Printing a PSD from Lightroom with the PSD still open in Photoshop

[Jeffrey Saldinger]

When I work on a file in Photoshop, I often make “merge visible” layers to document different states. I call these “MVs” (my own shorthand for “merged visible layers”) and usually add a number to help me keep track of them, i.e., MVs1, MVs2, etc.

I’m working to optimize the one “keeper” print I want to make from such a “multi-MVs” PSD, which has four of them, each of which is subtly different from the others, and all of which I want to print so I can lay them out in a viewing area to compare them to the prints I’ve made of other images (I’m working on a sequence of prints).

The printing will be done from Lightroom using a preset.

I have observed that the preview in Lightroom (and what shows in the print module) does not change from what it was when I opened the file in Photoshop unless, in the PSD, I save a certain state, in which case the Lightroom preview changes to reflect that state, and then that current state also appears in the print module.

So, can I print from Lightroom the various MVs (i.e., the different states) by leaving the PSD open in Photoshop and merely saving (but not closing) the file with only one of the four MVs turned on and then printing from Lightroom, or is there some reason to close the PSD in a given state, print that state, and then reopen in Photoshop, save it again in another state, etc.

[digitaldog]

I'm not sure I fully understand the workflow but the bottom line is, any change in PS must be saved (back) to LR to print those changes in the print module. Further, LR treats layers as a flattened version so it is possible that previews in PS vs. LR can result.

[Jeffrey Saldinger]

Thank you, Andrew.

Where you say "must be saved (back) to LR", does this wording mean I need to both save the state I want to print  (Command-S) and close the PSD (Command-W)? and go through this cycle for each state I want to print? That is, I cannot cycle through one Command-S for each of the one-layer states I want to print in LR, all the time leaving the PSD open in PS?

I'm sorry the workflow isn't clear; it's hard for me to know whether my explanations for my workflows will be easy for others to follow. Would you care for me to try again?

[digitaldog]

The data is referenced in LR's database. That's what is used for printing. If you were to move it outside of LR, it couldn't find nor print it. So if you open from LR (or use Edit in Photoshop), LR simply tells PS to open that document. If you did nothing at this point, a print from PS and LR would be the same (if all print settings and such were identical). But say you make a visible edit while in Photoshop. It has to be saved back to the document for LR to print that new change. You don't necessarily have close that document from Photoshop but you sure do have to save it. If you make a change in PS and close the document, PS should pop a dialog to make the save (you could of course not do so if for some reason, you didn't want to save that change).
The important bit is saving the changes made in PS so LR can now utilize that change in the Print module.

[Jeffrey Saldinger]

Thanks for this clarification, Andrew. Being able to keep the PSD open after saving one particular state before I print it from LR will save me some steps.

Appreciatively,

Jeffrey