How can I preserve Lightroom edit history when moving RAW files to another catalog or computer?
Asked 6/10/2012
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I edited a RAW file in Lightroom 4 and want to keep the full development history, not just the current adjusted version. If I export the edited file and then re-import it, the new copy includes the edits but not the original step-by-step history, so I can’t go back through earlier changes like crop or white balance. Is there a way to export or transfer the file together with its Lightroom history?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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Export it as part of a catalog. Select the files you want to export with complete history (and more), then say File > Export as Catalog.
You can then import that catalog as a subtree in a different Lightroom catalog, and all will be preserved.
If the photos will be going into Lightroom on a different computer or you need the new copies to have a fork in their development history, tell Lightroom on the source computer to export copies of the raw files along with the catalog.
Originally by user4141. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4141
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. To preserve Lightroom’s full edit history, export the photo as part of a catalog rather than as a rendered file.
In Lightroom, select the photos and use File > Export as Catalog. This keeps the Lightroom metadata associated with those images, including their development history. You can then import that catalog into another Lightroom catalog, and the history will be preserved.
If you’re moving the work to another computer, choose the option to include/export the original negative files with the catalog so the RAW files travel with it.
A normal exported file—even DNG in many workflows—contains the current edit settings, but not Lightroom’s full step-by-step history in a way that reappears when re-imported as a new photo. For history retention, catalog export/import is the correct method.
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