For Lightroom users, the Lightroom Copy List will make the process of finding your client's Favorites a lot easier. This feature will create a list of all images in a Favorite List, formatted perfectly for Lightroom's search function. Simply copy the list, paste it into Lightroom's search field, and Lightroom will instantly pull up all the images (given that the images are in your Lightroom Library).
If you prefer, we also have a tutorial video for viewing Favorites in Lightroom.
How do I use the Lightroom Copy List?
- Next to any Favorite List click the More icon ****(•••) > ****and select Lightroom Copy List.
- Once the popup opens, you will see a formatted list of all the images from the Favorite List. Select the text in the text box and copy the list onto your clipboard, or simply click on the Copy button.
Note: You can use the Include Commas toggle to remove the comma delimiters if you need the list for Capture One. We have a complete guide to using the Capture One copy list here.
If you know the type of file you're looking for, you can also add a specific extension to the copy list before searching in Lightroom! Simply use the Include File extension option to enter in the extension name (like .jpg, or .raw for example).
- Open up Lightroom and select Library > Find from the menu.
- Make sure the following search settings are chosen: Any Searchable Field and Contains.
- Paste the pre-formatted list of filenames into the Library search box. Lightroom will then quickly pull up all the images matching the filenames listed. Once you have found the images, you can create a new catalogue and proceed with editing and retouching the images as needed.
Why is the Lightroom Copy List bringing up additional images?
When you use the Contains filter while searching, Lightroom will pull up the specified sequence, including partial sequence for the filenames. If you are searching for IMG_1, for example, IMG_101 might come up as well. Our recommendation in this case is to start your file naming at 001 or 0001 to prevent this from happening.
Learn more here: Lightroom Help / Finding photos in the Catalog
Important Note: If you use virtual copies when editing images, and export these virtual copies, the Lightroom Copy List will not pull the virtual copies up. This is because Lightroom will only give the virtual copies a unique naming structure upon export, whereas within Lightroom they will be masked under the original filename. If you use virtual copies, you will want to be sure to double-check to make sure all images are selected.