Elements 11, Using ACR

[DavePinMinn]

I'm going to be showing some people how to use Elements, using Elements 11, and I'd like to confirm some behavior I'm seeing:

I appear to only be able to open ONE image at a time in ACR in Elements.  True?  If not, how do I open multiple images?

When a JPEG is opened in ACR, and saved, it appears the changes are stored in the jpeg file (it grows larger).  BUT, if I later open the file into the Elements editor, the changes I made in ACR don't appear.  For example, if I crop a JPEG in ACR and press "Done", the JPEG file gets larger.  But, if I then Open the JPEG file in Elements editor, the image doesn't open as I cropped it.  How do I open a JPEG image previously modified in ACR into Elements editor with the modifications?

How do I open a JPEG file into ACR from the Organizer?  RAW and .DNG files automatically open in ACR from the Organizer, but how do I tell Elements to open JPEG files in ACR too?

[MichelBParis]

DavePinMinn wrote:

I appear to only be able to open ONE image at a time in ACR in Elements. True? If not, how do I open multiple images?

Wrong. Use the menu File >> Open or File >> Open in camera raw and all selected images will be opened in ACR. They will be displayed in a vertical filmstrip on the left of the dialog. You mention the organizer: simply select your files and open them in the editor.

When a JPEG is opened in ACR, and saved, it appears the changes are stored in the jpeg file (it grows larger). BUT, if I later open the file into the Elements editor, the changes I made in ACR don't appear. For example, if I crop a JPEG in ACR and press "Done", the JPEG file gets larger. But, if I then Open the JPEG file in Elements editor, the image doesn't open as I cropped it. How do I open a JPEG image previously modified in ACR into Elements editor with the modifications?

The normal behaviour is that once a jpeg has been edited in ACR, the next time it is opened, it's in the ACR dialog with all edits applied. If you open from another app, the edits stored in the metadata won't be recognized.

How do I open a JPEG file into ACR from the Organizer? RAW and .DNG files automatically open in ACR from the Organizer, but how do I tell Elements to open JPEG files in ACR too?

You can't. I would not be surprised if this was a deliberate choice to make PSE users upgrade to Lightroom . The jpegs will automatically open in ACR from the organizer ONLY if they have been already opened and saved in ACR (see above).

My workaround is simple if I want to open a batch a jpegs in ACR, I simply use 'Open in ACR' from the editor. From there I can select both raws and jpegs in a given folder and open them at the same time.

[DavePinMinn]

Thanks for the reply...  I suspect I'm missing something simple, but I'm not getting it.

DavePinMinn wrote:

I appear to only be able to open ONE image at a time in ACR in Elements. True? If not, how do I open multiple images?

"Wrong. Use the menu File >> Open or File >> Open in camera raw and all selected images will be opened in ACR. They will be displayed in a vertical filmstrip on the left of the dialog. You mention the organizer: simply select your files and open them in the editor."

I should have been more specific...  I appear to be able to open only ONE JPEG image at a time in ACR in Elements...  RAW images are fine.  I can grab multiple ones in the Organizer and tell the editor to edit them, and they all open in ACR.  But, I haven't figured out how to open multiple jpegs.  Is this something that just doesn't work in Elements or am I missing something simple?

"When a JPEG is opened in ACR, and saved, it appears the changes are stored in the jpeg file (it grows larger). BUT, if I later open the file into the Elements editor, the changes I made in ACR don't appear. For example, if I crop a JPEG in ACR and press "Done", the JPEG file gets larger. But, if I then Open the JPEG file in Elements editor, the image doesn't open as I cropped it. How do I open a JPEG image previously modified in ACR into Elements editor with the modifications?"

"The normal behaviour is that once a jpeg has been edited in ACR, the next time it is opened, it's in the ACR dialog with all edits applied. If you open from another app, the edits stored in the metadata won't be recognized."

I just tried it again and I'm not seeing that behavior...  Went through the "Open As" from the editor to open a jpeg.  Shoved the Exposure slider to +4 so it's VERY obvious I've been playing.  Hit "Done", which saved the JPEG back to the folder.

In Organizer there is no change to the appearance.  Telling the Organizer to "Edit with Photoshop Elements editor" opens the image in the editor WITHOUT the change from ACR.  If, however, I do the Open As AGAIN, when the image opens in ACR it DOES have the change.  Even if I BYPASS Organizer and open the JPEG directly from the disk it opens without the ACR change...

"The jpegs will automatically open in ACR from the organizer ONLY if they have been already opened and saved in ACR (see above).

My workaround is simple if I want to open a batch a jpegs in ACR, I simply use 'Open in ACR' from the editor. From there I can select both raws and jpegs in a given folder and open them at the same time."

Similar to the above - a JPEG I've opened in ACR and changed, and saved, then opened from Organizer doesn't go back into ACR, it goes straight into the editor.  The Organizer doesn't appear to know anything was ever done in ACR.  As for opening a batch of jpegs - I don't have anything that looks like "Open in ACR" from the editor...  When I pull down the File menu it looks like this:

Am I missing preference?  Or do I need to tell the Organizer to re-import or something equally bizarre?  Some switch SOMEWHERE?

[MichelBParis]

Dave,

I should have mentioned that I no longer keeps PSE11 on my computer (I still have versions 10,12,13,14 and 15.

I thought that the ability to open several jpegs at the same time was introduced with the major changes disclosed in version 11, but from your post I do see that PSE11 is identical to PSE10 in that respect.

Since PSE12, in the file menu, the option to open as "raw...." is replaced with an option to 'Open in ACR' (in Windows, it's probably a little different in Macs). In the 'Open in ACR' you can select several files by Ctrl or Shift click (raw or jpeg) and open them at the same time.

I'll comment on the way it does work in the present PSE15.

Once jpegs have been edited in camera raw, they are recognized and opened in ACR :

- If you use the Explorer to open in PSE15 (or drag and drop)

- If you open from the organizer

- if you open from the editor (menu Open or Open in ACR)

I don't see a way to open them in the editor as 'regular' jpegs by skipping the ACR dialog.

To summarize, with recent organizer versions you can open several files at the same time,

- from the menu File >> Open in ACR of the editor (jpegs or raw)

- from the organizer (raws)

- from the organizer (raws and already edited in ACR jpegs).

You still can't open several original jpegs in the ACR from the organizer.

The workaround is to use the editor to 'open in acr' a batch of jpegs - then you select all thumbnails in acr and click 'Done'. Your jpegs will be available in the organizer for selection next time and opened in ACR.

It's worth mentioning that recent 64 bits PSE versions and enough RAM make the process very comfortable. I can open 50 raws or jpegs at the same, apply the same common edits to all, or to a selection, work separately on individual files. Finally, I select all and click 'Done'.

Perhaps download the latest PSE15 trial version to judge by yourself.

[DavePinMinn]

Ah...  Cool.  At least I'm not losing my mind......

I have PSE 15, BUT I'm teaching an Elements class locally and THEY still have Elements 11 on their computers in the lab.  So, I'll be teaching using 11, and hopefully the people that bring their own laptops will have AT LEAST 11.

I'll be sure and let everyone know that in more current versions Adobe has improved the ACR handling of jpegs since I suspect I'll have several people still shooting that way.

Thanks for the help.