How To Export Your LR Smart Preview Catalog

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Hello My Friend!

Follow these screenshots and instructions for exporting your LR smart preview catalog to send to me for editing.  If you are on a Mac it will look a bit different but should still follow a similar process.  It can be a bit tricky the first time as it seems like a lot of steps, but after you do it once successfully it will seem easy enough!   Don't forget, you also have an instruction sheet for how to do this saved in your shared Dropbox folder with me. :) 

STEP ONE - CULL YOUR IMAGES

STEP ONE - CULL YOUR IMAGES

***You can also cull your images in Photo Mechanic or however you usually do, this just shows how I do it in Lightroom.  Then import your selected images into Lightoom and highlight all of them for export. If you cull in a different way just skip ahead to the export as catalog step.*** 

STEP TWO - SELECT YOUR FINAL IMAGES FOR EDITING

STEP TWO - SELECT YOUR FINAL IMAGES FOR EDITING

STEP THREE - START TO EXPORT

STEP THREE - START TO EXPORT

STEP FOUR - EXPORT SETTINGS - IF you have selected pictures that are your culled images, there will also be a 4th box that says "export selected pictures only" and you will want to click that box!  

STEP FOUR - EXPORT SETTINGS - 

IF you have selected pictures that are your culled images, there will also be a 4th box that says "export selected pictures only" and you will want to click that box!  

STEP FIVE - CREATE ZIPPED FILEIF you are on a Mac - you will choose the option that says "compress 3 items" instead of going to the send to option. 

STEP FIVE - CREATE ZIPPED FILE

IF you are on a Mac - you will choose the option that says "compress 3 items" instead of going to the send to option. 

FINAL - MOVE ZIPPED FILE TO DROPBOX

FINAL - MOVE ZIPPED FILE TO DROPBOX

After you have uploaded that smart preview catalog to me, I will then import that into my LR and edit your images and then re-upload the edited previews into the Final Edits folder.  

Once your edits are completed you will then import that file by opening Lightroom and doing the following:

File > Import From Another Catalog  >Select the file I put into the Final Edits Folder

Now Select > Replace: Metadata and Develop Settings ONLY

 

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!  Sometimes this is tough the first few times, but once you get it down it is no big deal!  :)   So don't give up right away, sometimes it is just a matter of one wrong box being checked.  There are also some great YouTube videos of people showing how to export Lightroom Smart Previews Catalogs.  So try watching those as well if you would like to really see it in action.