Today’s Question: Suppose I send an image from Lightroom Classic to Photoshop, work on it in Photoshop and save it. Then I edit some more to create a different version of the image and use the Save As command to create another file. Would both images appear in Lightroom Classic? Can you make multiple versions of the same image using Photoshop and have them all appear in Lightroom Classic?
Tim’s Quick Answer: While it is possible to have multiple derivative versions of the same image appear in Lightroom Classic when they are created in Photoshop, doing so is not possible by simply using the Save As command in Photoshop.
More Detail: If you send an image from Lightroom Classic to Photoshop and then choose File > Save, that derivative image will appear in your Lightroom Classic catalog. However, if you then make changes and use the Save As command to save a new copy, that additional copy will be saved on your hard drive but will not appear in Lightroom Classic. You would need to import the image (such as by using the Synchronize Folder command) to add it to your catalog.
However, you can use a different workflow to ensure that additional derivative images are all included in your Lightroom Classic catalog.
One option would be to save your original derivative in Photoshop and close that file, then return to Lightroom Classic and create a copy of that derivative image using Photoshop. For example, you could send your original raw capture to Photoshop using the Photo > Edit In > Edit in Adobe Photoshop command. When you’re doing working on that image in Photoshop, choose File > Save from the menu followed by File > Close.
You can then return to Lightroom Classic and choose the derivative created in the previous step (not the original raw image) and choose Photo > Edit In > Edit in Adobe Photoshop from the menu. Because the selected image is not a raw capture, Lightroom Classic will ask how you want to process the image. In this context you can choose the “Edit a Copy” option. This will create a copy of the first derivative image, saving it with a new filename. You can apply any adjustments you’d like in Photoshop, and then simply use the File > Save and File > Close commands to save this updated derivative copy.
If you want to open an existing derivative image in Photoshop without creating an additional copy, after choosing the Photo > Edit In > Edit in Photoshop command you can choose the “Edit Original” option to open that file directly in Photoshop with all layers and other saved options intact and ready for you to apply revisions to.
