This is where Lightroom 4 still feels slightly inferior to Aperture, it's chief rival. The interface remains quite dark and cluttered too, and Lightroom can feel sluggish when you're scrolling through large numbers of images. You might create a Collection of images from within a Folder, but they're not listed in the same panel and they are, as far as Lighroom is concerned, unrelated. Folders are displayed in one panel, but Collections are created and managed in a different one. Lightroom still separates folders and Collections (albums) in the same rather awkward way, though. Previously, this was only possible in folders, which was an unexpected limitation. You can now 'group' related images together in Collections. It's much better than struggling with standalone apps or online book creation tools, and you can keep track of your books from within Lightroom.Īdobe's also introduced new options for its DNG file format, a 'universal' RAW format designed to replace the multiplicity of different camera RAW files, though so far Adobe seems to be the only software publisher putting much weight behind it. The new Book module is provided by Blurb, one of the better-known online photo book suppliers, and offers both pre-designed books and the ability to create your own layouts. Clips can also be exported as H.264 files, or uploaded directly to Facebook or Flickr. For example, you can apply colour adjustments to match up clips shot in slightly different lighting, or apply a warm, retro look from the range of presets available. Not all of the regular Lightroom adjustments can be used with video, but it displays a dialog with checkboxes against the adjustments that will be applied. You can even apply a range of Lightroom enhancements and presets via the Quick Edit panel. Lightroom 4 won't replace your video-editing app, but it does let you trim and clean up your video clips so that you're starting with better raw materials.

Soft proofing doesn't enable you to get more colours out of your printer, but it does let you see what will happen and control the outcome more effectively.Īdobe has added basic video support, too. 'Out of gamut' colours are highlighted in red, and you can adjust either the saturation or the hue of these particular colours to bring them back in range. In the 'soft-proofing' mode, you can check how your images will appear when they're printed on devices with a different colour gamut, like different models of desktop printer or types of paper.

Adobe lightroom 4