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How To Import New Photos Into Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Using An Import Preset

    Divider LineAlmost everyday, I talk with someone who is completely confused by Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic’s complicated Import Dialog box. Unlike almost all of the other parts of this program, Import is not a forgiving activity. However, there is an easy way to make the whole Import process fast, predictable, and painless. The secret to conquering Lightroom Classic’s Import Dialog requires a robust understanding of the program’s Import Presets feature.

Once you understand what Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic’s Import Presets do, then adding files from a digital camera memory card, or any other storage device, into your Lightroom Catalog is a piece of cake. Use the appropriate Import Preset every time and your files will never accidentally end up in the wrong place. Below are two video tutorials on how to build and use Import Presets. The first tutorial is probably all that you need but I added a second one at the bottom of this lesson just to cover every other conceivable Import scenario.

Many Photoshop Lightroom Classic users get frustrated when their Import Dialog “refuses” to import a group of images. Usually this frustration occurs when the images in question are already connected to the users Lightroom Catalog. The Import Dialog automatically “grey’s out” the thumbnails for any image that the Catalog has already referenced and it refuses to import these files a second time. The Import Dialog will not create new reference points for these images because Lightroom’s database cannot hold multiple reference points that lead to the same object (image file).

It would be nice if the Import Dialog explained this behavior using words, but it is actually doing you a favor by keeping your Lightroom Catalog from becoming an enormous mess full of duplicate entries. Unfortunately, many novice users assume that there is something wrong with the application when this occurs. Happily, nothing is wrong. Multiple reference points that lead to the same object would create needless repetition, mass confusion, and eventually bring total chaos to your Catalog.

Many thanks to my friend Farshid Ariz for some of the photos that I used in this tutorial. Most appreciated Farshid!

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  • ADOBE PHOTOSHOP LIGHTROOM CLASSIC TUTORIALS
    • Module 1:LIGHTROOM CLASSIC SETUP
      • Lesson 1:What Is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic?
      • Lesson 2:Is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Right For You?
      • Lesson 3:The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Catalog Concept
      • Lesson 4:One Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Catalog Is All You Need
      • Lesson 5:Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Image & Catalog Storage Options
      • Lesson 6:How To Open The Right Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Catalog Every Time
      • Lesson 7:Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Preferences Menu Advice
      • Lesson 8:How To Save Your Work In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 9:Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Presets Storage Options
      • Lesson 10:Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic User Interface Secrets
      • Lesson 11:Backing Up Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic & Your Photography
    • Module 2:IMPORTING
      • Lesson 1:What Does Import Mean In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic?
      • Lesson 2:Lightroom Classic File And Folder Names Best Practices
      • Lesson 3:How To Import New Photos Into Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Using An Import Preset
      • Lesson 4:Four Ways To Get Images From Apple Photos Into Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 5:The Most Powerful Way To Migrate From Apple Photos To Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 6:How To Convert To Dng In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 7:How To Delete Or Move Photos In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Using Smart Previews For Better Performance
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Faster Culling With Embedded Previews In Adobe Lightroom Classic
    • Module 3:ORGANIZING
      • Lesson 1:How To Find Missing Tools In Adobe Lightroom Classic’s Library Module
      • Lesson 2:Organizing Your Images With Metadata In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 3:How To Select Multiple Photos At Once In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 4:Keyword Basics In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 5:How To Use The Enhanced Zoom Tool In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 6:How To Use The View Modes In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Initial Sorting with the Pick and Reject Flags In Adobe Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Map Module In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use A GPS Tracklog In Adobe Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Metadata Presets In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Speed Things Up With Custom Keyword Sets In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Facial Recognition In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Collections And Smart Collections In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Colored Labels In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Better Quick Collection Trick In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Advanced Smart Collections In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
    • Module 4:DEVELOPING BASICS
      • Lesson 1:Editing Without Fear In Adobe Lightroom
      • Lesson 2:How To Find Missing Tools In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic’s Develop Module
      • Lesson 3:How To Use Camera Profiles In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 4:How To Set The Exposure In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic (Basic)
      • Lesson 5:How To Set The Exposure In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic (Advanced)
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Auto Exposure In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        White Balance Correction In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Make Black & White Photos Using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Saturation In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Tone Curve In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Target Adjustment Tool In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adding A Vignette In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Lens Correction In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Guided Upright Tool in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Noise Reduction With Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Sharpen In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 6:How To Use Color Grading In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Synchronizing Develop Settings In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Red Eye Removal In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
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        Spot Removal Basics In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
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        Advanced Spot Removal In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
    • Module 5:DEVELOPING ADVANCED
      • Lesson 1:5 Useful Develop Module Keyboard Shortcuts In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 2:How To Set New Raw Develop Defaults In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 3:How To Use The Graduated Filter In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 4:Changing Colors With The Graduated Filter In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 5:How To Use The Radial Filter In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Range Masks In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Adjustment Brush In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Amount Slider To Improve Your Adjustment Brush Work In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 6:How To Use The Adjustment Brush Flow And Density Controls In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Filter Brush For Mask Refinement In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Dehaze In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Texture In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Local Hue Tool In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Auto Correction Develop Presets In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Merge To Panorama In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Fill Edges In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Merge To HDR Command Inside of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Merge To HDR Panorama In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Creating Two Versions Of The Same Photo In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Enhanced Details In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Video Editing In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
    • Module 6:EXPORTING
      • Lesson 1:The Export Dialog In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 2:Preparing Photos For Email With Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 3:The Crop Overlay Tool In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 4:How To Add A Watermark In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Crop Multiple Photos To Same Aspect Ratio In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Multi-Batch Exports In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Slideshow Module In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Posting Images To Flickr From Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Customize Your Screensaver Using Lightroom
      • Unlock This Lesson
        From Adobe Lightroom To Instagram
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Dropbox Publish Service Plugin
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Adobe Stock Publish Service
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Make A Folded Greeting Card In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Print Module Template Tricks In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
    • Module 7:THE ADOBE LIGHTROOM FOR MOBILE APP
      • Lesson 1:What Is The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App?
      • Lesson 2:The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile In-App Camera Basics
      • Lesson 3:The Professional And HDR Camera Modes In The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Lesson 4:How To Import Images From Your Camera Roll Into The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Direct Import In Adobe Lightroom Mobile For iOS
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Speed Up Importing In Adobe Lightroom Mobile For iOS With Shortcuts
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Smart Collection Sync Plugin For Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Sync Collections With The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adobe Lightroom For Mobile Image Organizing Tips & Tricks
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Basic Photo Editing With The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Crop Tool In The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Linear & Radial Gradient Tools In Adobe Lightroom For Mobile
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Selective Editing Brush In Adobe Lightroom For Mobile
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Healing Brush In The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Create Presets In The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Share Your Images Using The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Edit Adobe Lightroom For Mobile Photos With Other Apps (iOS)
      • Lesson 5:From The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App To Adobe Photoshop For iPad Pro
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        Adobe Lightroom On The Web
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        Deleting Synchronized Photos From The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
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        Adobe Spark Post
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        Adobe Spark Page
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        Building A Website With Adobe Portfolio
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      BONUS TUTORIALS
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Workflow Smart Collections
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Creating Star Trails With StarStaX
      • Unlock This Lesson
        FotoMagico Slideshows
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Multimedia Slideshows With FotoMagico
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Noise Reduction With Lightroom & DxO OpticsPro
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Custom Raw Profiles In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Custom Camera Default Settings In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Using A Second Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Catalog While Traveling
    • Module 8:TIME-LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY
      • Lesson 1:How To Make A Time-Lapse Movie Using Adobe Photoshop
      • Unlock This Lesson
        LRTimelapse Pro Lesson I
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic + LRTimelapse Pro + Adobe Photoshop
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Holy Grail Of Time-Lapse

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