Proper image size for desktop wallpapers

Report · Oct 19, 2014

After pp-ing in LR5, I want to export those pictures for desktop wallpapers and screensaver.

Default resolution of all of my 24" desktop monitors is 1920 x 1080 pixels.

I would rather resize images to DIMENSONS setting for export.

Could someone advise me the approx. width and height in pixels? Thank you.

Report · Oct 19, 2014

Of course they do! That's what cropping does. And if you want the image to completely fill the screen cropping is the best choice. In doing so, you can artistically position the crop to get the best effect. I really don't know what more you want. So I'll let you figure it out for yourself from here.

Report · Oct 19, 2014

What you are saying is absolutely right. I do not dispute or disagree with you.

That is the way I have been doing as a hobbyist.

I realized that LR5 can do most of pp-ing but Photoshop (CS6) has more functions to work with..

Report · Oct 19, 2014

Okay, but your workflow and mine are vastly different. You talk of having a wallpaper image that you can continue to work on in Photoshop. I don't do that at all. Assuming you are shooting raw, which is what I do, I do all that I can using Lightroom. Many images aren't even sent to Photoshop. When I have one ready to use as wallpaper or as a screensaver, I will usually create a virtual copy and then crop it. This leaves the raw file intact. I export from the virtual copy, setting my long edge to 1920 pixels. That exported image is finished. No more Lightroom, no more Photoshop. But I still have the original raw image that I can do whatever I want with. I never rely on exported JPEGs to be my working files in Photoshop.

Report · Oct 19, 2014

As I mentioned earlier, I am a weekend hobbyist. I shoot raw too. Once I taken pictures, I process using LR5 and export as described earlier.

I am in no hurry to print but I would like to see what those picture look like. That's why I look them as wallpapers.

If pictures need more adjustment, I open them in Photoshop. Of course, I export from virtual copies. But I don't see how the original NEF file could be modified even without using virtual copies.

It seems that Lightroom seems to be designed not to modify NEF.

.

Report · Oct 19, 2014

The NEF files can't be modified by Lightroom. Adjustments are stored either in the catalog or in XMP files. The same is true with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Neither of those programs can modify the raw file without Camera Raw. Camera Raw is the plug-in for those two programs which makes the adjustments and either stores them in XMP files or in the database. So I don't quite understand what you are getting at.

Report · Oct 20, 2014

Jim,

You're right. That is how I read and understood. Forget about the previous version of Lightroom.

In Lightroom 5.6 which I am using, there is no trace of xmp files.

BTW, I have no computer background, but my impression is as follows. I might be wrong. I would like to learn from you or other members if I misunderstood about LR5.

Data for modified NEF in development module (including the use of Develop Presets, export prestss, local adjsument presets, etc) seems to be stored in XXXX Previews.lrdata folder. Regardless what you do with NEF files, their file size and date remain the same as before. That means that there is no alteration in any of the original NEF files. That is my impression.

Sometimes, when I messed up pp-ed (post-processed) image from NE, I simply deleted its catalog folder and recreated the catalogue because NEF files seems to be intact. I have done that a few times. NO problem.

That is the reason why I described that it is not easy to alter/modify the original NEF files from LR.

Am I missing something? Please advise me. This is an excellent forum to learn more.

Report · Oct 20, 2014

Data for modified NEF in development module (including the use of Develop Presets, export prestss, local adjsument presets, etc) seems to be stored in XXXX Previews.lrdata folder. Regardless what you do with NEF files, their file size and date remain the same as before. That means that there is no alteration in any of the original NEF files. That is my impression.

When you edit any photo in Lightroom, regardless of NEF or JPG or other, the image portion of the photo file itself remains unchanged, and the edits are stored in the Lightroom catalog (the file is .LRCAT).

Sometimes, when I messed up pp-ed (post-processed) image from NE, I simply deleted its catalog folder and recreated the catalogue because NEF files seems to be intact. I have done that a few times. NO problem.

I'm not sure exactly what you did, it sounds like you are saying you messed up a photo and so delete the entire catalog. I certainly would NOT recommend this; it would be smarter and easier to just click on the RESET button in Lightroom to return your photo to its unedited appearance, and start editing again.

That is the reason why I described that it is not easy to alter/modify the original NEF files from LR.

The image portion of your original files (NEF or JPG or other) is never changed by Lightroom. For JPGs, you can write metadata to these files if you want, which adds text to the file, but does not change the image portion of the file, those bits and bytes are never changed by Lightroom.

In Lightroom 5.6 which I am using, there is no trace of xmp files.

By default, Lightroom does not use xmp files. Everything is stored in the Lightroom catalog database (the .LRCAT file).

You can optionally create xmp files, many people do, there is no harm in doing this and some benefit in doing this, but some people don't use XMP files, they don't instruct Lightroom to create them, so opinions vary. Please understand that if you create xmp files, Lightroom still uses the information in its database and not the information in the XMP file.

Report · Oct 20, 2014

Thanks for your comment.

> you are saying you messed up a photo

This line a sort of my exaggeration. After getting many develop presets, I decided not to use reset button instead I created a catalog. (the same, old data was saved in different name and folder.

I am glad to hear that you also agree that NEF file cannot be changed by Lightroom..

Report · Oct 20, 2014

Just to reinforce what dj_paige Has explained. The catalog is the controlling file within Lightroom. It keeps track of where all of your images you have imported are located on your computer, and it records every adjustment that you apply to your images. In its default state, nothing is ever applied directly to an image. As has been explained, if you choose to write changes to XMP files, then changes will be written to XMP files associated with the proprietary raw files, and will be written to the headers of non-raw files. I don't use XMP file. I rely totally on my catalog. There are some who will argue that doing so can be risky. But, so far, over four different versions of Lightroom, I have never experienced a problem with this workflow. I am going to suggest a series of videos for you to watch that I think will help you better understand how Lightroom works. They aren't long, but I believe they provide good information.

Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 | Adobe TV

Report · Oct 20, 2014

Thanks for your advise and a video.