Delete RAW - keep actual JPG

[Fanille]

is there a way to delete the big RAW File and keep only the processed JPG when finished with work and there is no need to keep the large RAW Files.

[Akash Sharma]

Hi fanille,

Are you using Lightroom CC

As you've mentioned that you'd like to delete the actual raw image after you import your images, . Are you saving your images on cloud and trying to save some space by deleting the raw image?

See if this discussion helps https://www.lightroomforums.net/threads/deleting-raw-keeping-the-jpg.18613/

Thanks,

Akash

[FocusPulling.com]

Hey there Adobe employee, you marked your own bad advice as the "Correct answer" but you linked to a thread that's not only moralistic about NEVER EVER EVER EVER deleting RAW files, but admits that there is absolutely no way to do this.  Adobe has failed at offering the simple feature.

[JohanElzenga]

The link to the Lightroom Queen forum is a very old discussion about what is now called Lightroom Classic. It deals with a situation where the photographer shot raw+jpeg. This question seems to be about keeping a processed jpeg made from an edited raw file, and deleting the raw original. That is not the same thing at all, so I 'undid' the correct answer selection.

Doing that is indeed not something I would advise. It's like throwing away a negative after you've made a print. It's much better to keep the original, and only export a jpeg if and when you need one. Each time you can export a jpeg that is suited for that particular purpose, so sometimes it may be quite large because you want to order a print, and another time it's small because you only want to send an email copy. That is the whole idea about Lightroom.

Because Lightroom is a non-destructive editor, it does not offer a standard feature to keep a jpeg and delete the raw file. That doesn't mean it can't be done, however. All you need to do is edit the raw file, export a jpeg from that edited raw file and import the jpeg into Lightroom. Then you can delete that raw file if you still think that is a good idea.