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Adobe Photoshop Lightroom / 

Aperture Import plug-in for Lightroom FAQ

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Products Affected

  • Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5
 

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What is this plug-in?

The Aperture Import plug-in for Lightroom allows you to import your Aperture and iPhoto libraries into Lightroom. This is a Mac OS–only plug-in, but is built in to Lightroom 5.7 and later.

How can I install this plug-in?

Update to Lightroom 5.7 or later. If you cannot update, see this blog post for install instructions.

How do I import an Aperture or iPhoto library into Lightroom?

Note: The next time you open Lightroom after installing this plug-in, Lightroom asks to update your catalog.

Choose to Update Catalog. The only change in your catalog during this update is that custom metadata fields are added. If you'd prefer to back up your catalog before performing these steps, disable the plug-in. Then back up your catalog, and choose to update the catalog the next time you launch Lightroom.

Import Aperture or iPhoto library

1. Choose File > Plug-in Extras. You have four options: 

Plug-in extras

Important: Make sure to open and read the info option for the library you want to open.

2. Choose the import options for the appropriate type of library.

Both library imports contain numerous options. Both also have an Options button which contains further important options and explanations for your import.

3. Select the appropriate library and location for your images and videos.

4. Click Import.  

To the top

What versions of iPhoto and Aperture Libraries does this plug-in support?

Libraries maintained with iPhoto 9.x and Aperture 3.5.x are supported.

What data is imported with this plug-in?

  • Flags
  • Star Ratings
  • Keywords
  • GPS Data
  • Faces: Face naming tags are mapped to keywords
  • Rejects: Files designated as Rejects in Aperture are imported into Collections > From Aperture > Photos Rejected in Aperture
  • Hidden Files: Files designated as Hidden in iPhoto are imported into Collections > From iPhoto > Photos Hidden in iPhoto
  • Color Labels: Aperture Only – Color Labels are mapped to keywords: Red, Orange, and so on, including support for custom label names
  • Stacking: Aperture Only – Stacks information is mapped to keywords: Aperture Stack 1, Aperture Stack 2, and so on
  • Aperture project/folder/album hierarchies are mapped as closely as possible into Lightroom collection sets and collections
  • iPhoto events/folders/albums are mapped as closely as possible into Lightroom collection sets and collections
  • Import Full-size previews from Aperture/iPhoto, if they are up-to-date; optional, off by default
  • Aperture Versions translate into Virtual Copies in Lightroom (without adjustments)
  • Metadata that can be entered in the Info panel in Aperture

The plug-in supports both managed and referenced Aperture and iPhoto libraries. 

  • A managed library (the Apple default) copies and stores imported files in the Aperture/iPhoto library.
  • A referenced library references imported files at their existing location on disc (Lightroom method).

What data isn't imported with this plug-in?

  • Image adjustments
  • Smart Albums
  • Face Tag Region of Interest: Face naming tags are mapped to keywords
  • Color Labels, other than optionally as keywords
  • Stacks, other than optionally as keywords. Aperture shares stacks between albums, Lightroom does not
  • Any kind of creation (books, web galleries, and so on), other than the collections that correspond to them

The optional JPG previews generated from files that have settings don't include metadata that has been applied to the master (keywords, star ratings, flags, GPS data).

The optional JPG previews are duplicated if imported first by the same iPhoto library and then later from a Library upgraded from iPhoto to Aperture (due to a difference in filename).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License  Twitter™ and Facebook posts are not covered under the terms of Creative Commons.

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