Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: In my early days of using Photoshop, I would use a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to boost saturation. Since the addition of the Vibrance adjustment layer, I’ve been using that exclusively to adjust saturation. With the availability of Vibrance is there any need to use Hue/Saturation?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The Vibrance adjustment layer in Photoshop is preferred for saturation changes compared to the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. The primary reason you would use a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer is to apply a color adjustment to a specific color range within the image, such as to refine the appearance of only blue areas of a photo.

More Detail: The Vibrance adjustment is newer than Hue/Saturation and includes both a Vibrance slider and a Saturation slider. The Vibrance slider is generally the best starting point for refining saturation for an image, as it helps prevent having highly saturated colors from getting over-saturated, and it helps protect skin tones from too strong an adjustment.

With the availability of the Vibrance adjustment, I don’t recommend using Hue/Saturation for adjusting overall saturation in an image. However, Hue/Saturation can still be tremendously helpful for targeted color adjustments.

With Hue/Saturation you can choose a specific color range by clicking on one of the round color swatches below the Preset popup. You can then adjust the sliders for Hue (overall color value), Saturation (color purity or intensity), and Luminance (color brightness). You can apply different adjustments for each of the available color swatches.

In addition, you can customize the color range represented by the color swatches, such as to broadening the range for the cyan color swatch to include blue colors in addition to cyan. After selecting a color swatch, you can adjust the color range using the controls between the gradients at the bottom of the set of controls for Hue/Saturation.

Today’s Question: Is there an option to run the AI steps [in Adobe applications] locally without requiring an internet connection?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Some (but not all) of the AI-based features in Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, and other Adobe applications do require an internet connection. For the features that provide an option for local processing, choosing that option will generally result in faster processing, but with results that likely won’t be as good as with cloud-based processing.

More Detail: Whether or not an internet connection is required to use an AI-based feature differs among software applications. For example, in Lightroom Classic the generative AI option for the Remove tool as well as the Distraction Removal feature both require an internet connection. If you’re not connected to the internet, you won’t be able to use these features until you’re back online.

In Photoshop while the generative AI features such as Generative Fill and Generative expand do require an internet connection, there are some AI features that don’t require an internet connection. For example, you can choose to have the Remove Background feature process locally rather than in the cloud. This option can be selected using the “Select Subject and Remove Background” popup on the Image Processing tab of the Preferences dialog. Choose “Device (Quicker Results)” if you want to be able to work offline with this feature.

Some features that leverage AI in Photoshop don’t leverage an internet connection at all, however. These include Sky Replacement, the Object Selection tool, and Neural Filters, among others.

So, the case is a bit mixed, but the generative AI features do require an internet connection, while other AI-based features often include an option to process locally or don’t require an internet connection at all.

Today’s Question: Is it possible to move only the original or virtual copy of an image to a different folder [in Lightroom Classic]? When I tried to move either to a different folder both copies moved. I eventually exported the virtual copy to desktop as a JPEG, then reimported to the folder of choice. Any easier way?

Tim’s Quick Answer: No, you can’t move an original image and its virtual copy in Lightroom Classic independently. The easiest way to be able to move one without the other would be to generate a derivative image based on the virtual copy, such as by using the Export feature in conjunction with the “Add to This Catalog” option.

More Detail: Virtual copies in Lightroom Classic can be tremendously helpful for a variety of purposes in your workflow, such as to have more than one interpretation of an image. However, a virtual copy is simply an extra set of metadata for the original image, and therefore the two are connected and can’t be moved independent of one another.

If you want to move a virtual copy to a different folder than the original image it relates to, you’ll need to create a new derivative image. You can do so by selecting the virtual copy and then clicking the Export button at the bottom of the left panel in the Library module. In the Export dialog you can configure all the options based on your preferences, including exporting in the same file format as the original (including for raw captures), and choose a location where you want to save that derivative copy.

In the Export Location section at the top of the Export dialog you can turn on the “Add to This Catalog” checkbox, so the new derivative image will be added to the current catalog. You can then click the Export button, and the new image will be created in the applicable location with the settings you used, and it will reflect all the metadata and Develop adjustments that had been applied to the virtual copy. At that point you could remove the virtual copy to avoid confusion, since you have a new file based on the settings for that virtual copy.

Today’s Question: Last night I tried out the new Distraction Removal feature [available in Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, and Camera Raw] to remove a person from an image. The three results were all ridiculous. I got a large window of new info about Generative Credits. Seems to be telling me my use of some features is going to be measured and it “uses one credit per generation unless you have a plan that gives you unlimited access.” What has happened here? Are we going to have to pay to use the Generative AI features now?

Tim’s Quick Answer: What has changed here is that Adobe has started enforcing the use of credits for generative AI features, and has made changes to the plans that provide access to Adobe Creative Cloud applications. With the Creative Cloud Photography Plan, for example, existing users will only get 100 credits per month, and new users will only get 25 credits per month. The credits do not roll over from month to month.

More Detail: I know I’ve talked a lot about the confusion that has been created over the years in terms of more than one Lightroom application and the name changes that have occurred over time. But I think the updates regarding the credit system for Generative AI features in Adobe products is even more confusing.

In the context of Lightroom Classic (as well as Lightroom and Camera Raw), the two features that will consume one generative credit each time they are used are the “Use Generative AI” option for the Remove tool and the Distraction Removal features associated with the Remove tool. In Photoshop there are more features that use generative AI, and which therefore consume credits.

There is a new Creative Cloud Pro plan that includes unlimited standard credits, and a limited number of credits for the more advanced premium generative AI features. This is the plan that includes access to nearly all Adobe applications, which of course means it is more expensive than the Creative Cloud Photography Plan.

As noted above, the Creative Cloud Photography Plan includes 100 credits for those who had subscribed prior to June 17, 2025, and 25 credits per month for those who sign up after that date. If you can purchase additional credits, such as by adding a Firefly subscription even if only for a short time, such as if you’ll be working on a project where you want to make more extensive use of the generative AI features.

One of the challenges, of course, is that sometimes the generative AI features produce results that you aren’t happy with. Unfortunately, using the feature consumes a credit, even if you end up discarding the work that consumed that credit.

You can learn more about credits for generative AI features in Adobe software on the Adobe website here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/firefly/get-set-up/learn-the-basics/generative-credits-faq.html

Today’s Question: It’s quite frustrating that Lightroom Classic doesn’t including AI searching, but I’m wondering about using Lightroom instead of one of the 3rd party plug-ins. I have a collection of old photos that are online but otherwise untouched. I want to be able to find photos with family members and tag those. What would happen if I pointed Lightroom at my collection of old photos. Could I use AI search in Lightroom to find and tag photos with family members? Could those photos with the tags then be imported or otherwise viewed in Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Lightroom (as opposed to Lightroom Classic) includes an AI-based search feature, although my experience is that the results are a little mixed when it comes to finding photos of people.

More Detail: While Lightroom Classic does not include an AI search feature where you can search based on an analysis of your images without needing to assign keywords, for example, the cloud-focused version of Lightroom does include this feature. It is important to note that the feature only works for images stored in the cloud, so you would either need to add photos to Lightroom that have not been imported into Lightroom Classic or synchronize collections in Lightroom Classic that contain the photos you want to be able to search for.

Once images are in the cloud and therefore accessible by Lightroom, they can be searched. Just keep in mind that when you initially add photos to the cloud it can take some time before the analysis is complete, so it may take a little time before you are able to make full use of the search feature.

While the search is impressive overall, I’ve had very mixed results when it comes to locating photos of people in Lightroom. In fact, I’ve had better results using the People view in Lightroom Classic to locate and identify people, compared to the cloud-focused version of Lightroom. So, in this case you might consider using the People view in Lightroom Classic rather than the AI search in Lightroom.

Unfortunately, if you add keywords in Lightroom they will not synchronize to Lightroom Classic, even if you had synchronized those photos to Lightroom from Lightroom Classic. Therefore, if you were going to use Lightroom to add keywords to photos, you would need to export copies of those photos from Lightroom to be able to access the keywords in Lightroom Classic or other software. This can obviously contribute to a somewhat inefficient workflow.

Today’s Question: When I’ve tried to import images into Lightroom Classic that include some images saved as PSD files without the Maximize Compatibility option, I don’t get an error message until after the import is complete, with some images imported and others not. Is there a way to determine before the import which images can’t be imported because of this issue?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The only clue that a PSD or PSB file with layers wasn’t saved with the Maximize Compatibility feature enabled is that you’ll see text indicating “Preview unavailable for this file” in place of the thumbnail in the import dialog. The only way to know for sure that the file couldn’t be imported is to try to import it and see if you get a message indicating that one or more files couldn’t be imported, which appears after the import process is complete.

More Detail: If a PSD or PSB file that includes layers was saved with the “Maximize Compatibility” feature turned off in Photoshop, that file can’t be imported into Lightroom Classic. In that scenario, Lightroom Classic can’t generate a preview for the image because it isn’t able to interpret the layers included with the image. Note that this also means this issue doesn’t apply to PSD or PSB files that do not contain layers beyond the Background image layer, because the lack of layers eliminates the need for the Maximize Compatibility feature.

Other than the “Preview unavailable for this file” text, the only way to know that an image couldn’t be imported is to try to import it and then see if an error message appears. If there is a compatibility issue with one or more of the files you were attempting to import, you’ll see a dialog indicating that. This dialog will include one or more lists by category of the files that could not be imported.

Most importantly in terms of resolving this issue is that you can save that list as a text file to reference later. To do so, click the “Save As” button at the bottom-left of the error dialog, navigate to a convenient location, enter a filename in the “Save As” field, and click the Save button. You can then use that saved list to track down the files that need to have the Maximize Compatibility feature enabled, so the files can then be imported into Lightroom Classic.

Today’s Question: As a follow-up to your recent post concerning compatibility: I have a few early images that were created without the Maximize Compatibility option enabled [in Photoshop], so Lightroom Classic cannot read them. How do I go back and make them compatible?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can enable Maximize Compatibility for existing PSD files by opening those images and using the Save As command to save again with Maximize Compatibility enabled. You could also batch process the images using the Image Processor in Photoshop via Bridge.

More Detail: In the July 3rd edition of the Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter I discussed the Maximize Compatibility issue in Photoshop. This setting must be enabled for PSD or PSB files for you to be able to import them into Lightroom Classic.

If you have existing images that had been saved without the Maximize Compatibility feature enabled, you’ll need to re-save those images with the option enabled.

If you only have one or two images that need to be updated, you could simply open and re-save them in Photoshop. To get started, go to the File Handling tab of the Preferences dialog in Photoshop and choose either “Ask” or “Always” from the “Maximize PSD and PSB File Compatibility” popup. Then open the images than need to be re-saved, and for each of them choose File > Save As from the menu. When saving, you can even re-save with the same filename to update the existing file if you want. Note that if you selected the “Ask” option in Preferences you’ll need to make sure the checkbox is turned on for Maximize Compatibility in the confirmation dialog that appears.

If you have more than a few images that need to be processed, you can use the Image Processor command to batch process. In this scenario it is most convenient to put all the files in a single folder for processing, as long as that won’t create other problems in your workflow. You can then select all the images you want to process in Adobe Bridge, and from the menu choose Tools > Photoshop > Image Processor.

When the Image Processor dialog comes up in Photoshop you can turn off the “Open first image to apply settings” checkbox in the first section. In the second section you can choose the “Save in Same Location” option to save the images in a subfolder by file type within the current folder. You can also choose the second option and click the “Select Folder” button to choose the folder where you want to save the processed images. In the third section turn on the “Save as PSD” checkbox, making sure the “Save as JPEG” and “Save as TIFF” checkboxes are turned off. Below the “Save as PSD” checkbox make sure the “Maximize Compatibility” checkbox is turned on and turn off the “Resize to Fit” checkbox. Turn off the “Run Action” checkbox and turn on the “Include ICC Profile” checkbox. Click the Run button to run the Image Processor.

Once you’ve re-saved the applicable images with the Maximize Compatibility feature enabled, you can move them to the correct folder location if needed and then import them into Lightroom Classic.

Today’s Question: [In the context of the “Maximize Compatibility” option for Photoshop PSD and PSB files] What about TIFF files? Many people including me prefer to use this format.

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can think of a TIFF file saved in Photoshop as always having the “Maximize Compatibility” option enabled, with no option to disable it.

More Detail: Last week I answered a question about the “Maximize Compatibility” option in Photoshop for PSD and PSB files. Enabling this option will increase the file size substantially, but it will also ensure compatibility with many other applications, including Lightroom Classic.

In effect, you can think of a TIFF saved with layers in Photoshop as being the same thing as saving the image as a PSD with the “Maximize Compatibility” option turned on. In other words, in both cases the file will be larger than if the image had been saved as a PSD file with “Maximize Compatibility” turned off.

Because of the way TIFF files are saved in this context, there is nothing special you need to do to ensure compatibility, such as with Lightroom Classic. By contrast, if you save a PSD file with “Maximize Compatibility” turned off, you won’t be able to import that file into Lightroom Classic.

Today’s Question: I am behind on assigning keywords to my photos in Lightroom Classic, and I wondered if an AI-assisted version might be coming in a future version of Lightroom (similar to my iPhone’s ability to search the photos on my phone and find an image I’m hunting for). Alternately, is there an external solution for keywords that might be less labor-intensive?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Lightroom Classic doesn’t currently provide automatic keywording or search based on image analysis, but there are options available from other developers.

More Detail: The cloud-focused version of the Lightroom desktop application does include a search feature based on image analysis, which is a feature that has the potential to make keywording somewhat obsolete. The Organizer application for Photoshop Elements also includes a similar feature. Lightroom Classic does not include this feature, but it is reasonable to assume it could be added in the future since other Adobe applications include the feature.

There are also similar solutions from other developers, including tools for automatically adding keywords to images based on image analysis.

One such option is a plug-in for Lightroom Classic called Excire Search. I’ve tested this tool and found it to be helpful, with features for both searching for images based on image analysis and adding keywords based on the same analysis. If keywords are important to your workflow and you’d like a tool that helps automate the process of adding keywords, it is definitely worth taking a look at the free trial of Excire Search. You can learn more on the Excire website here:

https://excire.com/en/excire-search/

Another option is Peakto. I was given an in-depth demo by the company and was very impressed. However, I’ve not had the chance to spend much time with Peakto on my own. Peakto is unique in that it acts as a host for various sources of photos, including Lightroom Classic. This may be interesting to photographers who are managing various photos with different software, such as a combination of Apple Photos and Lightroom Classic. One of the top features is automatic keywording, which is a good reason to consider Peakto if keywords are an important part of your workflow. You can learn more about Peakto here:

https://cyme.io/products/peakto

Today’s Question: Is any iPad able to handle Lightroom and Photoshop?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Not all mobile device models support Adobe’s mobile apps. Most recent iPads can run Photoshop mobile, and there is now a beta (pre-release) version of Photoshop for Android devices. Many (but not all) iOS and Android devices are able to run Lightroom mobile.

More Detail: The mobile version of Photoshop for iPad only runs on newer Apple iPad models. You can get a list of the specific iPad models supported here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/system-requirements-ios.html

The Android version of Photoshop is currently available as a beta version in the Google Play Store, meaning it is a test version that isn’t yet ready for final release. If you have an android device and want to give the beta version a try, you can find it here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.photoshop.retail

For the Lightroom mobile app for iPad or iPhone, the only requirement is that your device is running iOS 17.0 or later. That does in turn require a somewhat recent device. For Android devices there are specific hardware requirements, but a good number of Android tablets and smartphones meet the requirements.

You can get the details of system requirements for the Lightroom mobile app here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-cc/system-requirements.html#ios

Over time, of course, more devices will lose support for the latest mobile operating systems and the latest versions of apps from Adobe and others. Support tends to get dropped more quickly for more powerful apps, such as Photoshop.