The Importance of Constantly Saving your Documents.
Graphics by Johan Salvador.
Photoshop has a pretty neat feature that allows you to automatically recover your documents after a crash, providing a valuable safety net for your work. This can even protect you in situations where you accidentally unplug your computer or encounter unexpected power failures. However, despite this helpful feature, I still prefer to save my work as often as possible to avoid losing any progress. My workflow typically involves moving back and forth between Lightroom, where I handle all my color adjustments as well as sharpness and noise corrections, and Photoshop, where I focus on cropping, fine-tuning colors, and enhancing my images further. Depending on the artwork, I sometimes end up with files containing multiple layers, and given the complexity of certain projects, I may spend several hours working on a single image. Because of this, regularly saving my progress is absolutely essential to ensure that none of my effort is lost.
Things to keep in mind.
Lightroom is non-destructive and can automatically save each step as you make adjustments to your images, preserving your editing history without altering the original file. This means there is no need to worry about manually saving your work unless you are exporting your images for final use. As long as you keep your original CR2 or JPEG file alongside its corresponding .xmp file, you will always retain an original file that includes all the edits and adjustments you have made so far. However, if you accidentally delete or lose the .xmp file, the image will revert back to its untouched, original state, and you will lose any corrections or enhancements you've applied. This is the only situation where Lightroom could be considered destructive, but even then, you can simply start over—reapplying edits to colors, hues, levels, and other settings. You can also locate the .xmp file easily since it is always named after the original image, using the format original_image.xmp, which helps keep things organized. To avoid any confusion, just remember to keep all your files stored together in one folder and never overwrite or delete your CR2 master files. This practice ensures your edits remain safe and accessible at any time.
Photoshop, on the other hand, can be quite destructive if not used carefully. If you're confident and want to save both time and storage space, you might choose to work directly on the original layer. This approach can work well with smaller files that require minimal editing. However, in many cases—especially when dealing with complex retouching and detailed edits—this method is not ideal. The best practice in those situations is to edit your image using multiple layers. I particularly enjoy using layer masks to selectively target specific colors and lighting adjustments. One of my favorite adjustments is hue and saturation, which I apply non-destructively on a layer mask positioned above a duplicated original layer. I always make sure to work on a duplicate of the original layer to preserve the integrity of the image. However, it’s important to note that this process often results in very large file sizes, especially if your image contains a substantial amount of color information. My files typically range between 400 MB and 1 GB once I’ve finished working on them. You can imagine the significant computing power required to handle such large files smoothly. This brings me back to a previous discussion I had about optimizing your machine’s performance. To manage this, my approach is to focus on working with only one file at a time, saving and closing it as soon as I’ve completed all edits. I avoid keeping more than one file open simultaneously, as this practice significantly reduces the risk of Photoshop crashes and prevents sluggish performance on my computer.
To ensure the utmost safety and avoid any potential loss, always remember to save your work regularly. Consistently saving your progress will keep your documents fully up to date and help maintain your peace of mind throughout your entire workflow.
