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Dave Kimball
Dave Kimball
Known Participant
August 2, 2020
Answered

Photoship edits lost when returning to Lightroom

  • August 2, 2020
  • 7 replies
  • 510 views

 

This last update changed something.

My work flow is:

Open lightroom, select image, then while in lightroom use the alt E to invoke photoshop. edit the image, then close photoshop and be returned to lightroom where the image edited was added say 2 of 2 to lightroom.  The image was saved with the photoshop changes.

 

But Now - wsing the same workflow BOTH images in lightroom are the same as the orginal.

My Photoshop edting is LOST!

 

Any pointers please.

THANKS in advance.

 

Dave

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer JohanElzenga

The problem is that you specified JPEG as file format in your External Editor preferences. And then you create a layered file in Photoshop. JPEG does not support layers, so Photoshop will have to save this as a copy. Lightroom does not expect that, so this path gets broken. And to make matters worse, there is a bug in Photoshop that makes it impossible to overwrite an existing JPEG with such a copy. Photoshop tells you it will overwrite the file, and then it creates a copy next to it nevertheless. Bottom line: do not use JPEG as file format for edits in Photoshop if you want to use layers.

7 replies

Dave Kimball
Dave KimballAuthor
Known Participant
August 3, 2020

THANKS FOR THE HELP.....

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 3, 2020

The problem is that you specified JPEG as file format in your External Editor preferences. And then you create a layered file in Photoshop. JPEG does not support layers, so Photoshop will have to save this as a copy. Lightroom does not expect that, so this path gets broken. And to make matters worse, there is a bug in Photoshop that makes it impossible to overwrite an existing JPEG with such a copy. Photoshop tells you it will overwrite the file, and then it creates a copy next to it nevertheless. Bottom line: do not use JPEG as file format for edits in Photoshop if you want to use layers.

-- Johan W. Elzenga
    Dave Kimball
    Dave KimballAuthor
    Known Participant
    August 3, 2020

    OK, here are the screen shots.  I selected a picture, used photoshop to change to picture to BW with a filter

    closed photoshop while saving the image.

    back in lightroom the edited converted to black and white lost.

    Dave Kimball
    Dave KimballAuthor
    Known Participant
    August 3, 2020

    OK,  What is the correct work flow

    using lightroom, then use photoshop to edit the picture tthen return to light room with the edited image????

     

    Thanks

     

    Dave

    GoldingD
    GoldingD
    Legend
    August 2, 2020

    Please post a screenshot of your /preferences/external editing/ With emphasis on the Photoshop section.

     

     

    dj_paige
    dj_paige
    Legend
    August 2, 2020

    "... then close photoshop and be returned to lightroom where the image edited was added say 2 of 2 to lightroom."

     

    You are not doing a save. Close does not save the edits.

    Dave Kimball
    Dave KimballAuthor
    Known Participant
    August 2, 2020

    Photoshop asked if you want to save the image if it was changed and I am saving the image.

    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 2, 2020

    Have you double checked this using a very obvious edit (like turning the Photoshop image to B&W)? As Photoshop is a pixel editor that really changes the pixels of the image, this is pretty much impossible. It would mean that Photoshop does not save the image.

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
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