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mongoman1
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I would like the ability to save a thumbnail preview for use by the OS on image export.

May 3, 2011 12:12 PM

Hello,

 

I have been using Lightroom for about three years and one of the many features I would like to see is the ability to save a thumbnail for the image while exporting an  image.  This is an option available in other leading software, and also happens when you save an image in Photoshop.  It isn't a huge issue when using a Mac because you have the option for the finder to force an image preview.  It is however an issue when your client uses Windows since the OS doesn't allow the user to force a thumbnail preview.

 

The client is king, especially with the economy and market the way that it is.  If the client wants thumbnails on their images in their OS, the photographer needs to be able to deliver.  I don't expect myself or any other photographer to have to open files in Photoshop and save them to force a thumbnail for the image.

 

This software is in no way as expensive as Photoshop and it does have amazing features, but it is also not cheap and is intended for working professionals.

2926 Views   26 Replies   Latest reply: Rob Cole, May 4, 2011 12:31 AM
 
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  • ssprengel
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    1. ssprengel,
    May 3, 2011 12:29 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    What type of images are you exporting that don't have thumbnails visible in Windows for you client?  And are you asking for an embedded thumbnail or a separate image thumbnail file with a different name and/or a different folder?

     

    I use Windows every day and I can see thumbnails of my export JPG images if I open up the folder in Windows Explorer and set the View options to Large Icons.  How are you delivering the images to the client and how are they trying to view them in Windows that doesn't have thumbnails available?

     
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  • mongoman1
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    2. mongoman1,
    May 3, 2011 1:16 PM   in reply to ssprengel
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    Hello,

     

    Thank you for the prompt reply.  I am only dealing with jpg and Tiff files that go to the clients.

     

    I would like for there to be an embedded thumbnail in the file on export.  I understand that not everyone desires to have this , especially when posting images to the web since it increases the file size.  That is why I would like to have it as an option in the Export dialog.  This already exists as an option in Capture One for example.

     

    The issue I have experience with clients is that unless you tell the Mac to "show Icon preview" in the finder preferences on a Mac, an option that I am unaware of existing on Windows operating systems, there is no thumbnail preview displayed in the finder.  A further issue that I have experienced is that many clients I have worked with have corporate issued computers often with windows XP.  If they need to change system settings to force the icon to be displayed in their operation system, they need admin privileges to make the change.  Getting the settings changed are usually next to impossible for most corporate employees.

     

    I am sending an attachement with some screenshots of the settings and the thumbnails that are displayed.

     

     

    Thank you,

     

    Edward

     
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  • ssprengel
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    3. ssprengel,
    May 3, 2011 1:38 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    Examining exported TIFs and JPGs from Lightroom 3.4 in ExifTool, both have embedded thumbnails in them.

     

    If your users cannot see thumbnails this is not something LR has anything to do with.

     
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  • Rob Cole
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    4. Rob Cole,
    May 3, 2011 1:57 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    Either OS has to be in a view-mode that displays the thumbs, in which case they will (show thumbs), provided its not a corrupt file, whether thumbs are embedded or generated on the fly - the embedded thumb is just for speed.

     
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  • ssprengel
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    5. ssprengel,
    May 3, 2011 2:14 PM   in reply to Rob Cole
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    It is my experience that if Windows sees only images (and other thumbnailable media) in a folder, then it automatically shows thumbnails and creates them as needed.  If it sees a mixture of file types, or perhaps the first few files are not thumbnailable, then it automatically just shows the filenames.  I wonder if this is what is happening for some users.

     

    The bottom line is, though, that LR is embedding thumbnails in the exported images so if Windows is not showing them, it is something out of LR's control, and the LR Feature Request isn't warranted.

     
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  • mongoman1
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    6. mongoman1,
    May 3, 2011 2:24 PM   in reply to ssprengel
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    Thank you once again for the prompt reply.  After double checking the preferences for Photoshop, it appears that perhaps I was using the incorrect terminology (layman's term or perhaps Windows term) for what I was asking for.  In Photoshop under the File Handling tab you have the File Saving Options.  Starting from the top there is the option for when to save image previews i.e always, never, always ask.  Next you have the options to save an "icon" and also to save "Windows Thumbnail".  Perhaps I am asking for an "icon" and not a thumbnail.

     

    Since I don't have a PC in front of me to send examples from I will use a Mac and the option required to select while using the Mac OS for my example. 

     

    When I export a file using Lightroom the thumbnail (maybe icon?) doesn't show up in the finder while using Mac (OS 10.6.7) unless I select the "show icon preview."  When I re-save the very same image using Photoshop, the preview is displayed, whether or not "show icon preview" is selected.

     

    A thumbnail may be embedded in the image, but it isn't able to be natively displayed by the operating system.  Photoshop obviously makes the thumbnail (icon?) natively visible in the finder when you tell it to save the Icon and Windows Thumbnail.  The fact that images saved in Photoshop or processed using Capture one (with the option selected for including image previews) display the thumbnail (icon) natively make it obvous that it has something to do with Lightroom.

     

    Thank you,

     

    Edward

     
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  • Rob Cole
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    7. Rob Cole,
    May 3, 2011 2:34 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    Oh, I think I see what you are driving at - a file icon for display in the list & detail modes, not a thumbnail proper, right?

     
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  • ssprengel
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    8. ssprengel,
    May 3, 2011 2:45 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    From my experience with Windows, an "icon" is a pictoral representation of the program used to open a particular type of file, and a "thumbnail" is a very small version of the image, itself.  Windows can determine the "icon" to show based on the file-extension, and can compute its own thumbnails of thumbnailable images, but perhaps can show embedded thumbnails, initially, before recomputing.

     

    In Windows Photoshop / Preferences / File Handling / File Saving Options there is only Image Previews (Always, Never, Ask), File Extension (Lower Case or Upper Case), and Save As to Original Folder or not.  There is nothing about an icon or windows preview.

     

    Can you upload to the forum an example of a JPG from PS and a JPG from LR where the thumbnail works for the PS one but not the LR one?

     

    I don't have a Mac to experiment on, so I've asked for an upload to see if the LR JPGs from a Mac include a preview like the Windows LR ones do or not.

     
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  • mongoman1
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    9. mongoman1,
    May 3, 2011 2:48 PM   in reply to Rob Cole
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    Rob,

     

    Thank you for bearing with me!  It appears that a file icon is what I am asking for.  Sorry for the confusion.  I am just so used to calling what I was referring to a thumbnail it never occurred to me that it could be called an icon.

     

    Once the files have been saved in Photoshop or Processed using Capture One the image has a preview (icon) that displays automatically in both Windows and on a Mac no matter what view mode you are in.  The previews are also visible using apple mail and other programs if you are attaching an image to send to your client for example.  The preview isn't available if you are just using the finder workaround to "show icon preview."

     

    Having a preview visible in all view modes and to all software makes it much easier to make selections, since you know instantly what files you are looking at.

     

    Thank you,

     

    Edward

     
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  • Rob Cole
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    10. Rob Cole,
    May 3, 2011 3:11 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    You bet. If you're sure Adobe will know what you are talking about, consider submitting a feature request direct to them as well, if you haven't already. If not, you may want to follow ssprengels suggestions above so that everyone understands exactly what the deal is...

     
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  • ssprengel
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    11. ssprengel,
    May 3, 2011 3:23 PM   in reply to Rob Cole
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    The Windows versions of Photoshop and Lightroom don't have the option to embed or not embed a Mac-icon-sized thumbnail so if LR cannot do it on the Mac, perhaps it is for continuity purposes--to make the Windows and Mac versions of LR act the same, rather than the Mac-LR do Mac-specific things.

     
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  • mongoman1
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    12. mongoman1,
    May 3, 2011 3:24 PM   in reply to ssprengel
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    Thank you for replying!  That was my understanding of the term "icon" as well.

     

    I am sending two jpg images the first (222_Yellow_F.jpg) is straight from Lightroom the other (222_Yellow_F_1.jpg) was saved using Photoshop.  I am also sending a screen shot of the two images side by side in the finder of my Mac showing that the original file doen't have a preview and the file with 222_Yellow_F_1.jpg which was saved in Photoshop does have a preview with the "show icon preview" option deselected.

     

    Whenever the software saves this "icon" not only is a preview of your images available through the finder in all view modes on both a Mac and  PC (including Windows XP), but the image preview is also displayed in other software like mail programs.  It makes it much easier to select images to send or work on etc when you have a preview of what you are looking at. 

     

    Thank you,

     

    Edward

     
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  • ssprengel
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    13. ssprengel,
    May 3, 2011 4:00 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    There are no images on your post.  Attachments are stripped off to keep postings free of viruses.

     

    Use the camera icon to insert images into a web-based forum reply.

     
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  • mongoman1
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    14. mongoman1,
    May 3, 2011 4:17 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    Sorry,

     

    This is my first time posting and I was replying with attachments via Apple mail.

     

    There are two jpg's.  One is the original file from lightroom.  The image ending _1.jpg was saved in Photoshop.  The third image is a screen shot showing how the icon is displayed for both images on a Mac with the setting "show icon preview" deslected.  If you select "show icon preview," both images display a preview.

     

    I also just re-exported the files within the pixel dimension specifications to make sure that the downsizing of the images doesn't affect the files.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Edward

     

     

     

    222_Yellow_F.jpg

     

    222_Yellow_F_1.jpg

     

    Screen shot 2011-05-03 at 4.12.09 PM.png

     
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  • Rob Cole
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    15. Rob Cole,
    May 3, 2011 4:38 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    All these files as posted are pngs, not jpegs - perhaps re-post without the conversion(?) - or is it just me?

     
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  • mongoman1
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    16. mongoman1,
    May 3, 2011 4:41 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    222_Yellow_F.jpg222_Yellow_F_1.jpg

     
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  • mongoman1
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    17. mongoman1,
    May 3, 2011 4:47 PM   in reply to Rob Cole
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    Weird,

     

    I re-uploaded the images but when I choose to save the images, I get jpgs from both posts for the two images with the yellow outfit.  The screen shot is a png.

     

    Edward

     
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  • Rob Cole
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    18. Rob Cole,
    May 3, 2011 5:18 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    Even the two jpegs still seem like pngs to my system, despite the .jpg extension.

     

    Not sure what's going on: If I save the jpgs as jpg, they won't load into Photoshop (although they display ok in Windows). If I rename them .png, then Photoshop will load them - strange.

     
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  • ssprengel
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    19. ssprengel,
    May 3, 2011 5:15 PM   in reply to mongoman1
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    Your original links were ok, two JPGs and one PNG.  BTW,the resizing wasn't necessary because the warning about it is only for viewing the photo in the message.  You can always click on the photo and see the full-sized version, as long as it doesn't exceed the filesize limit, of course.

     

    On my Windows 7, both JPGs show a Windows Picture Viewer program icon when set to the default settings, and both JPGs show a thumbnail icon when the icon-size is increased.  This is a function of Windows, not the contents of the files, as far as I can tell.

     

    No thumbnail Icons using the default view:

    JpegsNoIcon_2011-05-03_185843.jpg

    Thumbnail icons when switching to the next larger sized icons:

    JpegsBothIcons_2011-05-03_185957.jpg

     

    On the Mac the two images act differently, but you're asking for Mac-specific things to occur, and Adobe may choose to not do it based on it not being different on Windows.

     

    For what Windows scenario does the PS-saved JPG show a thumbnail-icon instead of a program-icon when the LR-saved one shows only the program icon.  I'm not asking about the Mac where your screenshot shows the difference, I'm asking about Windows.  Is it only when you e-mail pictures or is it on the customer's hard-drive, somehow, and what is the customer using the view the images?

     
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  • ssprengel
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    20. ssprengel,
    May 3, 2011 5:22 PM   in reply to Rob Cole
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    Opening the three images with Notepad, the PNG has "PNG" near the beginning of the file, the other two say "EXIF" near the beginning.

     
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  • Rob Cole
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    21. Rob Cole,
    May 3, 2011 5:35 PM   in reply to ssprengel
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    "View Image Info" as reported by Firefox (win7/64):

    yellow-1.jpg

    Maybe firefox is wonky or something - saved image has "PNG" near the beginning:

     

    png.jpg

     

    But its not just OP's jpgs - the ones I uploaded which were definitely pure jpegs are have the same png thing going on when checked by firefox and/or re-downloaded - its a mystery...

     
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  • ssprengel
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    22. ssprengel,
    May 3, 2011 6:11 PM   in reply to Rob Cole
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    I used the links in the e-mail, not the images, online.

     
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  • Rob Cole
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    23. Rob Cole,
    May 3, 2011 9:19 PM   in reply to ssprengel
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    Email links were to jpgs for me too. Interesting that they would be different - oh well...

     
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  • ssprengel
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    24. ssprengel,
    May 3, 2011 10:07 PM   in reply to Rob Cole
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    Maybe the preview is a PNG and once you click on that, the full-size overlaid image is the original.  In this case the preview and the original were the same size so maybe you saved the preview instead of the original after clicking on the preview?

     
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  • Geoff the kiwi
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    25. Geoff the kiwi,
    May 3, 2011 11:37 PM   in reply to ssprengel
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    The files show as .png when right clicked to save with Safari too but save as jpegs ok if saved from opened image. So the forum must embed previews" in posts as pngs with a link to the jpeg.

    Both jpegs show thumbnails on my Mac 10.5.

    Attachments:
     
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  • Rob Cole
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    26. Rob Cole,
    May 4, 2011 12:31 AM   in reply to Geoff the kiwi
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    Yeah, after clicking the "preview" the opened image saves as a proper jpg - thanks all:

    this new knowlege may come in handy ;-)

     

    R

     
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