Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: Whenever I save a PSD file in Photoshop, I see a popup asking if I want to “maximize compatibility”. I don’t even know what this means, but is it something I should be doing?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can prevent Photoshop from asking you whether you want to enable the Maximize Compatibility feature. If you want to be able to work with your images using anything other than Photoshop or Bridge then I recommend enabling the feature.

More Detail: The Maximize Compatibility option for PSD (Photoshop Document) and PSB files in Photoshop relates to the use of layers. The image and adjustment layers you add in Photoshop are proprietary to Photoshop, meaning other software isn’t able to render the image based on those layers. When you enable the Maximize Compatibility option the image is saved with a flattened composite image as the top layer. This enables other applications to see the image, even though that software can’t access the layers contained within it.

It is worth keeping in mind that enabling Maximize Compatibility will significantly increase the file size. For an image with only a Background image layer and some adjustment layers, for example, enabling Maximize Compatibility would result in a file that is about twice as large.

If you think there’s a chance you’ll ever work with your PSD files beyond Photoshop or Bridge, I recommend enabling the Maximize Compatibility option. For example, Lightroom Classic can only import PSD files that have the Maximize Compatibility feature enabled.

If you don’t want to be prompted about the Maximize Compatibility feature, you can disable the notification in the Preferences dialog. To get started, on Macintosh go to the menu and choose Photoshop > Settings > File Handling, or on Windows choose Edit > Preferences > File Handling. At the bottom of the File Compatibility section you’ll find the option for “Maximize PSD and PSB File Compatibility”.

With the popup set to “Ask”, you’ll be asked if you want to enable the Maximize Compatibility feature each time you save a layered image as a PSD or PSB file. If you don’t want to be prompted each time, you can change the setting to “Never” if you don’t want to use Maximize Compatibility and “Always” if you do want to use it.

Today’s Question: The choice to not require the Command key [Ctrl key on Windows] when assigning star ratings has disappeared in Preferences [in Adobe Bridge]. Is there a way to not have to press Command/Ctrl when assigning star ratings?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can indeed assign star ratings in Adobe Bridge using only the number keys (without Ctrl or Command). You just need to make the change in the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog now rather than the Preferences dialog.

More Detail: For a number of years there was a checkbox in the Preferences dialog for Adobe Bridge that enabled you to disable the need to hold the Ctrl key (Windows) or Command key (Macintosh) while pressing a number key to assign a star rating. With a recent update, however, that option has been removed but the same change can be made in the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.

To get started, choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts dialog. In the search field at the bottom-left of the keyboard schematic enter “star” to filter the list of keyboard shortcuts to include those for star rating assignments, which will be listed as “1 Star”, “2 Star”, and so on.

In the Shortcut column of the keyboard shortcuts listing you can click on an existing keyboard shortcut and then click the “X” associated with it to remove it if you want. Regardless of whether or not you remove the existing keyboard shortcuts, you can then click in the empty area of the Shortcuts column (or to the right of the existing keyboard shortcuts if you’re keeping them) to add a new shortcut. You can then type the text (such as the number “1” for the one-star rating) to add the new keyboard shortcut.

After modifying the keyboard shortcuts for all five of the star ratings, go back to the search results and type “rating” to locate the “No Rating” command. You can then update the keyboard shortcut so you can use the “0” (zero) key to remove the star rating.

Once you’ve updated the keyboard shortcuts for star ratings (and made any other changes you might find helpful) you can click the OK button to close the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog. Note that there is also a “Save As” button toward the top-left of the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog you can use if you want to save a preset to preserve your keyboard shortcut configuration for Adobe Bridge.

Today’s Question: Is there a way to see the size of an image in Lightroom Classic? The metadata panel shows image dimensions, but I haven’t found a way to see file size.

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can view the file size for an image in Lightroom Classic by selecting the “EXIF and IPTC” view for Metadata, or by customizing the Default view to include the File Size field.

More Detail: Most of the view options for the Metadata section of the right panel in the Library module in Lightroom Classic don’t display the file size for the currently selected image. However, there are a couple of ways you can include the file size in the Metadata section.

One option is to select “EXIF and IPTC” from the popup to the left of the Metadata heading, which will switch the view to include a wide range of metadata fields. This includes many of the details of EXIF metadata that were recorded by the camera, as well as some of the more photojournalism focused fields included in the IPTC standard. The File Size field is also displayed with this view option.

Another way to display the file size is to customize the Default metadata view to include the File Size field, or any other fields you’d like to include (or exclude). The first step is to choose Default from the popup to the left of the Metadata heading. Then click the Customize button at the bottom of the Metadata section to bring up the “Customize Metadata Default Panel” dialog.

You can then turn on the checkbox for any fields you would like to display, including the “File Size” checkbox in this case. You can also turn off the checkbox for any of the fields you don’t want to include in this view. If you want to change the order of the fields in the Metadata section, click the Arrange button. This will bring up the “Arrange Metadata Default Panel” dialog, where you can drag the metadata fields into your preferred order. Click the Save button when you’re finished arranging the metadata fields, or if you didn’t use the arrange feature you can click the Done button to close the “Customize Metadata Default Panel” dialog.

Once you’ve customized the settings for the Default view option for the Metadata section, simply select Default from the popup whenever you want to view only the metadata fields you chose to enable.

Today’s Question: It seems that the Slideshow module in Lightroom Classic has gotten virtually no updates for quite a long time. I wonder if there is other software you recommend for creating photo slideshows?

Tim’s Quick Answer: For Macintosh users I consider iMovie to be a great application for making photo slideshows. For both Windows and Macintosh the Movavi Slideshow Maker is also very good.

More Detail: I agree that the Slideshow module in Lightroom Classic hasn’t gotten much attention from Adobe in a while, and my anecdotal experience has been that photographers haven’t been paying much attention to it either. Fortunately, there are a variety of great software tools available for creating compelling photo slideshows.

For Macintosh users, I consider Apple iMovie to be a great application for easily creating impressive photo slideshows, and it is completely free. There is a mobile version for iPhone and iPad, but I recommend using the computer-based version for more options and flexibility. You can learn more about iMovie on Apple’s website here:

https://www.apple.com/in/imovie/

For Windows users I suggest looking at the Movavi Slideshow Maker, which is available for both Windows and Macintosh. This is also an easy-to-use tool that enables you to create great results with minimal effort. You can learn more about Movavi Slideshow Maker here:

https://www.movavi.com/slideshow-maker/

Today’s Question: In your answer you said, “if you save metadata updates to the source images from Lightroom Classic”. Can you clarify what that means and how to do so?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Saving metadata to the source images means that standard metadata will be included in the image files on your hard drive, not just in the Lightroom Classic catalog. You can enable the option to have metadata saved automatically, or you can use a command to do so manually.

More Detail: By default, all metadata updates you apply in Lightroom Classic are only saved to the catalog, not to the source images on your hard drive. If you save metadata updates to the source photos, you can view the applicable metadata in other applications, such as Adobe Bridge. Doing so also provides a backup of some of the key metadata in the event your catalog was ever lost or corrupted.

I prefer to enable the option to have metadata updates saved to the source images automatically. To do so, bring up the Catalog Settings dialog by going to the menu and choosing Edit > Catalog Settings on Windows or Lightroom Classic > Catalog Settings on Macintosh. Go to the Metadata tab and turn on the “Automatically write changes into XMP”. If you don’t want to enable this automatic option, you can still save metadata manually by selecting the images you want to save metadata for and then going to the menu and choosing Metadata > Save Metadata to Files.

For proprietary raw captures the metadata updates will be saved in an XMP sidecar file, which will have the same base filename as the raw original but with a filename extension of .xmp. For other image formats the metadata updates will be saved directly to the source image file.

It is important to keep in mind that saving metadata to the source images will not preserve all information in Lightroom Classic. For example, collections, virtual copies, and the history in the Develop module are not saved in this manner. However, most of the updates you apply in Lightroom Classic are included when you save the metadata to the source images.

Today’s Question: How do you change the color labels in Adobe Bridge so they match Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can change the color label definitions in Adobe Bridge in the Preferences dialog, updating them to match the current definitions in Lightroom Classic so they are compatible.

More Detail: By default, the color label definitions in Adobe Bridge do not match those in Lightroom Classic. For example, in Bridge a red color label gets the word “Select” in the Label field while in Lightroom Classic the word “Red” is used. Similarly, the yellow color label is “Second” in Bridge and “Yellow” in Lightroom Classic.

If you want to make sure the color label definitions match, such as if you’ll be using Bridge for an initial review before importing photos into Lightroom Classic, you’ll want to first confirm the current settings in Lightroom Classic. To check the settings, you can go to the Library module and then from the menu choose Metadata > Color Label Set > Edit. On the Images tab in the Edit Color Label Set dialog, review the text values for the colors. By default in Lightroom Classic these will be the names of the colors, such as Red, Yellow, and Green. You can then click the Cancel button to close the dialog without making any changes.

Next, in Adobe Bridge, bring up the Preferences dialog by choosing Edit > Preferences on Windows or Adobe Bridge > Settings on Macintosh. Choose “Labels and Ratings” from the list on the left side of the dialog, and you’ll find the Label Options section that includes the definitions for each color label. Update the label text for all colors so they match exactly what is defined in Lightroom Classic. Click the OK button to apply the changes and close the Preferences dialog.

Once you’ve updated the color label definitions so they match in both applications, you can assign color labels that will appear the same in both. For example, if you assign color labels in Bridge before importing photos into Lightroom Classic, the color labels will be the same in both. Similarly, if you save metadata updates to the source images from Lightroom Classic and then browse in Bridge, you’ll see the same color labels in each. Just keep in mind that you should not update any metadata in Bridge for images that have already been imported into Lightroom Classic, as doing so will cause a metadata mismatch.

Today’s Question: Is it possible to import images and videos to Lightroom Classic using Bridge as an intermediary for the purpose of culling, and then including metadata updates such as color labels, star ratings, or reject flag?

Tim’s Quick Answer: It is possible to use Adobe Bridge to cull images before importing them into Lightroom Classic, but this isn’t something I generally recommend due to the more complicated workflow and the fact that some of the metadata attributes are not compatible.

More Detail: I recommend using a workflow that is as streamlined as possible, avoiding unnecessary steps that introduce the potential for making mistakes. In the context of using Lightroom Classic to manage your photos, for example, I recommend importing all photos directly into your catalog, without using other software to download and review the images.

In addition, there are some potential issues with the differences in how metadata is handled in Lightroom Classic and Bridge.

You can assign star ratings in Bridge, and those star ratings will still be applied when you later import the photos into Lightroom Classic. However, by default the color label definitions don’t match, and so if you assign color labels in Bridge they will all appear as white (undefined) color labels in Lightroom Classic. Therefore, if you’re going to use color labels in both applications you should change the definitions for the color labels so they match. This would generally mean changing the definitions in Bridge so they match the definitions in Lightroom Classic.

There isn’t a pick flag feature in Bridge, and the reject flag in Bridge is not the same as the reject flag in Lightroom Classic. Therefore, you should not use the reject feature in Bridge unless you will be deleting those photos before importing into Lightroom Classic, as the reject flag won’t follow the images into the catalog.

So, while it is absolutely feasible to download and review your images in Adobe Bridge before importing them into Lightroom Classic, this isn’t something I recommend. But if you’re going to use this workflow, just be aware of the metadata differences, and the need to change the definitions of color labels so they match in both applications.

Today’s Question: You demonstrated the option for removing power lines automatically in Photoshop. Is the same feature available in Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: No, there isn’t a power line removal feature (at least not yet) in Lightroom Classic, but the latest update does include a Distraction Removal feature for removing reflections and people automatically.

More Detail: During a recent presentation I demonstrated the options for automatically removing wires and cables (such as power lines) as well as people using the Remove tool in Photoshop. While that same capability doesn’t exactly exist in Lightroom Classic, the latest update to version 14.4 (or Camera Raw 17.4 or Lightroom 8.4) includes the new Distraction Removal feature for reflections and people.

The new feature can be found by selecting the Remove tool from the small toolbar below the histogram on the right panel in the Develop module. In the Distraction Removal section, you’ll see options for Reflections and People.

The Reflections option is for removing reflections such as when you photograph through glass. Simply turn on the Apply checkbox in the Reflections section to have the reflections removed. If needed you can then tone down the effect by reducing the slider value, which by default will be set to 100%.

The People option is obviously for removing distracting people from an image. To get started, click the People heading to expand this section, and people will be detected in the image. A colored overlay with an edit pin will appear in areas of the photo where people were detected. If you want to prevent a person from being removed, you can click the edit pin for that person and then click the trash can icon to the right of the Selected text that appears on the right panel. When you’re ready to remove the selected people, click the Remove button, and the people will be removed automatically.

Once you’ve removed people from a photo, an edit pin will be visible for each area of the image where a person was found. You can click on the edit pin for an area and then cycle through the three variations that were created by clicking the arrows to the right of the Variations label on the right panel. You can also click the Generate button to process the area again if you want to try to get a better result.

Today’s Question: I use the People Mask feature [in Lightroom Classic] and select both facial and body skin. After the adjustment, the faces may look good, but the arms or legs didn’t work out. So, I want to edit the mask to deselect body skin. I don’t see a way to edit the mask. Is it possible?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can modify the mask by either removing a component or duplicating the mask and removing the opposite component from each of the two masks.

More Detail: When you create a mask using the People (or Landscape) feature in Lightroom Classic (or Camera Raw or Lightroom) you have the option to either create a single mask for all the elements you selected or to create individual masks for each of those components. If you create a single mask, there may be times that you wish you had created individual masks or not included one of the components.

For the person mask that is described in today’s question, for example, you could simply delete the Body Skin mask component so that only the Facial Skin is being edited. To do so, hover your mouse over the mask components on the Masks panel and click the “more” button (the three dots) to the right of the applicable component, which would be Body Skin in this case. Choose the Delete command from the popup menu, and that component will be removed so that only Facial Skin is still active for the mask.

If you wanted to have two separate adjustments for the two areas, you could duplicate the mask instead and modify the two masks as needed. In this case, for example, you could click the “more” button to the right of the overall mask (not one of the components of the mask that are below the primary mask thumbnail) and choose the “Duplicate” command.

I strongly recommend renaming the overall mask for each of these duplicates to help avoid confusion. To do so, click on the “more” button for the top-level mask and choose Rename, and give a meaningful name to each mask, such as “Body Skin” and “Facial Skin” in this example.

You can then modify both masks as needed. In this case that would involve deleting the Body Skin mask component from the Facial Skin mask and deleting the Facial Skin mask component from the Body Skin mask. This would provide you with two different adjustments, one for the facial skin and one for the body skin, so you can refine the settings for each individually.

Today’s Question: In your answer about dodging and burning in Lightroom Classic you mentioned the Density setting for the brush, which reminds me that I’ve never understood what the Flow setting does. Can you clarify the difference between these two controls?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The Flow and Density controls determine the overall opacity of your brush strokes and whether that opacity builds up with more painting or whether it is fixed at a specific value.

More Detail: The Density setting is understandably a little easier to understand compared to the Flow setting. Put simply, the Density control determines the opacity of the brush stroke you’re painting at any given time.

To provide an analogy, let’s assume we’re painting with black on a white canvas. If I paint with Density at 100 then I’m painting with pure black, totally covering up the white canvas. If I paint with Density at 0 then I’m not actually painting at all. Painting with Density settings in between will yield what amounts to a shade of gray, such as middle gray with a Density value of 50.

If the Flow is set to 100, then you will be consistently painting at a single Density value. For example, if you are painting with Density set to 50 and Flow set to 100, you’re painting with middle gray. Even if you overlap the same area multiple times with a single brush stroke, you’re always painting with middle gray in this example.

If you reduce the value for Flow, you can think of the virtual paint as flowing from the brush at a slower rate. I’ll over-simplify the math here to make the concept easier to understand. Let’s assume the Density is set to 100 and the Flow is set to 20. When you initially paint, you’ll be painting at an effective Density of 20, since that is the setting for Flow. When you paint over the same portion of the brush stroke a second time, the Density goes up to 40 for that area. As you continue passing over the same area while painting, evenaully it will get up to the full value for Density.

So, for example, you could set the Density to 50 and the Flow to 10, and it would take multiple passes over the same area before the Density reaches 50, but no matter how many times you keep painting over that same area again within a single brush stroke the resulting Density won’t go above 50.

In the context of masking, the shades of gray used above for illustrative purposes relate to the strength of the adjustment. So, you can use a lower setting for Density to have a reduced adjustment effect in specific areas of the image, and you can use a reduced value for Flow if you want to be able to build that adjustment up within a single brush stroke based on how many times you overlap the same area.

Personally, I find the behavior of a reduced Flow setting has a tendency to cause obvious patterns of variability, such as striations of uneven adjustment. I therefore prefer to leave the Flow setting at the maximum value of 100, and instead vary the Density setting as needed from one brush stroke to the next to achieve the desired result.