Batch Editing Photos in Lightroom

Batch Editing in Lightroom

One of the greatest things about using Lightroom to edit is the ability to apply the same settings from one photo to several others photos with the same lighting and exposure!  This means that you can quickly and efficiently edit a session with just the click of a button.

This tutorial covers batch editing in the Lightroom desktop version.  For information on batch editing in Lightroom Mobile, click here.

How to Apply Edits to Multiple Photos

Once you have a photo edited just the way you like, you can add those same edits to other images from your session that have the same lighting and exposure.

1. Highlight the image that you just finished editing.

2. Control/Command + Click on any other images to which you want to apply these same settings.

3. With multiple photos selected, choose Settings>Sync Settings from your menus.  Just like all Adobe programs, there are various ways to do this.  You could also click the Sync button in the lower right of Lightroom or use the following keyboard shortcut: Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+C.

4. Make sure the settings you want to sync are checked.  I typically don't sync masks, cropping, or spot removal since these edits are specific to each image.  Sometimes, I won't sync the radial or linear gradient - that choice depends on the photo.

5. Press Synchronize!  The changes should now be applied to all the photos you selected.

Making Adjustments After Syncing Lightroom Settings

Once you have applied your edits to a photo, you can still change anything you applied.  If you choose to sync any of the masks to multiple images, you may need to adjust them slightly to match up with the individual photo.  Just click on the Masks tool in the toolbar (circle with dotted outline), and a list of the masks applied to your image will appear in a new panel.  Select the one you want to adjust, and then use the handles or pins on your image to adjust the masks.  

If you applied a crop to multiple images, you can adjust the crop to fit the image better.

Don't overlook batch editing in Lightroom!  It is a HUGE time-saving tool!

Amy shared some fantastic tips about Lightroom batch processing in this video.  Watch her batch edit photos from a session to see these tools in action!

Batch Editing Video Tutorial

Do you have any questions or comments about Batch Editing in Lightroom?  Leave us a comment below - we would love to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE this tutorial using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!