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Author Topic: Where are my custom print templates?  (Read 2409 times)

nemophoto

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Where are my custom print templates?
« on: July 15, 2014, 09:13:29 pm »

It seems almost every time I upgrade my version of Lightroom, I somehow lose any custom print templates I've set up. Has anyone else had this issue. Is there a specific place of file where these are stored? Perhaps I can go back to an older drive backup and retrieve them, if I knew what file I'm looking for. Is this contained within the preference file, so if that is corrupted of something, you lose your templates?

Thanks,

Nemo
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digitaldog

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2014, 10:29:52 am »

Preferences> Save presets with Catalog is one way to make sure those presets don't disappear. They should be stored in the Application Support folder, search for a folder called Print Templates.
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john beardsworth

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2014, 11:26:51 am »

Preferences> Save presets with Catalog is one way to make sure those presets don't disappear.

More like a sure way to lose them! It may well have happened here. I'd only recommend that option if your catalogue is on an external drive because you move from computer to computer.
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digitaldog

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2014, 11:56:36 am »

More like a sure way to lose them!
How is placing them with the rest of the data (data that can travel with the other files) make this a sure way to lose them?
« Last Edit: July 16, 2014, 12:05:17 pm by digitaldog »
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john beardsworth

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2014, 01:31:19 pm »

It happens all the time. Unless you're using LR on a drive, it's best to leave that option unchecked.
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digitaldog

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2014, 01:34:31 pm »

It happens all the time. Unless you're using LR on a drive, it's best to leave that option unchecked.
You say so but how? I've been doing this for years (as have others). How does these presets just disappear from the drive and more frequently than the other area where they could reside? IF you move your data around, it's far more likely you will not have access to the templates when they are not part of the rest of the LR resources like the catalog.

Bottom line is, this series of files and locations is a huge LR mess which Adobe should address. It's just silly to put important user built settings deep in a system folder of a boot disk when people move their images around from machine to machine.
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john beardsworth

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2014, 01:43:13 pm »

Most often it's people starting new catalogues or copying a catalogue but not the presets. I bet it's what happened here.

I agree, this area is a prime candidate for storing in the cloud or on a shared folder. I've done that for myself, putting the LR presets folder on Dropbox and using a symbolic link on my PC and aliases on my Macs. So my presets and templates are always identical on each computer. But not everyone will be able to do that, or should be forced to do so.
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digitaldog

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2014, 01:50:23 pm »

Most often it's people starting new catalogues or copying a catalogue but not the presets. I bet it's what happened here.
Which again is the mess Adobe has produced in terms of keeping track of all it's little files we need to use the product. If one starts a new catalog, I'd suspect they'd want their previous settings too. But again, I can't see how where you place the files is by it's own doing causing the loss. The Save Preset's with Catalog should be sticky if it isn't. The default location IMHO should be with the catalog regardless if it's on an external driver or not. Burying these important files deep in the user Library is crazy!
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john beardsworth

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2014, 03:54:11 pm »

Keeping with the catalogue fails once users have more than one catalogue, so that option is really only for when you carry round your catalogue in an external drive like a colostomy bag. But yes, it shouldn't be hidden and I find my method very practical.
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digitaldog

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2014, 04:11:12 pm »

Keeping with the catalogue fails once users have more than one catalogue, so that option is really only for when you carry round your catalogue in an external drive like a colostomy bag. But yes, it shouldn't be hidden and I find my method very practical.
Wait, if I have more than one catalog, LR is going to save each group of presets with the catalog right? Not an issue IF all the catalogs are accessible which of course they must be. Keeping all this in sync is messy.
But, if you have 5 catalogs and the settings are on the boot disk, all 5 have access to the presets in that one location but nowhere else. All 5 have no access to presets if the catalog moves from that machine. Two bad situations.
Adobe has it right with DNG with respect to embedding lots of useful stuff in the container. But the presets, lens profiles, DNG profiles (outside a DNG file use) are scattered all over and on the boot disk. Bad situation.
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john beardsworth

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2014, 04:31:47 pm »

Do what the fxxx you want! And find a mirror to argue with.
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digitaldog

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2014, 04:35:13 pm »

Do what the fxxx you want!
I always do but thanks for your permission John. And thanks for attempting but not answering about your initial point about NOT saving presets with Catalog (how one location where a catalog lives, rather than the default makes presets disappear).
Quote
More like a sure way to lose them!
Makes no sense.
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digitaldog

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2014, 04:36:20 pm »

It seems almost every time I upgrade my version of Lightroom, I somehow lose any custom print templates I've set up.
Only the print templates?
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phcorrigan

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Re: Where are my custom print templates?
« Reply #13 on: July 17, 2014, 02:28:35 am »

It seems almost every time I upgrade my version of Lightroom, I somehow lose any custom print templates I've set up. Has anyone else had this issue. Is there a specific place of file where these are stored? Perhaps I can go back to an older drive backup and retrieve them, if I knew what file I'm looking for. Is this contained within the preference file, so if that is corrupted of something, you lose your templates?

Thanks,

Nemo

Typically, if Lightroom is installed in the default manner, and you don't delete the older version first, new versions should be able to locate your custom templates. Both Victoria's book and mine will give you the default locations for your templates (you can also search online for them). For example, for Lightroom 4 and 5 and Windows 7 and 8, by default the custom print templates are in C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\Print Templates\User Templates. If your custom templates aren't in the default location, or if they are and Lightroom isn't finding them, you need to find out why.
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