Lightroom 3 and CS5 Files and Editing

[rickp1]

I have a set of images I imported into lightroom 3 after a shoot. As I edit the images some of what I'm need to do I'm doing in CS5 so I'm saving the file as a .PSD, which is a new file. So now I have the original DNG file plus the new created PSD file.

My question is how can I keep both files together so I can always reference both the before and after. If I did all my editing in LR then I wouldn't have a second file and I can view the before and after in the same file, but since I have to do some stuff in CS5 I have 2 and I don't want to get rid of the original.

My first thought was to just stack them together, but I wanted to ask, maybe there's a better way that I just don't know of.

Thanks

[zona5101]

Import into LR...then when you want to work an image in CS5, right click on it "edit in cs5"
Do your edits...then just file save. Your CS5 edited shot will be in lightroom, (so will the original). The CS5 edited fle will now have a .tif file extension. If you want to revisit the edits in CS 5...right click on the .tif version and select edit in CS5. When the file opens in CS5 all your layers will still be available.
So you will have 2 files but both managed in LR, the original and the tiff

[rickp1]

Thanks, that how i was doing it. Only difference is I was saving file in PSD format not TIFF.

Let me ask you though, one issue I'm having with CS5 is after I save the image with layers in it and reopen it later the layers are gone. Its like the image merged all the layers during the save. I know it's not supposed to do that so I'm thinking a setting got changes somewhere. Any idea where??

Also, what I'm doing is stacking the images to keep them together.

[zona5101]

when you "save as" as psd, you break the link with lightroom. If you notice you have to re-sync to get your psd to show up in lr. If you instead just "save" from CS5, you'll be good to go, you'll have a tif that you can export or print plus you can reopen the tiff from lightrom back into CS5 and the layers will be there.

So if you want to work with psds instead of tiffs and you have re-synced the .psd back into LR...In LR instead of file "edit in CS5" select the .psd and right click "show in finder (or explorer)" - then double click from finder/explorer and the psd will open with all your layers. If you open directly from LR it won't show layers.

Somebody more knowledgeable may know another way but thats how it works for me....

[rickp1]

What I've learned so far it's almost an either or situation. If I want PS to open the image with the layers visible then I can't choose the "Edit a copy with LR adjustments" option, that flattens the image.
So if I make additional edits in LR then open it PS and choose the "Original" option I will not see those edits. So one really needs to think about their workflow and how to apply changes.

Let me ask you. When PS flattens the images, does it "Flatten" or "Merge" the layers? It's my understanding that there's a difference and what happens to the images.

R.

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by rickp1

What I've learned so far it's almost an either or situation. If I want PS to open the image with the layers visible then I can't choose the "Edit a copy with LR adjustments" option, that flattens the image.
So if I make additional edits in LR then open it PS and choose the "Original" option I will not see those edits. So one really needs to think about their workflow and how to apply changes.

Let me ask you. When PS flattens the images, does it "Flatten" or "Merge" the layers? It's my understanding that there's a difference and what happens to the images.

R.

As I understand it, If all layers are merged into one it is the same as flattening the image. You can merge or more layers into another layer, but flatten takes all layers to one.