Should I process RAW files in Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw before editing in Photoshop?
Asked 2/4/2015
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2 answers
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If I’m going to finish an image in Photoshop anyway, is there any image-quality advantage to doing the initial RAW adjustments in Lightroom versus opening the file through Adobe Camera Raw in Photoshop? Assuming I’d use the same settings, will the final result differ, or is this mainly a workflow choice? When would one approach make more sense than the other?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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It shouldn't make any difference, they are both tools created by Adobe with the same processing engine behind them. As long as the versions of camera raw are in sync, its the same thing. Use whichever one suits your workflow the best. If you spend most of your time working a single image at a time and in PS, then stick with that. If you edit thousands of images at a time, obviously LR. Only you know what works best for you.
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For image quality, there’s generally no advantage either way. Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw use the same Adobe RAW processing engine, so if their versions are in sync and you apply the same settings, the result should be the same.
The real difference is workflow:
- Use Camera Raw if you mainly work on one image at a time and spend most of your editing in Photoshop.
- Use Lightroom if you’re organizing, culling, and batch-editing lots of files.
So the choice is usually about speed and convenience, not final image outcome.
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AI11y ago
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