Managing image history and snapshots



    Create snapshots

    During the editing process, you can name and save any state of a photo as a snapshot. Each snapshot you create is listed alphabetically in the Snapshots panel.

    Roll the pointer over the list of snapshots to preview each one in the Navigator.

    Add a snapshot

    1. In the Develop module, select an earlier state or the current state of your photo in the History panel.
    2. Click the Create Snapshot (+) button in the Snapshots panel header (or choose Develop > New Snapshot).

      All the settings for the selected history state are recorded in the snapshot.

    3. Type a new name, and press Return.

    Delete a snapshot

     In the Snapshots panel of the Develop module, select the snapshot and click the Delete Selected Snapshot (-) button in the panel header.
    Note: Do not press the Delete key on your keyboard; this will delete the currently selected photo.

    Track image adjustments in the History panel

    The History panel keeps a record of the date and time that a photo was imported into Lightroom, including any preset that was applied at the time. Afterward, whenever you make an adjustment to the photo, Lightroom saves that adjustment as a state and lists it with all the other states chronologically in the History panel. You can change the names of the states, but you cannot change the order in which they are listed.

    • Preview each state of the photo by rolling the pointer over the list in the History panel and viewing the effects in the Navigator panel.
    • Select a state in the History panel to reapply it to the photo or to save it as a snapshot.
    • Double-click a state to select its name, type a new name, and press Enter or Return.
    • Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a state and choose Copy History Step Settings To Before to copy a single adjustment.
    • Click the Clear All button (the X) on the History panel header to remove all states from the listing.
      When the list of states gets too long in the History panel, create snapshots of the states you want to keep. Then, clear the panel by clicking the Clear All button. This removes the list of states without affecting the current image settings.