Saving after "EDIT"

[Chipper]

I'm in day 28 of the 30 day free trial.

This is slower than I thought but I'm catching on.

I'm done editing my image(s).  Don't need to edit them further in another program such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro.

I'm ready to save it to a folder(file) and move on.

What to do?  I'm stumped.  When I click on "FILE", there isn't a choice to "save as" like I'm accustomed to in other programs.

 Do you have to put the image in a collection first?  I'm lost.  I was hoping LS would be more intuitive than this, or either I've got a screwed up logic wire in my brain!!!

Thanks for any help.

Chip

[Schewe]

I'm lost.  I was hoping LS would be more intuitive than this, or either I've got a screwed up logic wire in my brain!!!

You don't "save" in Lightroom...EVERYTHING is already saved in the database. You will need to backup the database from time to time and if you need an image outside of Lightroom, you will need to export (or open in the other app). But no saving is required (or possible).

[neile]

If you want to "save" your edits to a file so you can, for example, post the images to a web page you do File > Export to export the images as a JPEG.

Neil

[tudor]

Hi Chipper,

In Develop mode you can also save a snapshot of each version you are happy with after editing, and export that version to your destination folder(s).  So you can go back directly to a previous version, and use History to go back and forth.  But exporting is the only way to produce a file for an external application - and the interface requires quite a lot of thought and trial.

Regards,  Tudor.

[jjj]

Actually you can save in LR. Go to Preferences/General/Catalogue Sttings and check 'automatically write to XMP' to do it without any effort, you can do it manually but as I let it be done automatically, I cannot remember shortcut.
Most Importantly - This means even if you lose your LR Catalogue for some reason, there is a little text file [.xmp] next to file with all the changes and tweaks noted.
You also need to do this if you want to use LR and Bridge along side each other, as otherwise Bridge cannot tell what changes you have made.

And I'm currently having LR catalogue corruption issues via a LR bug, so don't think it won't happen.

[jjj]

I'm done editing my image(s).  Don't need to edit them further in another program such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro.

I'm ready to save it to a folder(file) and move on.

What to do?  I'm stumped.

Nothing!
Particularly if you do save to XMP as I mentioned above. Your files are developed and are already in their folders, so you only then export them if you need to use them in some other context. For printing at a lab say or to share with someone else.
You can print directly from LR, you can make slideshopws and you can produce web galleries all directly from the images in the LR library.
LR is a database and the images are always in the programme, so it's not like PS or PSP when you must save them before closing.

[Chipper]

Nothing!
Particularly if you do save to XMP as I mentioned above. Your files are developed and are already in their folders, so you only then export them if you need to use them in some other context. For printing at a lab say or to share with someone else.
You can print directly from LR, you can make slideshopws and you can produce web galleries all directly from the images in the LR library.
LR is a database and the images are always in the programme, so it's not like PS or PSP when you must save them before closing.

Thanks to all y'all for the good info!!

Chipper