How to set up lightroom catalog

To create a new catalog in Lightroom Classic CC, select “File| New Catalog…” from the Menu Bar. The “Create Folder with New Catalog” dialog box then appears. In this dialog box, enter the name and location of the new catalog folder. Then click the “Create” button to create the catalog and close the dialog box.

Quick Answer, where should I put my Lightroom catalog?

1. For the best performance, store your Lightroom catalog on your local hard drive. A Solid State Hard Drive (SSD) is even better.
2. If you need to be portable, store your Lightroom catalog and photos on a fast external hard drive.

Also know, how do I create a Lightroom catalog from an external drive? First, locate your Folders pane on the left side of the Library module of Lightroom. Then click the + button in the top-right corner and choose “Add Folder…” This is going to let you create a new folder for storing your images. In this case, navigate to your external drive and create a new folder at that location.

Subsequently, how many catalogs should I have in Lightroom? As a general rule, use as few catalogs as you can. For most photographers, that’s a single catalog, but if you need additional catalogs, think it through carefully before you act. Multiple catalogs can work, but they also add a degree of complexity that’s unnecessary for most photographers.

Moreover, do you need to keep old Lightroom catalogs? So…the answer would be that once you’ve upgraded to Lightroom 5 and you’re happy with everything, yes, you could go ahead and delete the older catalogs. Unless you plan on reverting back to Lightroom 4, you’ll never use it. And since Lightroom 5 made a copy of the catalog, it’ll never use it again either.The Catalog is where all the information about images imported into Lightroom lives. Folders are where the image files live. Folders are not saved inside of Lightroom, but are stored somewhere on an internal or external hard drive.

How do I open my Lightroom catalog on a new computer?

1. Preparation – set up your folder hierarchy.
2. Check your backups.
3. Install Lightroom on the new machine.
4. Transfer the files.
5. Open the catalog on the new computer.
6. Relink any missing files.
7. Check your preferences and presets.
8. Reload any disabled plug-ins.

How does Lightroom catalog work?

Simply put, a Catalog is a Lightroom-specific database file. Employing a database system means Lightroom does not work with the original files directly. Instead, it stores information about them – along with rendered previews – in a set of files that make up a Catalog. … Lightroom Catalog files bear *.

How do I manage my Lightroom catalogs?

Locate the folder that contains the catalog and preview files. In Lightroom Classic, choose Edit > Catalog Settings (Windows) or Lightroom Classic > Catalog Settings (Mac OS). In the Information area of the General panel, click Show to go to the catalog in the Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac OS).

Can I have 2 Lightroom catalogs?

For typical Lightroom use, you should NOT be using multiple catalogs. Using multiple catalogs can slow down your workflow, hinder your ability to organize your photos, increase the chances for file corruption, and gives you no actual benefits.

How often should you start a new Lightroom catalog?

To keep your Lightroom Catalog running smoothly, every once in a while you may want to optimize it. It is easy to do. Just go to File>Optimize Catalog. I typically only remember to do this every 6 months or so and Lightroom still runs fine for me.

What does optimize catalog mean in Lightroom?

Lightroom is constantly writing changes to the catalog file (. lrcat). When performance slows, optimize the Lightroom catalog by choosing File > Optimize Catalog. Optimizing the catalog instructs Lightroom to examine the data structure of the catalog and make sure that it is succinct.

Can I get rid of old Lightroom catalogs?

When Lightroom Classic is closed the . lock and -wal files are removed under normal operation. However, if Lightroom crashed or the computer crashed, those files can be left behind, which can get in the way of opening the catalog again. If that ever happens to you, you can simply delete the .

Can I delete my Lightroom catalog and start over?

Once you locate the folder containing your catalog, you can get access to the catalog files. You can delete the unwanted ones, but make sure you quit Lightroom first as it won’t allow you to mess with these files if it’s open.

How do I change the default catalog location in Lightroom?

1. Step 1: Locate And Access Your Lightroom Catalog. Before you can move a Lightroom catalog, you need to find it.
2. Step 2: Select Your Catalog And Move It To A New Location.
3. Step 3: Open The Catalog From It’s New Location.
4. Step 4: Confirm It’s New Location.

What is a new catalog in Lightroom?

What is a catalog? A catalog is a database that tracks the location of your photos and information about them. When you edit photos, rate them, add keywords to them, or do anything to photos in Lightroom Classic – all those changes are stored in the catalog. The files themselves are not touched.