How can I avoid duplicate file names when importing and exporting in Lightroom?
Asked 2/14/2011
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2 answers
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My camera’s file numbering has wrapped from 9999 back to 0001, so new photos can have the same names as older ones. I organize originals in Lightroom by year/date folders, but I export finished stock images into a single folder, where duplicate names could overwrite existing files. What’s the best way to handle this in Lightroom? Should I rename files on import/export, include dates or shoot info in the filename, or rely on separate folders?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
15
File naming is one of those things where everyone has a personal preference, but here are a couple things that folks do frequently:
- rename the files to include the original shooting date. So instead of IMG_0001.JPG you might end up with 20110214-0001.JPG
- include a short shoot description. Continuing my example, perhaps you'd have 20110214-smithheadshot.JPG
As you noted, this only becomes an issue if you try to put all of your files in the same folder; if you avoid this it won't be a problem.
The good news is that Lightroom can rename files automatically when you import; check out the File Renaming section of the Import screen.
Originally by user89. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user89
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A common solution is to rename files so the filename is unique beyond the camera’s 4-digit sequence. A simple pattern is to include the capture date, such as YYYYMMDD-0001 or IMG_YYYYMMDD_1234. You can also add a short shoot description if helpful.
Examples:
20110214-0001.jpgIMG_20110630_1234.jpg20110214-smithheadshot.jpg
Lightroom can do this automatically using filename templates during import, and you can also apply naming on export.
The other key point is folder structure: duplicate names are only a problem if you put everything into the same folder. Keeping images in dated or shoot-based subfolders is a widely used approach and also makes large libraries easier to browse and back up.
In practice, the safest workflow is:
- Keep originals in a year/date or shoot-based folder structure.
- Use Lightroom file renaming templates to add date (and optionally shoot info) to filenames.
- Avoid exporting huge numbers of files into one single folder unless the exported names are guaranteed unique.
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