Saving "as" ...

[MGBJAY]

I am a new user of CC and have a question about CR and saving an adjusted image:

I have finished tweaking an image in CR to a point that I like. I've read a bit about "smart-objects" and still am not completely clear how to use them to their best ability.

What does opening the image into PS as a "smart-object" allow me the ability to do with it, that just saving it straight away offers?

I have already opened it into PS as a smart-object, though have not yet done anything with it. What are the options at this point? Is it a good choice to "save" it as a smart-object as opposed to some other format?

All advice is welcome, and appreciated.

Thanks.

[davescm · Accepted solution]

Hi

Welcome to Photohop.

A smart object in Photoshop is a "container" layer that can be masked and blended like a normal layer but which allows you to double click on it and open the document contained within. So in this case you can double click to open the contents in camera raw and make further camera raw adjustments. Saving then updates the Photoshop main document.

The actual overall Photoshop document then needs to be saved in a format that supports layers - such as PSD, PSB or TIFF. It is always good practice to save the master document in one of those formats complete with layers.

Finally if you need a compressed file, e.g. to use on the web, use File >Export >Save for Web and export a copy in jpeg or pmg format.

Dave

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

In addition to Dave’s excellent reply, any edits you perform in ACR to the copy of the raw file stored as a smart object will NOT be reflected back in the original raw file. Once you have opened the raw image as a smart object into Photoshop it is “divorced” from the original raw image, but retains the initial settings. Hope this makes sense.

[MGBJAY]

TY Stephen.

[MGBJAY]

Ok DAVESCM ...

Thanks for the answer to my first question.

Being on a steep but relentless learning curve, I have another ... actually 3:

1) Editing an image in ACR, seems to me at this point, similar to what can be accomplished with LR. Is there a difference as far as the final edited image? Does LR contain anything (tools) that ACR does not?

2) What may be the benefits of installing LR and using it instead of ACR?

3) Last evening I was editing an image in ACR and it had extensive edits that included 5 separate "adjustment brush" masks. by the time that I was finished and ready to save the image, 2 things happened: First ... rendering completely slowed to a crawl. Second ... the final image that was saved actually altered the "original" image and I didn't think that would've happened. It's OK, insofar as I have the final edited image and it looks the way I was seeking to achieve ... how ever it seems as though I really have lost the original of that image to that edit. How do I go about disallowing that from happening again?

Thanks,

JLP

[davescm]

Hi

MGBJAY  wrote

1) Editing an image in ACR, seems to me at this point, similar to what can be accomplished with LR. Is there a difference as far as the final edited image? Does LR contain anything (tools) that ACR does not?

No as far as processing, both can achieve the same. Lightroom can export and print directly which ACR cannot, but then ACR is used with Photoshop

MGBJAY  wrote

2) What may be the benefits of installing LR and using it instead of ACR?

Lightroom has a catalogue system which allows you to manage and search your images regardless of where they are kept on your disk.

MGBJAY  wrote

3) Last evening I was editing an image in ACR and it had extensive edits that included 5 separate "adjustment brush" masks. by the time that I was finished and ready to save the image, 2 things happened: First ... rendering completely slowed to a crawl. Second ... the final image that was saved actually altered the "original" image and I didn't think that would've happened. It's OK, insofar as I have the final edited image and it looks the way I was seeking to achieve ... how ever it seems as though I really have lost the original of that image to that edit. How do I go about disallowing that from happening again?

I don't know why the final image would look any different to your edit. It should not.
ACR does not actually alter the raw image file. Instead it stores the adjustments as an adjustment list, which can be in a single database or as an XMP file alongside teh image file. You choose which in Preferences (I use the XMP files).
So as long as you still have the RAW file, then you still have the original image. In camera raw there is a drop down menu at teh top right of the basic adjustments tab - you can restore the image to the camera raw defaults in that menu

Dave