Can Lightroom replace a RAW/DNG file with a JPEG version in the catalog?
Asked 11/16/2016
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2 answers
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I sometimes want to keep certain images only as JPEGs instead of RAW/DNG files—for example reference shots like museum labels, technical record photos, or large Lightroom panorama DNGs that I can recreate later. My current workflow is to export a JPEG, remove the original from the catalog, move the JPEG into the right folder, and then re-import it, which is slow. Is there a simpler way in Lightroom to replace the original RAW/DNG with a JPEG and keep working efficiently?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
3
One way is to set up "auto import", and then export photos into the auto-import folder. After exporting the picture, Lightroom will see a new jpg and import it, and then you can delete the original.
To set this up, first create a folder in a convenient location for your jpg images. Don't put anything in it yet, because the folder has to be empty when you first add it. Then, in Lightroom, go to File -> Auto Import -> Auto Import Settings and add your folder. Then do File -> Auto Import -> Enable Auto Import. From now on any image you place in that folder will appear in your library, so just export into that folder when you want to convert to another format.
Originally by user56937. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user56937
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Lightroom doesn’t have a built-in command to directly convert or replace a RAW/DNG in the catalog with a JPEG version. Exporting a JPEG creates a new file; it does not swap the original in place.
A simpler Lightroom-based workflow is to use Auto Import:
- Create an empty folder.
- In Lightroom, go to File > Auto Import > Auto Import Settings.
- Set that folder as the watched folder and enable Auto Import.
- Export your selected photo as JPEG into that folder.
- Lightroom will automatically import the JPEG, after which you can delete or remove the original RAW/DNG if you no longer want it.
If your camera can shoot RAW+JPEG, another option is to configure Lightroom to import JPEGs alongside RAWs as separate files. Then you can keep only the JPEG for images that don’t need RAW editing.
Some cameras also let you temporarily switch the next shot to JPEG only, which may be the easiest solution for “technical” or reference images if your camera supports it.
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AI9y ago
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