# images look soft/blurry when viewing in Library but tack sharp in develop mode?



## NathAus

Hi,
This problem is driving me crazy and help would be appreciated. When viewed in LR3 Library mode, my image does not retain the same sharpness when last viewed in Develop mode. I have searched forums to troubleshoot this and seen that in order for the image to appear as sharp in Library as it does in Develop, then the previews need to be "rendered at 1:1"? What is more important to me however, the only info I could find suggests that when the image is exported it will be as sharp as viewed in the Develop mode, but this is not the case. When I export an image, it is definitely not as sharp when compared to the image sitting in Develop mode. Please help!


----------



## OlsonL

I'd like to pile on to this a bit....I have it render 1:1 Previews on import, but it's not making any difference at all, if they're even being retained. Library mode, it seems, will not show an image at its full sharpness. Even if select an image and render its 1:1 preview on the spot, it sharpens if I go into Develop and de-sharpens if I go back into Library. I'm a little bit aghast, since sharpness is a major judging criterion for an image. Is there a setting/cache/something that will make this work better?

On the positive side, I checked, and my JPGs are coming out at full sharpness.

Thanks,

Luke


----------



## ukbrown

Could you update your profile with your software and OS revisions and maybe post some screen shots.


----------



## Jim Wilde

[quote author=NathAus link=topic=1167'.msg78413#msg78413 date=129'468278]
Hi,
This problem is driving me crazy and help would be appreciated. When viewed in LR3 Library mode, my image does not retain the same sharpness when last viewed in Develop mode. I have searched forums to troubleshoot this and seen that in order for the image to appear as sharp in Library as it does in Develop, then the previews need to be "rendered at 1:1"? What is more important to me however, the only info I could find suggests that when the image is exported it will be as sharp as viewed in the Develop mode, but this is not the case. When I export an image, it is definitely not as sharp when compared to the image sitting in Develop mode. Please help!
[/quote]

Welcome to the forum, NathAus and Luke!

NathAus, 2 things:

1. For the problem with your previews in Library, have you checked the preview settings in your catalog settings? Go to Edit&gt;Catalog Settings&gt;File Handling Tab. What have you got set for "Standard Preview Size"....you really need this to be as big as the size of your Loupe screen, e.g. if you have a 192'x12'' monitor, but you normally have the left and right hand panels showing, your preview size could be set at either the 144' or 168' size....but if you always have these panels hidden, you really need to set the size at 2'48. Also what quality setting have you got set? Try experimenting with these settings on a few selected images, but don'y forget after each setting change you'll need to re-render the standard previews for all the selected images (Library&gt;Previews&gt;Render Standard-Sized Previews).

2. For the problem with your exports not being as sharp as what you see in Develop, what export settings are you using....if you have the quality setting too low it will have an effect. Try max quality, without any resizing, and check the results. If that's OK, you can work your way down the quality scale until you get still acceptable results but with a smaller output size.


OlsonL, check your preview quaility setting to see if that makes a difference to you in Library mode.
Is it just sharpening changes that you are not seeing in Library, or other adjustments also? What happens when you zoom into 1:1 mode in Library, do you see the changes then?
There are situations where Lightroom will NOT show the effect of Detail changes (NR and Sharpening) when using Fit/Fill view mode, is this part of that same issue I wonder?


----------



## Brad Snyder

[quote author=TNG link=topic=1167'.msg788'3#msg788'3 date=129'972'33]
There are situations where Lightroom will NOT show the effect of Detail changes (NR and Sharpening) when using Fit/Fill view mode, is this part of that same issue I wonder?
[/quote]

Which is explained, with a good deal of clarity, here: http://www.lightroomqueen.com/lrqebook3-search/3'pages/lr3sample-16-previewsfit11.pdf in a sample snippet from Victoria's book.


----------



## cieszewski

Hi - I had the same problem and I finally figured it out.  For some reason in Develop mode the results of Noise Reduction are not shown.  Therefore the image is more detailed but also noisier.  When you switch to Library you can notice that after half a second of the photo being crisp (and noisier) it becomes dull.  This is because noise reduction effects are being shown in Library mode.  Then of course when you export those noise reduction elements are being included in the output the image is less crisp.  Turn off all noise reduction and now switch between Develop and Library.  You'll see they are both crisp (but noisier). 



NathAus said:


> Hi,
> This problem is driving me crazy and help would be appreciated. When viewed in LR3 Library mode, my image does not retain the same sharpness when last viewed in Develop mode. I have searched forums to troubleshoot this and seen that in order for the image to appear as sharp in Library as it does in Develop, then the previews need to be "rendered at 1:1"? What is more important to me however, the only info I could find suggests that when the image is exported it will be as sharp as viewed in the Develop mode, but this is not the case. When I export an image, it is definitely not as sharp when compared to the image sitting in Develop mode. Please help!


----------



## Victoria Bampton

Quite right cieszewski, and welcome to the forum!  Develop module shows noise reduction on some photos, but only on those that it expects to be really noisy - it's just for performance reasons.


----------



## victore

Hey there cieszewski, I am having this problem as well, exactly how the OP said, and I think your answer is finally the solution I've been looking for for months!  But how do I do it?  I can't figure out how to turn off the noise reduction you're talking about.  Can you please help?  This is incredibly frustrating.


----------



## Victoria Bampton

Hi victore, welcome to the forum!

You'd go to Develop module to the Detail panel and set the Luminance Noise Reduction slider to 0 to turn off any noise reduction.  You might also want to set Colour Noise to 0 to test the theory, although you'd usually want to leave that turned on at least.


----------



## khdphotography

*Images softning in libary mode.*

I have started having the same issue of sharp images in Develop mode, softening in the Libary mode. I have set the noise reduction slider to zero. If I turn off the noise reduction on the icon, then I lose the shapening mode, so thus negates the ability to sharpen the image. 





Victoria Bampton said:


> Hi victore, welcome to the forum!
> 
> You'd go to Develop module to the Detail panel and set the Luminance Noise Reduction slider to 0 to turn off any noise reduction.  You might also want to set Colour Noise to 0 to test the theory, although you'd usually want to leave that turned on at least.


----------



## Victoria Bampton

Hi khdphotography, welcome to the forum!

You say you've started having this problem?  Do you know when it started?  Can you give us any more information about the problems you're seeing - maybe even screenshots showing the difference you're seeing.


----------



## khdphotography

I only notice this issue a few days ago, I can't 100% say that it was not doing it earlier. I am still learning LR3 and all my previous images I only used the Clarity slider to soften or sharpen. What I just started doing in some portrait images is to sharpen with the luminence sharpening slider, then soften with the clarity slider. This appears to give me a better image, but when I go from the develope mode after editing to the Libary mode the image softens, as if it is losing the sharpening adjustment. As I said earlier, If I set the noise slider to zero, the image still softens, If I turn it off at the icon, then that renders that sharpening tool useless. Help


----------



## Victoria Bampton

The rendering will be different between the Library module and Develop module, but it shouldn't be huge.  Next time you see it, can you grab a screenshot of each so we can see exactly what you're looking at.  Also, in Library module, if you zoom in to 1:1 and then out again, does that help?


----------



## khdphotography

*My Screen shots. Fuzzy Develop/Libary*


----------



## khdphotography

I have had no comment on the 2 screen shots I posted


----------



## Victoria Bampton

Hi khd, sorry for the delay.  Can you try it without that -77 clarity and see if they match then?  I wonder if that's complicating things.


----------



## Neptoone

*I'm having the same problem images are blurred using LR*



Victoria Bampton said:


> Hi khd, sorry for the delay.  Can you try it without that -77 clarity and see if they match then?  I wonder if that's complicating things.


 
I have been experiencing the same and it happened suddenly. I noticed that the images were trying to get focused, then after that they appeared blurred in the Library mode. I have viewed the same images using Image Browser (less powerful than LR), and yet the images are a lot sharper.

I have Optimized the catalog, changed the Quality and pixel in the Preview setting, but no avail. What the heck is going on?


----------



## Neptoone

I am sorry but I don't understand what you said to try it w/o that 77 clarity.


----------



## Victoria Bampton

Neptoone, the previews in the Library module are different from those in the Develop module.  Develop reads the raw data and renders that, whereas Library is working off rendered JPEG previews.

I asked about knocking about the -77 clarity because it will be affecting the sharpness - especially compared to Image Browser.  It may not having anything to do with it, but since you've already tried things like changing preview settings, I'm attempting to help you find out what's going on.


----------



## Neptoone

Victoria,

I'm aware of the difference between the two modules;however, I'm encountering something totally different but as I can see I'm not alone. I have been using LR almost daily, but a week ago something happened that it has changed. 

I noticed that while I was in the Library module (grid) viewing my images. The image I was viewing it was trying like to stay in focus. Then ever since every time I open LR in the Library modules viewing using the Grid the images are not as sharp as they used to.

I Optimized the catalog, changed the Preview settings, and without any improvements. Then I viewed the same images using Image Browser, they were as sharp as ever. However, yesterday I tried to view the same images using LR, and they had improved a bit, but not as sharp as they used to be.

Why are the images a lot sharper using Image Browser vs LR (which its a more powerful App). I'm now very frustrated since I have deleted several images based of how they looked, little that I know that LR was not displaying the images not as sharp it used to. Please let me know what else I can do, very frustrated here. I have posted the same question on other forum but no one has any solution. 

I'm glad to see that someone here has a similar experience


----------



## Victoria Bampton

I wish I knew the answer Neptoone!  I can't help unless you try some of the suggestions though - for example, did you try resetting the clarity?  I need to rule that out as a factor.

If it happened a week ago, do you remember what else happened around that time?  Did Software Update install any new updates, anything like that?

And have you tried starting a new catalog and importing the same photo into it?  Do you see the same behaviour in a clean catalog?


----------



## Jim Wilde

Victoria, the -77 Clarity image was from a different poster, who hasn't yet responded to your suggestion.


----------



## Victoria Bampton

Ah, thank you Jim.  Sorry Neptoone.  I think I need a weekend off!!!!


----------



## LouieSherwin

Neptoone,

You have jumped into the middle of an ongoing discussion and I think part of the confusion is that Victoria response regarding the clarity setting was responding to the original posters screen shots where it shows a clarity of -77.

Back to your problem, what is your screen size and what was the Preview settings before you changed them? If the original settings were smaller than the screen size then that could be a problem

Also have you tried regenerating the preview for the images where you are seeing this problem? Just changing the Preview settings does not generate new previews you have to either edit the image or tell LR to make new previews. Use Library -> Previews -> Render ... You can select either "Standard" or "1:1".

I would be interested if that makes a difference.

-louie


----------



## LouieSherwin

Opps... I see that I missed the rest of the discussion :blush: before I replied... my thoughts about previews still apply

-louie


----------



## NathAus

Hi,
This problem is driving me crazy and help would be appreciated. When viewed in LR3 Library mode, my image does not retain the same sharpness when last viewed in Develop mode. I have searched forums to troubleshoot this and seen that in order for the image to appear as sharp in Library as it does in Develop, then the previews need to be "rendered at 1:1"? What is more important to me however, the only info I could find suggests that when the image is exported it will be as sharp as viewed in the Develop mode, but this is not the case. When I export an image, it is definitely not as sharp when compared to the image sitting in Develop mode. Please help!


----------



## khdphotography

Hello Victoria,, sorry about my delay, I did what u said about reducing the -77 clarity, no difference, still the same issue. I am trying to get more detail for you, but it appears that as soon as I use the sharpening slide, I have problems.


----------



## Victoria Bampton

khdphotography said:


> but it appears that as soon as I use the sharpening slide, I have problems.



It might be interesting to know your sharpening settings in that case.


----------



## Kip

Was there any resolution to this?  I'm having the SAME issue.  Photo is PERFECT in the develop module but when I change to Library prior to export, both the Library image and exported image are blurry!!!  Basically, when switching from Develop to Library (and eventually an export to JPG), it's missing some of the adjustments/metadata.  PLEASE HELP!  This picture would be perfect if I could get it to export correctly!!  Thanks!

FYI: Using a Canon 60D (RAW).


----------



## khdphotography

*Re The Blury Images*



Kip said:


> Was there any resolution to this?  I'm having the SAME issue.  Photo is PERFECT in the develop module but when I change to Library prior to export, both the Library image and exported image are blurry!!!  Basically, when switching from Develop to Library (and eventually an export to JPG), it's missing some of the adjustments/metadata.  PLEASE HELP!  This picture would be perfect if I could get it to export correctly!!  Thanks!
> 
> FYI: Using a Canon 60D (RAW).


No there was not, and I am still have same problem.
Not sure if you are able, but if you want, email me at [email protected]
or look me up on facebook kevin dickinson and maybe we can communicate more on this issue and any other issues.
Look forward to hearing from you
Kevin


----------



## Victoria Bampton

I'd be interested to know if you guys still see this in LR4.  The preview system in Develop has changed a bit.


----------

