAW file into Photoshop. Note that when the file is openedALL IMAGES BY SÉAN DUGGAN
SEÁN DUGGAN
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There are also options for Merge to Panorama in Photoshop and Merge to HDR Pro in Photoshop. Lightroom CC also offers its own commands for panoramas and HDR that don’t require Photoshop, and you can find those under Photo>Photo Merge.the further edits fork in the road
Once you’ve taken a file from Lightroom to Photoshop and back, you’re faced with a fork-in-the-road situation. Will fur- ther editing only be done in Photoshop, or will it be a com- bination of both newer Lightroom edits and additional Pho- toshop edits? The main thing to understand is that there are some limitations to how the Photoshop edits (especially layers) and any new Lightroom edits can work together.
reopening a psd, tiff, or jpeg file
into photoshop
When you choose to open a non-RAW file (i.e., a TIFF, PSD, or JPEG) into Photoshop using the Command-E (PC: Ctrl-E) shortcut, a dialog appears that asks you what you want to edit, and it presents you with three possible options. These options include an explanation, but some new users are still perplexed by the choices, so let’s take a look at these and deconstruct exactly what happens.
• Edit a Copy with Lightroom Adjustments: As advertised, this will create a new file and apply any Lightroom adjustments. So, if you’ve already brought a file into Photoshop, added layers, saved it back to Lightroom, and now you’ve applied some more Lightroom adjustments, here’s what you’ll get: A file in Photoshop where your previous layers have been flattened, but the new Lightroom adjustments have been applied. The loss of my Photoshop layers is what makes this option a non-starter for me most of the time, but it might be useful if you’re opening a JPEG from your smart phone and want to apply any Lightroom adjustments and do fur- ther work in Photoshop.
• Edit a Copy: This creates a copy of the original file, but Light- room adjustments will not be visible in Photoshop. If it’s a layered PSD file, then your layers will be preserved and edit- able. If you choose to save the metadata to the file (Com- mand-S [PC: Ctrl-S]) before bringing the file into Photoshop, you can make new edits in Photoshop and when you save and close the file, the version that comes back into Light- room will still have the Develop module adjustments that weren’t visible in Photoshop.
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