Edit in Photoshop Elements from Lightroom Classic

Lightroom Classic will permit Editing in the Photoshop Elements Editor application. Where Photoshop CC is not installed, it appears automatically in prefs as the principal external editor – see image below. 

But there is presently a glitch when using Ctrl+E or Cmd+E or Edit In from the Lr Classic grid.

The Editor launches, but without the photo. At this point, customers will often quit the PSE Editor or go back to the Lr Library and try again. BUT WAIT!

If you return to the Lr Library and wait one and a half minutes an error message appears. When clicking Ok to dismiss the message the Lr Taskbar shows “Preparing file for editing” and the image magically appears in the PSE Editor.

Obviously this is not a great performance but with a little know-how and patience it is possible to carry out the external editing in elements with the saved image going back into the Lr Library next to the original photo.

I always recommend setting the prefs to render 8 bit PSD files as there is limited functionality for 16 bit images.

Setting up Photoshop Elements 14 as an External Editor

Instructions for Windows & Mac OSX

External Editing from iPhoto on the Mac

Have you set up correctly in iPhoto prefs? 

Some user make the mistake of selecting Adobe Photoshop Elements but it’s important to open the Support Files folder to select the Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor App.

When you go to the general tab in iPhoto Prefs and choose “Edit photo in application” you must navigate to, and choose the actual app in the Support Files folder – see image below.



External Editing from Lightroom

From the Lightroom Library go to:
Edit >> Preferences >> External Editing (tab) Windows
Lightroom >> Preferences >> External Editing (tab) Mac OSX

Click image to enlarge

If the Elements Editor is not automatically recognized in the top section of the Lightroom prefs dialog or another application is shown, go to "Additional" In the section for additional external editors, click the choose button and navigate to:

Windows:

Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 14

Inside the Photoshop Elements 14 folder scroll down to the items beginning with the letter P and choose the application PhotoshopElementsEditor then click OK. Close and re-start Lightroom.

Click image to enlarge

Mac OSX

Applications\Adobe Photoshop Elements 14\Support Files

Inside the Support Files folder choose Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor. Quit and re-launch Lightroom – see image below.

 

In addition to the above, change the preference settings in the PSE Editor to ensure your work is saved by overwriting the open file. Go to:

Edit >> Preferences >> Saving Files (Windows)

Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor >> Preferences >> Saving Files (Mac OSX)

Change the drop-down list to read “Save Over Current File”

 Click image to enlarge

Round Trip from Lightroom

1.Right-click (control-click) on thumbnail in Library and choose Edit In >> Edit In Photoshop Elements Editor – or use the top Photo menu

2.When editing in Elements is complete use Save (not Save As) Ctrl+S or Cmd+S

3.Close file in Editor work space to update Lightroom thumbnail Ctrl+W or Cmd+W