Where does Lightroom store RAW edit changes, and can it crop the original file?
Asked 7/31/2011
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I imported RAW files into Lightroom and made some edits. After closing and reopening Lightroom, the edits are still there, but the original RAW files seem unchanged. Where does Lightroom store those changes? Can Lightroom apply edits directly to the imported RAW file, for example cropping it so only the cropped version remains?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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Lightroom does not make changes to the original file. It stores the actions of each edit in the LR catalog. When you Export an image to, say a JPEG, LR performs each of those actions, creating a new file, in this case a JPEG. It never alters the original. The RAW file isnt really an image, but data that was recorded by the sensor. You see an image in preview because the RAW file actually stores a small JPEG preview image within the file. So 'cropping' the RAW isn't meaningful. You instead use the RAW data to create an image that you can crop as your final output. The output can be JPEG, TIFF, PSD, DNG, etc.
The catalog location can be found by looking under Catalog Settings.
You can also ask Lightroom to store these same edit actions in a 'sidecar' file, which will be stored alongside (in the same directory) of your RAW image, by selecting "Automatically write changes to XMP" in the Metadata tab of Catalog settings.
Originally by user4880. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4880
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Lightroom uses non-destructive editing. It does not change the original RAW file. Instead, it stores your edit instructions in the Lightroom catalog, and it can also write them to a sidecar file next to the RAW if that option is enabled.
When you view the photo in Lightroom, it reads the RAW data and applies those saved edit instructions on the fly. When you Export, Lightroom creates a new file—such as JPEG, TIFF, PSD, or DNG—with those edits applied.
So, no, Lightroom does not truly crop the original RAW so that only the cropped area remains. A RAW file is sensor data, not a finished image in the usual sense. Cropping in Lightroom is just an edit instruction until you export or create a new output file.
If you want only the cropped result, export the edited image as a new file format or another output file and keep that as your final version.
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