Working with Virtual Copies in Lightroom
The Virtual copy feature of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom lets you experiment with multiple editing options for an image without duplicating the original image. So, for example, if you have an image that you think would look good either with its color enhanced or rendered in black and white you can apply both fixes to the same image to see which you like best using virtual copies. No only will you see both versions in Lightroom, you can export each as a different image and you can work with them independently of each other.
Follow these steps to see virtual copies at work:
Step 1
Inside Lightroom locate the photo to adjust in the film strip, right click it and choose Create Virtual Copy. In the film strip you will see both images and, when you select them, you will see they have the same file name. If you have the Info Overlay displayed it too shows the same data for both images.
Step 2
Once you have created the virtual copy you can edit it independently of the original and compare the results. You can also make additional virtual copies and each behaves independently of the original but is, in reality, the same image.
Step 3
To view the two images side by side, return to Library view, select both the image and the Virtual copy and click the XY button above the filmstrip. This shows the two images side by side.
Tip
One problem with virtual copies is determining which is the original and which is the copy. You will need to do this, for example, if you want to delete the virtual copy leaving the original in place.
To delete a virtual copy, right-click the version of the image that you think is the virtual copy and choose Delete Photo. If it is the virtual copy you will see the dialog prompt “Remove the selected virtual copy from Lightroom?” – click Remove to delete it.
If the selected version was not the virtual copy you will see the prompt “Delete the selected master photo from disk, or just remove it from Lightroom?”. This tells you that the selected image is not the virtual copy but the original. Click Cancel if you do not intend removing both the original and the Virtual copy(ies) from Lightroom or from your disk.
If you use Virtual copies a lot you can configure the Info Overlay to show you which image is a copy. To do this, choose View > View Options and click Show Info Overlay. Reconfigure one of the info sets to include not only the File Name but also the Copy Name. The original image will display the filename only and virtual copies will display the filename and Copy 1 (or Copy 2).
13 Responses to “Working with Virtual Copies in Lightroom” - Add Yours
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:00 am
GREAT primer on VC’s … armed with this knowledge, things get VERY interesting!
We leverage virtual copies to create gallery proofs for clients at lightning speed:
http://x-equals.com/blog/?p=214
… and once we like what we see … commit those virtual copies to individual files for archival and print:
http://x-equals.com/blog/?p=97
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:01 am
I just wanted to point out that if you’re unsure which is the virtual copy there’s actually a far easy method that you don’t mention.
Just switch tot he Library Grid view (press “G”). Your virtual copies will have a small page curl showing in the bottom left corner. Originals don’t have this.
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:23 am
so when working with DNGs does this create a separate XMP file to hold the edits applied to the virtual copy? or are all copies stored somehow inside the one single DNG?
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Patrick,
Give this a shot … will help you understand DNG capabilities/differences from XMP without much complexity:
http://x-equals.com/blog/?p=13
June 4th, 2009 at 2:36 am
@Patrick
Lightroom doesn’t create XMP-files, all the edits are saved in the catalog which means that you lose them if your system crashes and you have to reinstall your OS and LR.
June 6th, 2009 at 12:29 am
I work with VC’s a lot and really appreciate the “info overlay” tip. that makes my life much easier! yes, you can see a page curl in library view but in any other module you can’t tell which is the original and which is the VC. i rarely change my original, always doing edits on vc’s. so now i can tell in the develop module which version i am working on. bravo!
June 6th, 2009 at 6:40 am
Patrick–
LR keeps the changes in its catalog memory. If you were to export either the original or one of the virtual copies, it would then create a new file of that print with its edits.
Reznor–
That’s why back-up copies of your catalog should be made and updated often. ;)
June 8th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Would like to see more information like this posted.
Thanks for the tip.
December 6th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I am trying to do virtual copies. I highlight the picture, right click, create virtual copy and it has a quick ‘loading’ pop up – but do not see a virtual copy. I have tried from the ‘photo’ up top, the grip picture,and in library and develop to no avail. Any thoughts?
December 7th, 2009 at 1:15 am
Hey Mickey, there are a couple of ways you can identify virtual copies. the best and most obvious is to show the copy number on the Info Overlay, as Helen Bradley noted in her instructions above, the final point which I have copied here for you: choose View > View Options and click Show Info Overlay. Reconfigure one of the info sets to include not only the File Name but also the Copy Name. The original image will display the filename only and virtual copies will display the filename and Copy 1 (or Copy 2).
Alternately, if you view your images in the Library in grid format, you will notice a little “upturned corner” on the virtual copies. Not as noticable. I use the Info Overlay almost exclusively, especially because quite often i make more than one virtual copy.
hope this helps!
December 8th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Thanks, Barbara. After tech support trying to remove Lightroom plist to no avail, I reinstalled Lightroom 2.5 and all works well. Something was corrupted – but downloading again solved the problem. All is working well.
December 21st, 2009 at 4:30 am
When you export a virtual copy for printing, are permanent changes made to the original jpeg and then exported, or are changes made to a copy and only the copy is exported, leaving the original untouched?
Thanks
December 24th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
hi david, when you work with virtual copies your original jpeg remains intact, so only the copy is exported.
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