"Edit in Photoshop" with RAW files

[josephkentcraig]

I know that the "edit in" dialog doesn't come up unless it is a jpeg or some other file that isn't raw. I wish there was an "edit copy" for Raw images at least.

Photoshop is destructive. So i'd like to be able to play around with destructive edits there, without having to worry about my original file. With JPEG's this works wonderfully. But i cannot seem to find any information on how to go about it in Photoshop.

I LOVE the organization capabilities that light room offers. Being able to "edit in" Photoshop then save the file and having that file automatically thrown back into Lightroom's organization is great! Any way to do this with RAW files?

[Ian Lyons]

The 'Edit in' feature fully supports Raw images. Can you explain why you think otherwise.

[josephkentcraig]

The "edit In" options dialog doesn't appear with RAW files, that's why I think otherwise.

[99jon]

It doesn’t appear because the image is automatically rendered as tiff or PSD based on your pref settings for external editing. Saving in PS (Ctrl+S or Cmd+S) will add the tiff/psd file to the LR Library.

[JP Hess]

Photoshop cannot make changes to your raw image. When you choose to "Edit in Photoshop" Lightroom sends your image to the camera raw plug-in which converts it to a pixel image that you modify in Photoshop. When you have finished your work in Photoshop it will be necessary for you to save that image in a different format. The two choices that you can make in the external editing preference are TIF or PSD file. That is the file that will be saved from Photoshop. The raw image does not get modified in any way.

[josephkentcraig]

So when i go to save the edited image, will it show me that dialog and then add it to Lightroom? Can you show me to a video describing what you are?

[JP Hess · Accepted solution]

You choose your preferred file format in the Lightroom preferences under the external editing tab. Then, when you choose to "Edit in Photoshop" your file will transfer to Photoshop having been converted by Camera Raw. When you are finished with your work in Photoshop you will be prompted to save the work. All you have to do is choose to save it, and it will be saved in whatever format you have chosen in your Lightroom preferences. That Photoshop image will be added to the Lightroom catalog and will be accessible from within Lightroom.

Photoshop by itself is not capable of editing the raw image data. That's why Camera Raw is needed. Camera Raw enables you to work with  the raw image data and take advantage of all of its extra capabilities. But once the image opens in Photoshop is no longer raw image data. It has been converted to pixel data.  When you add Lightroom to the process, you'll probably find that you do most of your editing in Lightroom. Camera Raw is just used as a "bridge"  to get the image converted  and opened in Photoshop.