Lightroom 3 and CS5 Files and Editing

rickp

I have a set of images I imported into lightroom 3 after a shoot. As I edit the images some of what I'm need to do I'm doing in CS5 so I'm saving the file as a .PSD, which is a new file. So now I have the original DNG file plus the new created PSD file.

My question is how can I keep both files together so I can always reference both the before and after. If I did all my editing in LR then I wouldn't have a second file and I can view the before and after in the same file, but since I have to do some stuff in CS5 I have 2 and I don't want to get rid of the original.

My first thought was to just stack them together, but I wanted to ask, maybe there's a better way that I just don't know of.


Thanks

arodney

IF you conduct Edit In Photoshop from LR, the image it renders and opens in Photoshop (and then you save) will be cataloged next to the DNG.

rickp

Yes when I save the PSD shows up next to the DNG, then I'm stacking.

I just wanted to confirm I was doing it the best way or the only way.

Let me ask you though, one issue I'm having with CS5 is after I save the image with layers in it and reopen it later the layers are gone. Its like the image merged all the layers during the save. I know it's not supposed to do that so I'm thinking a setting got changes somewhere. Any idea where??

Thanks

arodney

rickp wrote: »

Let me ask you though, one issue I'm having with CS5 is after I save the image with layers in it and reopen it later the layers are gone.

IF an image has layers and you then use LR or ACR to further edit it, the data is flattened (since they don’t support layers). Just use LR for cataloging the layered TIFFs (all rendered images). You’re done using it for image editing.

If you catalog a layered TIFF and you want to edit it and retain the layers, you have to use the option “Edit Original” (in Photoshop) after which PS will simply open that document from LR with the layers intact.

rickp

What I learned is that it's almost an either or situation. If I want PS to open the image with the layers visible then I can't choose the "Edit a copy with LR adjustments" option, that flattens the image.
So if I make additional edits in LR then open it PS and choose the "Original" option I will not see those edits. So one really needs to think about their workflow and how to apply changes.

Let me ask you. When PS flattens the images, does it "Flatten" or "Merge" the layers? It's my understanding that there's a difference and what happens to the images.

R.

arodney

rickp wrote: »

What I learned is that it's almost an either or situation. If I want PS to open the image with the layers visible then I can't choose the "Edit a copy with LR adjustments" option, that flattens the image.

Right. LR can’t apply edits to a layered document. It flattens the data, adds its edits and build a new flattened iteration.

So if I make additional edits in LR then open it PS and choose the "Original" option I will not see those edits.

That’s one way to look at it. The other is, its an original. It has no new LR edits. It contains the original layers.

Let me ask you. When PS flattens the images, does it "Flatten" or "Merge" the layers? It's my understanding that there's a difference and what happens to the images.

Merge ALL layers is the same as Flatten. The difference is within Photoshop, you could have 10 layers and Merge 6 of those 10. Its not a flattened image, you just flattened some of the layers.