Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: I am getting a “Scratch Disk getting full” message when starting Photoshop. What do I need to do to fix this?

Tim’s Quick Answer: When Photoshop reports that the scratch disks are getting full, I recommend clearing space on the drive so that at least 100GB is available or changing the scratch disk settings in Preferences to exclude any drives that don’t have adequate free space.

More Detail: The term “scratch disk” in Photoshop refers to the use of hard drive storage space to supplement memory (RAM). Ideally, you’ll never get into a situation where Photoshop is using a scratch disk, because it means you don’t have enough memory for the current task. When Photoshop uses a scratch disk performance can be dramatically diminished.

The first step would be to check the settings for scratch disks in Preferences in Photoshop. On the Scratch Disks tab of the Preferences dialog, you’ll find a list of all hard drives currently connected to your computer. You can turn the checkbox for each hard drive on or off to select which can be used as scratch disks.

You must have at least one hard drive selected as a scratch disk, and I recommend using an internal hard drive (so that it is always available) that has at least 100GB of free space. If you have more than one internal hard drive, I recommend using the one that does not have the operating system and applications stored on it, to help improve performance.

You can also select more than one hard drive, including external drives. In general, I recommend selecting only drives that offer very good performance and with at least 100GB available. In this case, for example, it might make sense to disable the drive that doesn’t have much free space, selecting a different drive instead.

If one or more hard drives don’t have at least 100GB available, I recommend clearing off space on those drives. This can involve uninstalling applications you don’t use, deleting temporary or duplicate data, or otherwise removing files you don’t need.

As noted above, you can avoid the use of scratch disks altogether by making sure you have adequate system memory. So, if you’ve been looking for an excuse to upgrade your computer, this might be a good reason to do so.

Today’s Question: I have always used Lightroom Classic’s “import photos” feature to download the images from my camera. Why is it that the images are often imported out of sequence instead of in the order taken?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Images will generally be imported in what seems like a random order, based on the way data is written to and read from the media cards. You can ensure you’re browsing the images in the correct order by setting the sort order to Capture Time.

More Detail: You can change the sort order for your photos using the Sort popup that is available both in the Import dialog and on the toolbar below the grid view in the Library module in Lightroom Classic. In general I recommend using the Capture Time option so you’re seeing photos in the order they were taken.

When you import photos from a media card into Lightroom Classic, they won’t generally be downloaded in the same order they were captured due to how the data is written (and therefore read) from the media card. This can lead to some potential challenges in your workflow. For example, if you set the sort order to “Off” in the Import dialog and rename with a sequence number during import, sorting by filename versus capture time can result in a completely different sort order.

I recommend setting the sort order to Capture Time both in the import dialog and in the grid view in the Library module, unless you have a specific need to sort the images in a different order. This can be especially important if you’re renaming during import and will include a sequence number as part of the file renaming structure.

Today’s Question: I processed an image with AI based on your class the other day. I had first exported the image to a folder on my desktop. Then I processed with ChatGPT. How do I get the resulting image back into Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I recommend putting the image into the same folder as the original and then using the “Synchronize Folder” command to bring that image into your Lightroom Classic catalog.

More Detail: When you’ve processed a derivative image outside of Lightroom Classic, in many cases it can be helpful to manage that new image in your Lightroom Classic catalog. For example, I recently taught a class on “Creative Effects with AI” as part of my GreyLearning Ultimate Live Learning series. More than likely you would want to manage images that result from such creative processing with AI alongside the original image that was used to create the new image.

While there are several ways you could go about this task, I recommend using the Synchronize Folder command to add the image to your Lightroom Classic catalog.

The first step would be to move the image into the same folder as the original image on your hard drive. Then in Lightroom Classic navigate to that folder, right-click on it, and choose “Synchronize Folder” from the popup menu. In the Synchronize Folder dialog turn on the checkbox for “Import new photos” and also turn on the “Show import dialog before importing” checkbox. Turn off the checkboxes for “Remove missing photos from catalog” (if it is enabled) and “Scan for metadata updates”. Then click the Synchronize button.

In the Import dialog that appears based on having turned on the applicable checkbox in the Synchronize Folder dialog, review the settings on the right panel and adjust as needed. For example, you may not want to set the Develop Settings and Metadata popups in the Apply During Import section to “None” so that no changes are applied to the images you’re adding through this process. Then click the Import button and the new images will be added to your catalog. Since the images will be in the same folder as the originals they were based on, you’ll be able to manage the originals and derivative images together.

If you missed my presentation on “Creative Effects with AI” and are a GreyLearning Ultimate Bundle subscriber, you can view the recording of the presentation by signing in to the GreyLearning website (greylearning.com) and then clicking the “Resume Course” button on this page:

https://www.greylearning.com/courses/creative-effects-ultimate-live-learning

Today’s Question: Back in the “old days”, a lot of the various 35mm camera lenses had a marking on the lens containing distance measurements for feet/meters where you could easily tell the distance at which you were focusing. What is an accurate way to obtain the distance measurements with a lens that does not contain any measurement indicators?

Tim’s Quick Answer: A laser measurement tool can provide accurate distance information, although they are limited in terms of the maximum distance they can measure accurately.

More Detail: Knowing the distance at which you’re focusing be helpful for a variety of purposes, such as to calculate depth of field for a photo. However, as noted in today’s question, it isn’t as common as it used to be for lenses to have markings indicating the current focus distance.

If you want to be able to measure distance to a subject in the field, I recommend a laser measurement tool. In my view these fall into two basic categories: more accurate and longer distance.

Some laser measurement tools provide accuracy within a fraction of an inch. However, devices that are this accurate are also limited in terms of range. For example, many such devices can only measure accurately out to around 100 feet. One such tool with accurate measurements up to 165 feet can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/GLM165-22-Ergonomic-Cordless-Digital-Measure/dp/B0943T93KB/

There are also devices with greater range, but with lower accuracy. These are often marketed to golfers or hunters, typically offering a range on the order of hundreds of yards. The accuracy is generally within about a couple feet, but for most calculations in photography that is generally accurate enough. For example, this device has a range of 1200 yards (3,600 feet, or about two-thirds of a mile):

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Rangefinder-Slope-Switch-Vibration-dp-B0GHYDVJ36/dp/B0GHYDVJ36/

Today’s Question: Is there a way for me to export my photos, folders and subfolders, and metadata from Lightroom Classic to an external hard drive for an archival copy? If so, how would you suggest I setup it up?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can use the “Export as Catalog” command to export a full copy of your photo library from Lightroom Classic, including the existing folder structure, standard metadata, and a copy of your catalog.

More Detail: While there are several ways you could go about creating an archival copy of your full photo library, I think one of the best options for Lightroom Classic users is to leverage the “Export as Catalog” command. This will create a copy of your catalog along with a copy of all photos, using the same folder structure including subfolders, and including metadata with the images.

To get started, select the “All Photographs” collection in the Catalog section of the left panel in the Library module. On the Library Filter bar at the top of the grid view (choose View > Show Filter Bar if it isn’t visible) choose the “None” option. Then on the menu choose Edit > Select None (yes, “None”) so that no photos are selected. This helps to ensure that all photos in the entire catalog will be included, even if they are in stacks, for example.

You can then choose File > Export as Catalog from the menu to initiate the export. Navigate to the external hard drive you want to copy everything to, making sure there is adequate available storage on that drive. You can also navigate to a folder on the drive if you prefer. Also, make sure the “Export negative files” checkbox is turned on, which will include the source images as part of the export process. Enter a meaningful name for the catalog and primary folder in the Save As field and click the Export Catalog button.

Depending on how many photos you have in your catalog and how fast your computer and hard drives are, the process could take hours or even days. But once the export is complete, you’ll have a copy of your entire photo library on the external hard drive you exported to. Just note that you’ll want to update that archival copy from time to time so that it contains all photos that had been added to the primary catalog in the meantime.

Today’s Question: I need an anti-glare screen protector for my laptop. Most of them also come with anti-blue light. I’m worried about the filtering out of the blue light affecting color accuracy of my photos, especially during editing. Do you have any recommendations?

Tim’s Quick Answer: In general, I do not recommend using anti-glare products on screens because they can negatively impact image quality and fidelity. If you need an anti-glare solution, I recommend a display designed to reduce glare, or the use of a high-quality product such as the iVisor line from Moshi.

More Detail: If possible, I recommend avoiding glare on your display in the first place rather than using an anti-glare film or other solution. For example, closing blinds or curtains, turning off lights, or moving to a different location would be preferred. I recognize, however, that in some cases you can’t really avoid glare altogether.

The key issue to keep in mind with anti-glare solutions is that they will have some degree of negative impact on the quality and fidelity of the display. That can cause problems when it comes to optimally editing photos, for example.

While reducing blue light from a display can help reduce eye strain, it also shifts the color of the display slightly toward yellow, which affects color fidelity. Anti-glare solutions can also reduce contrast and sharpness of the display.

If you simply must get an anti-glare solution, I recommend opting for a high-quality product without blue light filtering. The best approach is to get a display that is designed to reduce glare, such as the nano-texture glass available for many Apple displays including their laptops. Another great option is to opt for a laptop with Gorilla Glass from Corning.

Another option is to get an anti-glare film that attaches to your existing display. If you’re using an Apple product, I recommend the iVisor line from Moshi, which you can learn about here:

https://us.moshi.com

Beyond that there are a variety of adhesive films that attach to monitor displays, from companies like 3M and Kensington. However, in my experience most of these products reduce display quality and fidelity enough that I would personally rather not use them unless absolutely necessary.

Today’s Question: I want to convert a PNG to SVG in Photoshop. I have tried many ways but always the stumbling block is that when reaching “Export as” I only am offered only PNG, JPG, and GIF formats, no SVG.

Tim’s Quick Answer: Photoshop no longer supports saving in the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) file format, but there is a workaround involving copying code for a layer and saving that to a text file.

More Detail: The Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format is for vector graphics, whereas Photoshop is primarily a raster graphic application (especially in the context of photographic images). Vector graphics involve definitions of shapes rather than the use of individual pixels, enabling illustrations to be scaled infinitely with no loss in quality. Several years ago, Adobe discontinued support for the SVG file format in Photoshop, but there is a workaround that enables you to save individual layers as SVG files.

Start by opening an image opened in Photoshop that includes one or more vector layers, such a s shape or text layer. Then right-click on the layer title (not the thumbnail for the layer) on the Layers panel and choose “Copy SVG” from the popup menu.

Next, paste into a blank plain text document, such as by using TextEdit on Macintosh Notepad on Windows. Save the file in the plain text format but change the filename extension to .svg, which will result in a true SVG file complete with vector data.

Adobe also offers an online tool for converting JPEG or PNG images to SVG. It is free to use, but you need to sign in with an Adobe ID to be able to download the SVG image. You can find that converter here:

https://new.express.adobe.com/home/tools/convert-to-svg

Another option, of course, would be to use Adobe Illustrator for creating and saving vector graphics, since this is the primary focus of Illustrator to begin with. Illustrator natively supports saving vector files in the SVG file format.

Today’s Question: In your presentation on “Make Your Photos Pop” as part of the Photoshop Virtual Summit, you talked about using Clarity to help enhance midtone contrast. Would it make sense to, for example, only apply Clarity to the landscape and not the sky in a photo, so the detail in the foreground is enhanced without affecting the sky?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, it is perfectly reasonable to apply Clarity (or Texture or Dehaze) as a targeted adjustment. Just keep in mind that especially if there are clouds in the sky increasing the value for Clarity can add drama and contrast to the sky, so I recommend testing a global adjustment before making a decision about a targeted adjustment.

More Detail: The Clarity adjustment in Lightroom and Camera Raw enhances midtone contrast, and it can be tremendously helpful in adding a bit of drama and enhancing detail for photos. It is among one of my absolute favorite adjustments for easily adding a bit of “pop” to an image.

When the sky in an image includes some clouds, the Clarity adjustment can provide a great enhancement for that sky. However, it is absolutely reasonable to apply Clarity (or Texture or Dehaze) to only the foreground in an image. For example, with an image featuring a clear blue sky, the Clarity adjustment would have very little effect other than likely darkening the sky to some extent.

Ultimately though, in my view targeted adjustments using the masking features of Lightroom or Camera Raw can most certainly be leveraged when you want to apply specific adjustments to certain areas of a photo. If that means applying a Clarity adjustment to all areas of an image except the sky, that makes perfect sense if it helps get the image looking the way you want it to.

Today’s Question: Am I correct in understanding from your answer [on Friday] that in Lightroom Classic it is possible to see previews of photos even if they’re on a hard drive that isn’t connected to the computer?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, in Lightroom Classic you can view previews of images in the catalog even when the source files are unavailable, and you can even apply metadata updates without those source files. I consider this to be one of the significant benefits of using Lightroom Classic compared to “browser” software such as Adobe Bridge.

More Detail: Lightroom Classic uses a catalog to manage the information about your photos, and that includes generating previews of images that serve as a cache stored with the catalog. Those previews can be viewed by simply opening the catalog, with no need to have the source images available as long as previews had already been generated.

For example, if you have your catalog on an internal hard drive and your photos on an external hard drive, you can view the images previews from the catalog even if the external hard drive containing the actual image files is disconnected from the computer. You can even update metadata, such as assigning star ratings and keywords, based on the previews in the catalog without having the source files available.

With standard previews the only limitation is that you’re not able to apply adjustments to images via the Develop module, and you’re not able to export copies of photos. However, if you build smart previews for photos in your catalog, you can work in the Develop module or export copies based on those smart previews.

Today’s Question: Sometimes when I select a folder to browse in Lightroom Classic, instead of seeing thumbnails at first I only see gray rectangles. After a while those get updated to actual image thumbnails. Is there a way to have all the thumbnails created so I don’t have to wait when I navigate to a folder?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can build standard previews for your entire catalog to ensure you’ll always have thumbnails (and previews) for your photos when you navigate among folders.

More Detail: If you’re seeing gray rectangles in place of image thumbnails in Lightroom Classic, that’s an indication that there isn’t currently a preview for those images. As long as the photos aren’t missing (such as if the hard drive they’re stored on isn’t connected) the previews will be generated automatically when you browse the photos. However, this can be a frustrating experience because the previews can take considerable time to build, and overall performance can be degraded while the previews are being built.

Therefore, I recommend building previews for your entire catalog if you have noticed that a fair number of previews are not available for your photos.

To get started, navigate to the “All Photographs” collection in the Catalog section of the left panel in the Library module. Make sure all hard drives containing your photos are connected, so that the photos will be available for preview building. Then, on the Library Filter Bar above the grid view (choose View > Show Filter Bar from the menu if it isn’t visible) choose “None” so all images are displayed. Then select all images (Edit > Select All) and choose Library > Previews > Build Standard-Sized Previews from the menu.

It can take quite a bit of time (literally hours or days) to build previews for all photos in your catalog, depending on how many photos are in the catalog, how many of those photos lack standard previews, and other factors. But once the process is complete, you’ll have a much faster (and less frustrating) experience browsing your photos.