# Transferring LR Collections to another computer



## process (Jul 23, 2017)

I'd like to transfer the same Collections, Collection sets and Smart Collections from my desktop computer to my laptop (both are Macs running LR 6.7 perpetual) but I'm having trouble figuring out where those presets are located.
I've looked in the usual *~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/* sub-folders, but no sign of anything like that there. Have I missed something?


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## Roelof Moorlag (Jul 23, 2017)

In the Lightroom Preferences | Presets tab you can click the 'Show Lightroom Presets Folder'. That is where your presets are. The exact subfolder depends on the kind of preset.


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## DGStinner (Jul 23, 2017)

Smart Collections, regular Collections and Collection sets are stored in the catalog.  They're not presets


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## Roelof Moorlag (Jul 23, 2017)

process said:


> but I'm having trouble figuring out where those presets are located.


Indeed, what Dave wrote, these are not presets.



process said:


> I'd like to transfer the same Collections, Collection sets and Smart Collections from my desktop computer to my laptop (both are Macs running LR 6.7 perpetual) but I'm having trouble figuring out where those presets are located.


I'm transfering them with 1 (carier) photo from my main catalog (export as catalog) and import this to the second catalog (and deleting the carier image)


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## Johan Elzenga (Jul 23, 2017)

process said:


> I'd like to transfer the same Collections, Collection sets and Smart Collections from my desktop computer to my laptop (both are Macs running LR 6.7 perpetual) but I'm having trouble figuring out where those presets are located.
> I've looked in the usual *~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/* sub-folders, but no sign of anything like that there. Have I missed something?



Export as Catalog is indeed the way to go. What you have to realize though is that only those collection sets, collections and smart collections that contain at least one image that is saved in this exported catalog will carry over. That may mean that one single 'carrier image' is not enough. There are two options:

1: Select a few images, so that all the Collection Sets, Collections and Smart Collections that you want to transfer contain at least one of the selected images. Then export that as a new catalog and use 'Import from Another Catalog' on the other computer. 
2: Another option is to move all of the Collection Sets/Collections/Smart Collections into one (temporary) collection set, and export that set as a new catalog. In this case one selected image should be enough.


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## clee01l (Jul 23, 2017)

Actually, I think the way to go is what I do with a travel catalog.  I make a copy of my master catalog and copy that (and nothing else) to my travel catalog.  When I open this master catalog copy, All 38000 images are listed  and missing. I remove these images from the travel catalog leaving an empty catalog with all my keywords, collections. Smart Collections, Publish Services.  I then only need to copy the Lightroom setting folder to get my presets too.


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## Johan Elzenga (Jul 23, 2017)

clee01l said:


> Actually, I think the way to go is what I do with a travel catalog.  I make a copy of my master catalog and copy that (and nothing else) to my travel catalog.  When I open this master catalog copy, All 38000 images are listed  and missing. I remove these images from the travel catalog leaving an empty catalog with all my keywords, collections. Smart Collections, Publish Services.  I then only need to copy the Lightroom setting folder to get my presets too.



That's indeed a good method too, but you can only do this if one of those catalogs is still empty. If both catalogs are already in use (with different images), you should use the export/import method.


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## process (Jul 25, 2017)

It worked perfectly!
I didn't know of any other way to add the contents of a catalog other than "import", so that was fine by me.


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