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Inspiring
August 16, 2019
Answered

Lightroom ---> Photoshop --> Lightroom workflow

  • August 16, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 704 views

I often find my workflow goes like though.

1. Basic colour adjustments in lightroom

2. Retouching in photoshop

3. Final color adjustment and cropping in lightroom

My question is, if once I've done step 3, and I wish to go back to step 2 to do some things I missed in photoshop. Saving the file overwrites the changes made in step 3 inside lightroom. How to stop this?

I could swear I used to be able to do this but now somehow cannot.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Ian Lyons

    Check that you upgraded both Lightroom and Camera Raw to latest version (i.e 8.4 and 11.4 respectively). You can do this via the Adobe Creative Cloud Application

    3 replies

    Just Shoot Me
    Legend
    August 16, 2019

    I you are working with RAW files and editing in LR > Send to PS that RAW file is then saved as a TIF or PSD file in PS and added to the LR catalog.

    Then you do some more edits in LR to that TIF or PSD created in PS from the original RAW and again you want to send that TIF/PSD back to PS. In that case when you get the dialog box that appears in the above post you would select Edit a COPY WITH LR Adjustments and NOT Edit Original.

    Selecting a copy with LR adjustment will included whatever new LR adjustment you have made to the TIF/PSD and will be carried over in PS.

    If you select Edit Original the current, Newest, LR edits will be discarded and only the original TIF/PSD will be sent back to PS.

    There will be a second TIF/PSD file created by doing this.

    Todd Shaner
    Legend
    August 16, 2019

    https://forums.adobe.com/people/Just+Shoot+Me  wrote

    If you select Edit Original the current, Newest, LR edits will be discarded and only the original TIF/PSD will be sent back to PS.

    I believe the OP is trying to keep his LR edits non-destructive. Using 'Edit Original' inside LR allows you to do that just as I outlined. You won't see your LR edits inside PS, but that doesn't stop you from adding edits missed inside PS on the first pass. I do this all the time with film scan raw image files shot with a DSLR film copier making multiple passes in PS using 'Edit Original.' You can also use Edit In> Open as a Smart Object in Photoshop. The downside is that it creates a very large file size and you will need to do all your edits inside PS.

    https://lightroomkillertips.com/advantage-open-smart-object-photoshop/

    Just Shoot Me
    Legend
    August 16, 2019

    Yeah I rarely resend images back to PS. I did some tests and concur with your OP.

    Todd Shaner
    Legend
    August 16, 2019

    Make sure you are selecting 'Edit Original' when using 'Edit in PS' with the PS edited TIFF file. The PS saved TIFF file in step 4 will update only your  PS edits. It will appear inside LR with the new PS edits AND the original non-destructive LR edits applied, which can be changed.

    Ian Lyons
    Community Expert
    Ian LyonsCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    August 16, 2019

    Check that you upgraded both Lightroom and Camera Raw to latest version (i.e 8.4 and 11.4 respectively). You can do this via the Adobe Creative Cloud Application