# What happens to the Raw file once an image has been edited in Photoshop?



## qazqaz (Oct 5, 2013)

I've been working with Raw, especially to correct over exposed areas of my photos. I'm trying to figure out the workflow that LR uses when an image is edited in Photoshop. So I import a raw file into Lightroom. Make exposure adjustments, and then right click, edit in photoshop. I assume that LR creates a second file in TIFF or PSD format with the modifications that I make in photoshop? And that means that any exposure/tone changes I make after that in LR won't work as well because I'm no longer working with a raw image at that point?


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## clee01l (Oct 5, 2013)

Nothing happens to the RAW.  This is what is meant by non-destructive editing.  LR (and ACR) are Parameterized Images Editors (PIE). Edit parameters are applied to the original in the software.   To make a permanent copy of this derivative image, you need to create an export file.   One of the ways to do this is through the Edit-In function in LR.  Your original and adjustments get merged into a TIFF or PSD and this derivative file is sent to Photoshop for further processing.  PS will then (on your command) save its changes back onto the TIFF (a destructive edit process).  When control is returned to the calling program (LR), LR has the derivative image cataloged and previews reflect the changes made to it in PS.  

Alternately, if you have the same version of ACR in both LR and PS, your can send the PIE instructions and the name of the file to PS and ACR will apply those for further processing in PS.  PS will then save the changes to a derivate image file and this file will be cataloged by LR.


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## bobrobert (Oct 5, 2013)

Quote gazgaz

And that means that any exposure/tone changes I make after that in LR  won't work as well because I'm no longer working with a raw image at  that point?

Unquote.

Do I see a deeper question here? Are you asking about at which point you stop processing an image before it is in danger of loosing quality information or aesthetic considerations? Many people save layered Tiffs in PS with the idea of going back and tweaking an image time after time which means they are possibly never happy with the final outcome. Obviously too much tweaking can lead to a possible loss of information especially banding in skies. Some will state that layers are non destructive, but are they really? This a crucial point that every experienced user will have to make their minds up as part of a workflow. When is an image really finished. Personally I don't save layered Tiffs to tweak at a later date. If I am not happy starting over is imo better. The above statement applies to LR as well .... imo.


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## qazqaz (Oct 5, 2013)

bobrobert said:


> Quote gazgaz
> 
> And that means that any exposure/tone changes I make after that in LR  won't work as well because I'm no longer working with a raw image at  that point?
> 
> ...



Actually my deeper question has not quite been answered yet. Lets say I import a Raw file into Lightroom, and tweak the exposure using Lightrooms develop feature. At this point I should have lots of freedom to change exposure because I'm dealing with a raw file. I then edit the image using photoshop. I assume that at this point now the exposure and other tone settings will no longer be quite as affective because they are being applied to a TIFF or PSD file?


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## bobrobert (Oct 5, 2013)

Imo you wrongly assume that. Your eyes should tell you that. It is possible to have LR & PS open and make a comparison. You can even open it in PS and return it to LR without changes and make a side by side comparison in LR. Your eyes makes the decision as to how they compare.


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## ernie (Oct 6, 2013)

I think I understand what you're saying/asking. IMO, technically I guess you're right. The adjustments won't have QUITE the latitude on a tif as they would on a raw. However, assuming you've gotten the exposure and other adjustments fairly close in the first place (while you were working on the raw), the differences in effectiveness would be tiny and inconsequential.  In other words, IMO, you're over thinking it.


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## bobrobert (Oct 6, 2013)

In reality you are NEVER working on a raw. You are working on a rendered version of the raw so there really isn't a "problem".


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## qazqaz (Oct 6, 2013)

ernie said:


> I think I understand what you're saying/asking. IMO, technically I guess you're right. The adjustments won't have QUITE the latitude on a tif as they would on a raw. However, assuming you've gotten the exposure and other adjustments fairly close in the first place (while you were working on the raw), the differences in effectiveness would be tiny and inconsequential.  In other words, IMO, you're over thinking it.



Yep you're right. I was just trying to get the workflow right in my head so that I know what I'm dealing with. It's all clear now.


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## Selwin (Oct 12, 2013)

Hi qasqas,

This has been a confusing topic to read. I understand that your question is that once an image has "been to PS and back into LR" and is now in TIFF format, you will miss the latitude RAW provides from then on. If this is what you are asking, yes you are correct, but it's not a big problem. And that is because you use the RAW latitude first to adjust any major exposure / WB / tone settings. Then, when your image is very close to what you want it to be, you go edit in PS and the RAW file information is passed on from LR to PS with the "recipe" you edited thusfar. At this point PS can still access the RAW information while you make additional edits in PS. Then when you're done, PS saves the resulting image as a TIFF or PSD (whatever you set LR to in Preferences) and LR imports that TIFF alongside the original RAW file.

The important notion here is that by now you've edited most of what there is to edit to this image. So yes, re-editing the image, now being a TIFF, will limit your latitude but as there will only be minor tweaks left to do that you missed the first time around, in practical terms you won't notice any problems because of this. You don't need that latitude anymore. Well not for 99.9% of yourimages anyway. And for that one image in 5 years you can simply "edit in PS" again starting from the RAW file.


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## qazqaz (Oct 13, 2013)

Thanks it all makes perfect sense now.


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