Modified:
Nov 22, 2016
Created:
Nov 22, 2016
Views:
6613
Author:
RN

Setting up Lightroom for High-Resolution Production

Basic Setup Required

Download and install the ProSelect Plugin for Lightroom. This plugin can be downloaded from the main ProSelect downloads page.  

The instructions for installing and testing the plugin can be found in the ProSelect Reference Manual -> ProSelect Lightroom Plug-in section (page 299 in the ProSelect 2016r1 manual).

Lightroom Setup:

See this article for what you need to setup in Lightroom.

ProSelect Setup:

  1. ProSelect Preferences > General Settings > General > Photo Editor
  2. Default Photo Editor:  Lightroom 3+
  3. Default Raw File Editor: Lightroom 3+

ProSelect - Lightroom Workflow

The following process is for those users wishing to use Lightroom for their final editing, image adjustment and retouching.  ProSelect will then utilize Photoshop for the automated production process. Keep in mind that ProSelect High-Resolution Production still requires Adobe Photoshop to create the final files for printing.  

Importing your Lightroom images into ProSelect

The ProSelect Plugin for Lightroom should be used to create the ProSelect album.  This ensures that all files are linked correctly.  When the plugin is used in Lightroom, it creates a set of jpg files that are imported into ProSelect and used for the viewing purposes. See the ProSelect Reference Manual "Importing from Lightroom" section (Page 25 in the ProSelect 2016r1 manual) for more on this.

IMPORTANT: Cropping of all files should be done in ProSelect, not Lightroom.  

About Hi-Res Production

During the High-Resolution Production process, ProSelect opens either the original imported file or an updated retouched/edited file, then creates final image files that you can upload to the lab. In most cases, finish retouching is done by the photographer after the image is sold and image orders are placed in ProSelect.

You can use Lightroom only or Lightroom and Photoshop (for more sophisticated work) to do your retouching.  Below is a summary of both these processes.

Doing all your retouching in Lightroom

ProSelect:

  1. Go to Production > Produce High-Res Images
  2. Click on line of the first image to be modified
  3. Click button “Open Raws in Lightroom”

Lightroom:

  1. Make necessary image adjustments in Lightroom.  Do not crop the image.
  2. Go to File > Export To > Hard Drive
  3. Use the following settings (see image below):
      Export Location > Same Folder as Original photo
      File Naming > Filename
      File Settings > Image Format > TIFF
      Compression > LZW
      Color Space > sRGB (some photographers use AdobeRGB)
      Bit Depth > 8 Bits
      All other settings should be off 



  4. You can save a Preset of these settings in the Export Dialog using the Add button. Then enter “Export Tiff for ProSelect”. Then click Create button. In the future, you can then just select that preset.
  5. Click the Export button to export the retouched image.

ProSelect:

  1. Click the square yellow icon above the notes field in the production dialog. That is your indicator that you have retouched or prepared the file.
  2. Click > Relink Reload Edited. In the notes dialog, it will now say “This image has been Updated”.  In the file list under the Image No., you will now see a .tif extension on your file name.  If the preview image was not updated, close your production window.  Go to ProSelect > Preferences > Importing Images > Production Workflow and check “Always reload with Relinking. For any future images relinked, the ProSelect preview will now update.
  3. Repeat this same process for each image listed in your production window.
  4. When all images have been finished with modifications, choose > Check All
  5. Click > Make High Res Images.    ProSelect will produce the final images ready for upload to the lab.  Before processing the images, you  can verify your production settings by clicking the “Setup” button.   By default, ProSelect will create lab images that your sized to the ordered image size at 300 ppi and placed in an “Output Images” folder with your original images.

Using Lightroom first, then do additional work in Photoshop.

  1. Make necessary image adjustments in Lightroom.  Do not crop the image.
  2. Go to File > Export To > Hard Drive'
  3. Use the following settings (see image below):
      Export Location > Same Folder as Original photo
      File Naming > Filename
      File Settings > Image Format > TIFF
      Compression > LZW
      Color Space > sRGB (some photographers use AdobeRGB)
      Bit Depth > 8 Bits
      Post Processing > Open in Adobe Photoshop
      All other settings should be off 




  4. You can save a Preset of these settings in the Export Dialog using the Add button. Then enter “Export Tiff for ProSelect/Photoshop”. Then click Create button. In the future, you can then just select that preset.
  5. Click the Export button to export the retouched image.

Follow the same updating process in ProSelect as in the section above.

Why a Tiff file?

We are often asked “Why a Tiff file”?  

In this process, ProSelect is going to open up your modified or retouched file and use that to make additional files to send to the lab. The tiff file becomes a master file for that particular image.  It is not cropped nor does it have image effects applied to it. It also has not been highly compressed.  Using this process, ProSelect can produce high-quality, first generation jpeg files that are compressed for easy uploading without fear of image artifacts.     When reviewing a list of images in your file browser, whenever you see a tif file, you can quickly recognize that as a master, finished file.

You can also use and/or PSD files, containing layers, as master image files.  If you using a Mac and wish to export PSD files from Lightroom, we recommend only using ProSelect version 2017r1 and later. See this article for more about this: PSD files from Lightroom import as black images on Macs.


KnowledgeBase Article: Setting up Lightroom for High-Resolution Production