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Everett5FF5
Participant
July 9, 2021
Question

How to edit images in Lightroom Classic without Raw files?

  • July 9, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 1221 views

Help!
My client says that her previous editor was able to edit her images with only the lightroom catalog.
However when I open her catalog I am unable to edit with the raw files. 
Is it really possible to edit her lightroom catalog without her raw files and if so, how do it do it?

 

 

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2 replies

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 9, 2021

Your client needs to Export a Catalog WITH Smart Previews and supply you with both.

The Smart Previews do not have to be created prior to the Catalog Export as they can be created in the [Export as a Catalog...] dialog- See the options- which will create what you need all in one master folder.

With both the {Catalog to Edit.LRCAT} and {Catalog to Edit SMART PREVIEWS.LRDATA} in the folder you receive you can simply 'open' this catalog and edit.

 

You only need to send {Catalog to Edit.LRCAT} back to your client as the Catalog contains all your edit work.

 

One limitation is that you cannot [Edit in Photoshop]. This would require the full-size "Negative files".

 

 

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
    nikunj.m
    nikunj.m
    Legend
    July 9, 2021

    Hi there,

     

    Thanks for reaching out! If the originals/Raw files are not available then it's possible to edit the images using smart previews of the images if they have been generated. If your client was sharing the smart previews with the previous editor instead of the Raw files, it would have been possible for the editor to edit the images & share the catalog back.

     

    For more info on how to work with smart previews, please check: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/lightroom-smart-previews.html

     

    Hope this helps!

    Regards,

    Nikunj

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