Software


Lightroom Levels Playing Field with New Update

May 14, 2019

By Greg Scoblete

Adobe is rolling out a number of updates to the entire Lightroom eco-system today to improve editing and collaboration.

Lightroom novices are a major focus of this update. In the new mobile home screen, users can view interactive tutorials that guide them step-by-step through editing photos, including adjusting the sliders themselves at the prompting of instructors. There’s also a library of inspiration photos that you can open and see how the edits were performed.

While Lightroom for Mac and Windows won’t have the new home screen right away, they can access some of the new tutorial material in an expanded help menu.

Here are some other highlights in the new update:

  • Mobile users will see the aforementioned new new home screen with their most recent photos plus interactive tutorials. Desktop users will get the new home screen in the future.
  • Users across all Lightroom platforms (mobile, desktop, ChromeOS) can now invite users to add photos to albums via email invite. Users can add JPEG and RAW images to albums and the original album owner can download both at full resolution.
  • There’s a new texture editing tool for Lightroom (all platforms, including Classic) that either accentuates or smooths medium-sized details such as hair and skin. Adobe says the tool is using for smoothing skin without impact pores or for accentuating details without increasing noise or impacting bokeh.
  • Lightroom for Mac and Windows will gain a Defringe tool to eliminate chromatic aberration. It’s designed to supplement the existing chromatic aberration tool when it doesn’t catch everything.
  • Lightroom for Android users will get a batch editing tool that lets them copy and paste corrections between images.
  • Lightroom Classic users get a Flat-Field Correction tool built-into their update (previously available only as a plugin). The tool removes color casts caused by your camera’s sensor and/or lens.
  • Lightroom Classic’s Auto mode has also been improved.