How may I select as favourites certain Presets in the Develop module?

[mrmister1]

Hi, when I am working in a project in Indesign, I first take all the pictures and move them to the Lab (that is how I call Lightroom), so I process them in the Develop module with my favourite presets. However I work intensively with this feature, and I apply 23 tests to the same picture for certain projects, so I get 23 different lookings for the same picture. That means I create 23 virtual copies of the same photograph and I apply them 23 different presets, I already selected from my collection of... how many? 500 presets? probably even more. Then, I select the picture I prefer from those 23.

The problem is this takes me 2 hours or 1 hour of time, and I have my deadlines very compromised. I need to go faster, or the customer will kill me.

Seriously, I tried to avoid this process but it is impossible. The final quality of the product is "science fiction". Outstanding. Lightroom is a jewell, so I cannot stop to use it.

I need something I can select certain presets as favourites and apply them at once.

Is this possible? or just a dream for Lightroom 7?

Cheers

[JP Hess]

Is there anyway you can consolidate some of the presets so that one preset does the job of several? Have you considered creating preset groups?

[mrmister1]

May I create presets groups? That would make faster my job. Please, how may I create presets groups?

[JP Hess]

Well, there are a number of ways to do this.  One way is to right-click on one of your presets and choose new folder. A dialog will appear that will enable you to name the new folder. When you click OK that preset will be moved to that new folder. Then you can drag other presets into that folder. Another way is to create a new preset, give it a name, and you can designate to put that new preset in a new folder that you name. Then other presets can be dragged into that folder as well.

[mrmister1]

The problem with this is you must find the filters and create a specific folder copying and pasting files... well, it is possible but a bit complex... it would be great having the possibility to handle the presets with a classification system, as stars and that stuff. Also, creating folders, not physically in the hard drive, but just in the software, so I can have the possibility to copy stuff and organize on my own.

[JP Hess]

Having 500+ presets is a little complicated in and of itself.  If you had started creating folders in the beginning  it wouldn't be so difficult. I wish you well.

[mrmister1]

The plugins already have their folders, they are organized in their respective folders from the maker, however, every single project is different and need a different look. So everytime I have to work in a project, creating folders, moving presets, reorganizing everything, is not a good deal. The good thing would be, having the possibility to create my own categories inside Lightroom.

The only possible solution I see to this, is already copying the presets inside Lightroom by selecting them, and then creating a new one based in the already selected plugin, and giving this new one a name. All this, with the presets I like, and for every project. However, I miss a different organization system to make the life easier to the user, specially when you deal with thousands of presets, which by the way is very common in Lightroom (websites are full of thousands of free presets, ready to download).

[JP Hess]

I guess I'm not understanding the problem then. You can create new folders and use them as categories. But if that doesn't help you then I'm at a loss.

[Just Shoot Me]

Even with a Staring feature of the Presets you use regularly you would still need to Find Each One and Apply the Star to it.

Same basic steps as moving them into a Folder you created named My Favorite Presets or My Most Used Presets.

This is something you should of done when you first created the presets. There is always a time factor involved when not first deciding a path to store files, images, projects, or presets.

Do you place all different clients work in one folder all jumbled up with other clients?

[johnrellis · Accepted solution]

You might check out the Any Preset plugin -- it's designed to make life easier for people with very large numbers of presets.  You can search for presets, organize them hierarchically in nested folders, mark favorites, and preview them on the full-size Develop image.