Participant

Answered

Denoise & Exporting DNGs

Forum|Forum|5 months ago
December 5, 2025
3 replies
971 views

I'm wanting to export an image in DNG format, with denoise already applied. How do I do that?

Before, I could batch export a heap of files and the new DNGs created by Lightroom would have denoise already applied. Since the change to Denoise not creating a new file, I find the exported DNG files no longer have denoise applied.

I've tried embedding the original RAW file, but it doesn't work either, but that defeats the purpose of what I'm wanting to do anyway, which is store a much smaller DNG file with my edits, rather than keep my original RAW files which take up much more space.

How can I export a DNG file that can be re-edited later with denoise already applied?

Thanks in advance.

Windows

Correct answer JPG-Dealer

I couldn't work out what the issue was in the end. I ended up uninstalling Lightroom and reinstalling again. This seems to have fixed it, so I don't know what was causing it.

J

JPG-DealerAuthorCorrect answer

Participant

I couldn't work out what the issue was in the end. I ended up uninstalling Lightroom and reinstalling again. This seems to have fixed it, so I don't know what was causing it.

D

drtonyb

Legend

@JPG-Dealer

I just did a test of my own. I don't use DNG, keeping my NEF files and only editing Virtual Copies.

I exported an edited NEF VC to DNG with these settings in the Export Dialog:

drtonyb_0-1765154864069.png

The Add to This Catalog option saves the extra Importing back into LrC step.

The exported DNG had all the edits that I made, including Denoise which I applied before the Export. The NEF from my Z8 is 47.2 MB; the exported DNG is 11.2 MB. I removed the Denoise and Exported as DNG again; this time the DNG without Denoise is 6.5 MB.

So, the question to be answered is what are you doing that is different?

J

JPG-DealerAuthor

Participant

I'm doing exactly that. But my new DNG files don't have any edits saved. This is a new developement because up until I first made this post, all my edits were present, except for the denoise. Now it seems none of the edits are being exported.
The preview shows the edit (I tried a vastly overexposed edit to see and side by side I can see a difference), but when the file is opened in Lightroom all the sliders are reset. This wasn't happening before. I'm going to try and reinstall Lightroom when I get home.

D

drtonyb

Legend

@JPG-Dealer

Can you share one of the DNG files that you exported?

Rob_Cullen

Community Expert

I don't know about a DNG being "much smaller", but I can apply Denoise to a NEF raw file and export as DNG, and the Denoise is still obvious in the DNG (Detail panel of develop module). NEF 29.1MB > DNG 27.3MB

Alternatively- Simply converting the original edited NEF to DNG (no export- no extra files) I see the same size reduction >27.3MB.

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.3, Photoshop 27.5, ACR 18.3, Lightroom 9.3, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .

J

JPG-DealerAuthor

Participant

Thanks for your reply. I should have clarified that I'm exporting with lossy compression, to reduce the size of the files (from NEF 35-40MB down to 4-6MB). I don't need to store the full size RAW images, but I'd like a smaller DNG for backup, with my edits already applied.
When Lightroom used to create a new DNG file for the Enhance features, the exported DNGs with lossy compression would still have denoise applied.

This is the not the case now. When I apply denoise, and export that image as a DNG, then import that again, it does not have denoise applied and has to be run again.

Rob_Cullen

Community Expert

"When I apply denoise, and export that image as a DNG, then import that again, it does not have denoise applied and has to be run again."

I do not experience this. In my last trial the Exported DNG (and added to the catalog) is only slightly smaller, (21.6 > 13.8 MB) with Lossy Compression, but it still visibly retains the Denoise setting in the Detail panel.

I can only assume (we need an expert to confirm) that the denoise data occupies a large portion of the filesize in the exported file. Exported without Denoise the new filesize is 7.46MB.! (21.6 > 7.46). I doubt, very much, you will ever achieve the compression you want for exported images with Denoise applied.

1) Original (High ISO) image. (Original 21.6MB is a converted DNG from a CR2)

2025-12-05 19_38_03-Roberts Catalog-v14 - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic - Develop.jpg

2) Denoise applied to the original-

2025-12-05 19_38_24-Roberts Catalog-v14 - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic - Develop.jpg

3) The exported DNG image (using Lossy compression > 13.8MB) in the develop module-

2025-12-05 19_43_52-Roberts Catalog-v14 - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic - Develop.jpg

4) The Lr-Classic Detail panel in the Imported DNG-

2025-12-05 19_43_39-Roberts Catalog-v14 - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic - Develop.jpg

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.3, Photoshop 27.5, ACR 18.3, Lightroom 9.3, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded