# Poll: LR3 Feature Request: Printing Status (printed or not)



## hap0 (Mar 29, 2010)

Hello gang, I just submitted the following to feature request to Adobe and thought I'd see if anyone else thought this would be very useful. Of course I think it would be, but maybe I'm missing something. What do you all think?

*******Enhancement / FMR*********
Request "Print status" be added as Metadata that can be used as criteria for filters and Smart collections.

How would you like the feature to work?
This feature would provide a simple means to edit the criteria for a Smart Collection based on whether the images have been printed or not. See screenshot for example:
http://img.skitch.com/2'1''329-r8bfw8x5h5yyruirej6eah585g.jpg

This feature would show up as an option under Metadata when setting a filter from Gridview.

This feature would be important to anyone needing to quickly recall those images they have printed in the past.


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## tzalman (Mar 29, 2010)

I just add the image to a "dumb" collection named Printed as I print it. Almost always it's a VC cropped to paper size.


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## clee01l (Mar 29, 2010)

The solution to this is (or could be) in the venue of one of the third party preset developers. It is a piece of information captured on export like Jeffery Freidl's Flickr and other photo site plugins. 

While it is not very useful to me (I've only printed 4 images using my own printer and the LR Print module) I can see the utility of such a feature. However just knowing something is printed is of limited value. How many times printed? What size? Which Crop? Which VC/snapshot?


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## hap0 (Mar 30, 2010)

Hey thanks for offering your thoughts!

What I've been doing so far is just adding a keyword "printed" to the file. The problem is I just don't always do it when I get in a hurry. It would be nice to have this done automagically. I mean after all there are a variety of other stats that I don't use at all. I would think this one is at least as useful or more than those... Just thought I'd throw it out there. Thanks for weighing in!


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## happycranker (Mar 30, 2010)

I would rather have Adobe provide LR with soft proofing with the selected printer profile, I do a lot of printing and find quite often I need to go back to Photoshop for this function.


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## tzalman (Mar 30, 2010)

[quote author=happycranker link=topic=9446.msg63711#msg63711 date=12699384'4]
I would rather have Adobe provide LR with soft proofing with the selected printer profile, I do a lot of printing and find quite often I need to go back to Photoshop for this function.
[/quote]

Soft proofing is a much requested feature, but its lack is only a small annoyance because after soft proofing the tif I delete it and go back to LR to print.


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## greenmantle (Mar 31, 2010)

Had to click perhaps... At home for my own business, maybe, but at work in the pro-lab.... not really. I print so much and have work flow shared by so many that this idea could be a blessing or an utter curse.


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## Braders (Apr 2, 2010)

I think this is a good idea, but i would like to see it go further. 

As LR provides a RAW processing pipeline, and more and more digital darkrrom work is done without pixel based editing (the need for PS), there is less need for multple exports (or more acurately, the need to keep the actual exported file on file). This is kind of the point of a RAW workflow - the ability NOT to have to keep multiple file types (and therefore mega-gigas of space) of the same image, depending on the criteria required by the target medium.

However, we still need to keep track of the different exports made for the same individual image. One might have the same image sent to flicker, there own website, off to print for the family album and off to print for the gallery. 

Upon export, LR should provide the user with an Export Snapshot, whereby one can detail a specific comment related to the export criteria (eg: IPA competition - max 1'24mpx). This is information would be saved as xmp/metadata and appear as export snapshot. When you want to refer to a specific export related to that image, the export parameter info is given.


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## clee01l (Apr 2, 2010)

[quote author=Braders link=topic=9446.msg63846#msg63846 date=127'179135]However, we still need to keep track of the different exports made for the same individual image...Upon export, LR should provide the user with an Export Snapshot, whereby one can detail a specific comment related to the export criteria (eg: IPA competition - max 1'24mpx). This is information would be saved as xmp/metadata and appear as export snapshot.[/quote] I think this is the best idea to come from this discussion! I've been striggling with versioning control since I started using LR seriously. I've been making my own snapshots (when I can remember!) Having LR prompt me on export is a great idea. The biggest problem I face is swapping back and forth between develop (where snapshots are created and Library where metadata can be updated. Just being able to update metadata inside of Develop would be a great start.


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## Mark Sirota (Apr 2, 2010)

[quote author=Braders link=topic=9446.msg63846#msg63846 date=127'179135]
Upon export, LR should provide the user with an Export Snapshot, whereby one can detail a specific comment related to the export criteria (eg: IPA competition - max 1'24mpx). This is information would be saved as xmp/metadata and appear as export snapshot. When you want to refer to a specific export related to that image, the export parameter info is given.[/quote]

Here's most of that (for LR3B2 and later only): Jeffrey Friedl's "Snapshot on Export" plugin


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## Braders (Apr 2, 2010)

[quote author=Mark Sirota link=topic=9446.msg63849#msg63849 date=127'183746]
[quote author=Braders link=topic=9446.msg63846#msg63846 date=127'179135]
Upon export, LR should provide the user with an Export Snapshot, whereby one can detail a specific comment related to the export criteria (eg: IPA competition - max 1'24mpx). This is information would be saved as xmp/metadata and appear as export snapshot. When you want to refer to a specific export related to that image, the export parameter info is given.[/quote]

Here's most of that (for LR3B2 and later only): Jeffrey Friedl's "Snapshot on Export" plugin
[/quote]


mmm...kinda. The problem as i see it, is that it is the export paramaters (max width, pixels, file size, jpeg or tiff etc) that need to be saved to xmp as well, not just the develop settings. Does this do that as well Mark?

Actually, to clarify one thing as well. When one clicks on an existing snapshot of a previous export the ideal would be that the exact same export dialogue box re-appears with all of those parameters set in place.


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## Mark Sirota (Apr 2, 2010)

Right, this only does the hard part of creating the snapshot. You could name the snapshot manually with many of those parameters. The trick of pulling up the export dialog is outside the capabilities of a plug-in. But it's the closest we've yet come to this old request of yours...


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## sizzlingbadger (Apr 2, 2010)

Maybe I'm missing something but why not use VC's and write the print details in the Copy Name ?


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## Braders (Apr 2, 2010)

[quote author=sizzlingbadger link=topic=9446.msg63863#msg63863 date=127'2377'3]
Maybe I'm missing something but why not use VC's and write the print details in the Copy Name ?
[/quote]

1. VC are not saved to xmp

2. Each image can have a multitude on combination and permutations of export data. The idea is that one has access to this export data via the export dialogue. 

eg: if a client asks for another copy of an image you gave them a year ago, and that was printed on matt paper, 16x24 with particular export parameters, one can easily click on that export snapshop, and viola, the same export dialogue box appears. Don't think or tinker again, just Hit print.


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## sizzlingbadger (Apr 2, 2010)

1) so what ? the xmp data of an exported version will contain the print settings as I suggested.

2) just choose the VC with the correct options and print

maybe not quite as simple as the export option but the process can be done now.

It looks like people are still insisting on using snapshots for something they were not designed for. Until Adobe change the way snapshots work why not use VC's as they were intended and stop trying to put a round peg in square hole. We have collections to manage to all this stuff too.


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## Braders (Apr 3, 2010)

[quote author=sizzlingbadger link=topic=9446.msg63869#msg63869 date=127'23928']
1) so what ? the xmp data of an exported version will contain the print settings as I suggested.

[/quote]

If you keep the file! The point of the discussion is that most exports can be done directly to a 3rd party site/person/app etc. As a result we don't retain the actual file. Where in the xmp is any information on file size, max width, pixel count ect kept? What i am missing that you think it is so simple to go back and look at the same image exported 11 times for different reasons. Choosing the correct VC only applies for different develop settings, not export parameters.

I agree that snapshots maybe is not the correct nomenclature, what about export history?


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## sizzlingbadger (Apr 3, 2010)

You don't need to keep the file, you keep the details (like a preset name) as part of the copy name, it will part of the metadata for the VC. Its not a pretty or efficient way to do it mind. A separate spreadsheet would probably easier lol !

Collections will remember the print settings too.

I'm not saying that something like export history wouldn't be useful, just that there is/are a workaround/s available now, if you want to use them :icon_neutral:

I also think this functionality is crossing over from asset management to business management. If I supply prints then the invoice or customer accounts information should contain the information (and even a preset name if you like) so that I can track what I have sold to who.


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