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Manage photos within folders

  1. Lightroom Classic User Guide
  2. Introduction to Lightroom Classic
    1. What's new in Lightroom Classic
    2. Lightroom Classic system requirements
    3. Lightroom Classic | Common Questions
    4. Lightroom Classic Key Concepts
    5. Lightroom Classic tutorials
    6. Set Preferences for working in Lightroom Classic
    7. Reset Preferences for working in Lightroom Classic
  3. Workspace
    1. Workspace basics
    2. Display the Library on a second monitor
    3. Personalize identity plates and module buttons
    4. Watermark your photos in Lightroom Classic
    5. Color management
  4. Import photos
    1. Specify import options
    2. Set import preferences
    3. Import photos from a camera or card reader
    4. Import photos from a folder on a hard drive
    5. Import photos automatically
    6. Import photos from Photoshop Elements
    7. Import photos from a tethered camera
    8. The Filename Template Editor and Text Template Editor
  5. Organize photos in Lightroom Classic
    1. Face recognition
    2. Work with photo collections
    3. Group photos into stacks
    4. Flag, label, and rate photos
    5. Use keywords
    6. Metadata basics and actions
    7. Find photos in the catalog
    8. Work with video in Lightroom Classic
    9. Advanced metadata actions
    10. Use the Quick Develop panel
  6. Process and develop photos
    1. Develop module basics
    2. Create panoramas and HDR panoramas
    3. Flat-Field Correction
    4. Correct distorted perspective in photos using Upright
    5. Improve image quality using Enhance
    6. Work with image tone and color
    7. Masking
    8. Apply local adjustments
    9. HDR photo merge
    10. Develop module options
    11. Retouch photos
    12. Cure red eye and pet eye effects
    13. Use the Radial Filter tool
    14. Adjustments with Lens Blur
    15. Edit and Export in HDR
    16. Remove Tool
  7. Viewing photos
    1. View photos
    2. Browse and compare photos
    3. Set Library view options
    4. Share photos for comments and feedback
    5. Smart Previews
  8. Export photos
    1. Export files to disk or CD
    2. Export photos from Lightroom Classic
    3. Publish photos online
    4. Export to hard drive using publish services
    5. Presets for export, and other settings
  9. Work with external editors
    1. External Editing preferences
    2. Open and edit Lightroom Classic photos in Photoshop
  10. Manage catalogs and files
    1. How Lightroom Classic catalogs work
    2. Create and manage catalogs
    3. Back up a catalog
    4. Locate missing photos
    5. Create and manage folders
    6. Manage photos within folders
  11. Maps
    1. Work with the Map module
  12. Photo books
    1. Create photo books
  13. Slideshows
    1. Create slideshows
    2. Slideshow module panels and tools
    3. Specify the slide layout
    4. Add overlays to slides
    5. Play and export slideshows
  14. Print photos
    1. Print module basics
    2. Print module layouts and templates
    3. Work with print job options and settings
  15. Web galleries
    1. Create web galleries
    2. Use the Web module panels and tools
    3. Work with web gallery layouts
    4. Work with web gallery templates and settings
    5. Preview, export, and upload web photo galleries
  16. Keyboard shortcuts
    1. Keyboard shortcuts
  17. Content Authenticity 
    1. Content Authenticity in Lightroom Classic
  18. Lightroom and Adobe services
    1. Creative Cloud Libraries
    2. Using Adobe Stock in Creative Cloud apps
  19. Troubleshooting 
    1. Fixed Issues
    2. Known Issues
  20. Technical Support
    1. Performance Guidelines
      1. Basic troubleshooting steps to fix issues in Lightroom Classic
      2. Optimize performance
      3. Keep Lightroom up to date
      4. Preference file and other file locations | Lightroom Classic
      5. Allow Permissions to Lightroom Classic on macOS
    2.  Technical issues
      1. GPU Issues
        1. Troubleshoot graphics processor (GPU) and graphics driver issues | Lightroom Classic
        2. Lightroom Classic GPU FAQ
      2. Startup Issues
        1. Windows | Lightroom doesn't start
        2. Error: Lightroom catalog cannot be opened
        3. Error: 'Unexpected error opening catalog' occurs in Lightroom after Windows 10 upgrade
        4. "Assertion failed" update error | Windows
        5. Error MSVCR110.dll opening apps in Windows 10
      3. Rendering Issues
        1. Troubleshoot issues with Develop module
      4. Stability Issues
        1. Troubleshoot crash or freeze in Lightroom Classic
      5. Miscellaneous Issues
        1. FAQ | Color in Lightroom Classic
        2. Lightroom desktop and mobile apps unavailable to Education memberships | Kivuto
    3. Workflow Issues
      1. Catalog Issues
        1. Error : Lightroom catalog cannot be opened
        2. Troubleshoot corrupt catalog
        3. Locate missing photos
        4. Recover catalog and images after resetting preferences
        5. Lightroom Classic catalog FAQ
      2. Sync Issues
        1. Lightroom Classic sync FAQ

Video tutorial: How to add, edit, and sync photos

Rename photos

  1. In the Grid view or the Filmstrip in the Library module, select one or more photos and then choose Library > Rename Photo(s).
  2. In the Rename Photos dialog box, choose an option from the File Naming menu. Choose Edit to specify a custom name using the Filename Template Editor. See Naming options and The Filename Template Editor and Text Template Editor.

    If you specify a naming option that uses a sequence, Lightroom Classic numbers the photos sequentially. If you don’t want the numbering to begin with “1,” type a different number in the Start Number box.

Note:

To quickly rename a single photo in the Library module, select it and type the new name in the File Name field of the Metadata panel.

Move photos to a different folder

  1. (Optional) If you’re not moving photos to an existing folder, create a new folder. See Create and manage folders.

  2. In the Grid view of the Library module, select the photo or photos you want to move.
    Note:

    If the photos you're moving are on an external hard drive, make sure the drive is powered on before you try to move them.

  3. Drag the photo or photos to the destination folder in the Folders panel: Drag from the center of the thumbnail, not from the edge.
    Note:

    You cannot copy photos in Lightroom Classic.

    The photos are moved to the destination folder in Lightroom Classic as well as on the hard drive.

Open a photo in its folder in the Library module

  1. Select the photo and choose Photo > Show In Folder In Library.

The photo is selected in the Grid view and its folder is selected the Folders panel.

Open a file in Explorer or Finder

  1. Select the photo and choose Photo > Show In Explorer (Windows) or Show In Finder (Mac OS).

The file is selected in an Explorer or Finder window.

Rotate photos

Photos imported into the catalog are automatically rotated if the Exchangeable Image Format (EXIF) data includes orientation metadata. Otherwise, you can manually rotate photos.

  1. In the Library module, do one of the following:
    • In Grid view, select one or more photos, move the pointer over a thumbnail, and click one of the rotate icons in the lower corner of any cell. Or, choose choose Photo > Rotate Left or Photo > Rotate Right. All selected photos are rotated.

    • In Loupe or Survey view, click a rotate icon in the toolbar to rotate the active photo.

      note: If the toolbar doesn’t show the Rotate icons, choose Rotate from the toolbar pop-up menu.

    • In Loupe, Compare, or Survey view, choose Photo > Rotate Left or Rotate Right to rotate the active photo.

Flip photos

  1. In the Grid view or the Filmstrip of the Library module, select one or more photos.
  2. Choose one of the following from the Photo menu:

    Flip Horizontal

    Flips photos horizontally along the vertical axis.

    Flip Vertical

    Flips photos vertically along the horizontal axis.

    In Loupe, Compare, and Survey views, only the active photo is flipped.

Note:

Choose View > Enable Mirror Image Mode to flip all photos in the catalog horizontally along the vertical axis.

Rotate or flip photos using the Painter tool

  1. In the Grid view, select the Painter tool  in the toolbar, and then choose Rotation from the Paint menu in the toolbar.
    Note:

    If the Painter tool does not appear in the toolbar, choose Painter from the toolbar menu.

  2. Choose the one of the Rotate or Flip options in the toolbar, and then click or drag across photos to apply the setting.
  3. To disable the Painter, click the circular well in the toolbar. When disabled, the Painter icon is visible in the toolbar.

Remove photos from catalogs

  1. Select one or more photos in the Grid view, or select a single photo in the Filmstrip in Loupe, Compare, or Survey view in the Library module.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Press the Backspace key (Windows) or Delete key (Mac OS).

    • Choose Photo > Delete Photo(s).

    Note:

    When viewing a collection, pressing the Backspace key (Windows) or Delete key (Mac OS) removes the selected photo(s) from the collection, not from the catalog, and no Confirm dialog box appears. To remove a photo from a collection as well as from the catalog, select the photo and press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Option+Shift+Delete (Mac OS). See Remove photos from a collection.

  3. In the Confirm dialog box, click one of the following:

    Remove

    Removes photos from the catalog but doesn’t send them to the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac OS).

    Delete From Disk

    Removes photos from the catalog and sends them to the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac OS).

    If more than one photo is selected in the Filmstrip in Loupe, Compare, or Survey view, only the active photo is deleted.

    Note:

    Selecting photos and pressing the Delete key (Windows) or Forward Delete key (Mac OS, full-size keyboards only) also removes photos from the catalog but doesn’t send them to the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac OS).

Update photos changed by another application

In the Grid view, Lightroom Classic displays alerts in image cells when the photos in your catalog have been changed by another application. For example, if a photo has a one-star rating in Lightroom Classic, and the photo has been updated to a two-star rating in another application, you need to decide which rating to respect. Both cannot co-exist together. Lightroom Classic lets you resolve conflicting photo metadata by either overwriting its data in the catalog with metadata from the photo or its sidecar XMP file, or overwriting the metadata in the photo file or sidecar XMP file with its stored data in the catalog.

  1. In the Grid view, click the alert icon in a cell.
  2. In the Confirm dialog box, select one of the following:

    Import Settings From Disk

    Imports the metadata from the photo or its sidecar XMP file, which overwrites the photo’s data in the catalog.

    Overwrite Settings

    Exports metadata from the catalog to the photo file and overwrites the data in the photo or its sidecar XMP file.

    Do Nothing

    Takes no action. If you select this option, be sure that the photo’s metadata in the catalog doesn’t conflict with data in the photo or its sidecar XMP file.

Convert photos to DNG

Lightroom Classic lets you convert camera raw files to DNG for archiving and taking advantage of DNG features. When photos are converted to DNG, the DNG files replace the originals in the catalog. You have the option of deleting or preserving the originals on disk after the conversion.

  1. Select one or more photos in the Grid view, or select a single photo in the Filmstrip in Loupe, Compare, or Survey view. Then, choose Library > Convert Photo(s) To DNG.
    Note:

    If more than one photo is selected in the Filmstrip in Loupe, Compare, or Survey view, only the active photo is converted to DNG.

  2. In the Convert Photo(s) To DNG dialog box, select any of the following conversion options:

    Only Convert RAW Files

    Ignores photos that are not camera raw files. Deselecting this option converts all selected photos, including JPEGs, TIFFs, and PSDs.

    Delete Originals After Successful Conversion

    Deletes the original photo file after the conversion process ends. Deselecting this option preserves the original file on disk.

    File Extension

    Makes the file extension .dng or .DNG.

    Compatibility

    Specifies the versions of Camera Raw and Lightroom Classic that can read the file. Use the tool tips to help you choose.

    JPEG Preview

    Determines whether the exported JPEG preview is full sized, medium sized, or not created.

    Embed Fast Load Data

    Allows images to load faster in the Develop module but increases file size slightly.

    Use Lossy Compression

    Significantly reduces file size but may cause a decrease in image quality.

    Embed Original Raw File

    Stores all of the original camera raw data in the DNG file.

For more on DNG, see Supported file formats.

Create virtual copies

You can have multiple versions of photos by applying different adjustment settings to virtual copies of the original (master) photos. Virtual copies don’t exist as actual photos or duplicates of photos. Virtual copies are metadata in the catalog that stores the different sets of adjustments.

You create a virtual copy of a photo and then apply adjustment settings to it. If you want another version of the master photo, you create another virtual copy and apply the new settings to it. You can create as many virtual copies of a master photo as you wish. You can even make one of the virtual copies a master, making the previous master a virtual copy.

If you create a virtual copy while in a collection, the copy is stacked with the photo in its folder, not in the collection; this stacking is not visible when viewing the collection.

In the Grid view or the Filmstrip, the master photo displays the number of images in the upper-left corner of the thumbnail. The virtual copies display page-turn icons on the left side of their thumbnails.

Photoshop page turn icon

A. Original (master) photo B. Virtual copies indicated by page-turn icon 

Virtual copies become actual photos when they are exported as a copy of the master photo or edited as a copy in an external editor.

When you create a virtual copy of a photo, “Copy 1” (or “Copy 2,” “Copy 3,” and so on) is added automatically to the Copy Name field in the Metadata panel.

  • In the Grid view in the Library or in the Filmstrip in any module, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a photo and choose Create Virtual Copy from the context menu.
  • In the Grid view in the Library or in the Filmstrip in any module, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) to select multiple photos and choose Create Virtual Copies from the context menu.

    Tip: If the copy does not appear in the Grid view, the photos may be part of a collapsed stack. Try choosing Photo > Stacking > Expand All Stacks. If that doesn’t work, make sure the Library > Enable Filters option is unchecked. Try using a different display method, such as choosing All Photographs in the Catalog panel.

  • In the Library module, select a virtual copy of a photo in the Grid view or the Filmstrip and choose Photo > Set Copy As Master.
  • To delete or remove a virtual copy, expand the virtual copy stack in its folder in the Library module (press S). Then right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the virtual copy in the Grid view or the Filmstrip and choose Delete Photo.

    Note: A stack created using the Create Virtual Copy option is not visible unless you've selected the folder containing the master or you're in All Photographs. You cannot view, expand, collapse, or edit such a stack when viewing a collection.

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