• About
  • Forum
  • Write For Us
  • Contact
  • Top 50 Photography Blogs
  • Resources
  • Archives

IndustryDev

Web Design & Photography Blog

  • Design
    • Lightroom
    • Photoshop
    • Bridge
    • Camera Raw
  • Development
    • HTML
    • CSS
    • JavaScript
    • PHP
    • Dev Tools
    • WordPress
  • Photography
  • Blogging
    • SEO
  • Technology
    • Hosting
  • Inspiration
    • Interviews
    • Learning
You are here: Home / Design / Can I Open a Photo as a Smart Object into Photoshop From Camera Raw?

Can I Open a Photo as a Smart Object into Photoshop From Camera Raw?

March 11, 2019

Question: I’ve been reading about how it’s beneficial to open photos from Camera Raw into Photoshop as Smart Objects and then edit them, rather than opening them in Camera Raw, editing them and then transferring them to Photoshop for further processing. From what I’ve read, if you open the images as Smart Objects in Photoshop and then edit them, the original image isn’t touched at all. All of the data for the edits is contained right in the Photoshop file.

My questions are, is this a good idea and if so, how do I go about doing this?

Answer: Yes, everything you said is true. If you don’t want to have your original photograph touched in any way and you want to preserve it, then you may open it straight from Camera Raw into Photoshop as a Smart Object. Like you said, the benefit is that any connection Camera Raw once had to the image will be severed once you begin editing it via Photoshop. To read more about this process, you can browse through this post on opening an image as a Smart Object in Photoshop. It’s very thorough.

To actually do this, you’ll need to first open your photo in Camera Raw as you normally do. Personally, I use Adobe Bridge to browse my images and then to open them in Camera Raw, but you can use your own process if you wish. Once the image is in Camera Raw, look down to the bottom right corner and find the Open Image button. Keep your eye on that button and then press the Shift key on your keyboard. Pressing the Shift key turns the Open Image button into the Open Object button. Click that button with the Shift key held down.

When you do this, you’ll see that Photoshop opens up and that your image is transferred to it. You’ll also notice that the image layer in Photoshop is a Smart Object. If you double-click that layer thumbnail, your photo will open again in Camera Raw for editing. When you’re finished with your editing and when you want to return to Photoshop, press the OK button. Yes, the Open Image and Open Object buttons have now turned into the OK button. At this point, all edit data will be stored in the Smart Object portion of the Photoshop PSD file. The original image won’t be edited in any way.


I hope this helps.

Related posts:

  1. Can I Make Unique Copies of Smart Objects in Photoshop?
  2. How Much Larger are Smart Object Files Than Regular Files in Adobe Photoshop?
  3. How to Open a Smart Object from Lightroom into Adobe Photoshop
  4. Keyboard Tips & Opening a Camera Raw Image as Smart Object in Adobe Photoshop
  5. How To Open RAW Files As Smart Objects Directly into Adobe Photoshop
  6. Duplicate a Smart Object in Photoshop? Here’s How You Do It
  7. Linking a Smart Object to a File in Adobe Photoshop
  8. How to Correctly Duplicate a Smart Object in Adobe Photoshop
  9. How To Embed a Linked Smart Object into Adobe Photoshop
  10. Converting Multiple Layers into a Smart Object in Adobe Photoshop

Filed Under: Design Tagged With: Camera Raw, Photoshop

What’s Next? Email Updates!

If you enjoyed reading this post, why not consider signing up to receive others like it by email? It's so easy and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect With Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Shutter Priority: How to Take Smooth Water Photos December 6, 2019
  • Can I Make Unique Copies of Smart Objects in Photoshop? December 5, 2019
  • Protecting Text While Warping & Distorting in Photoshop December 4, 2019
  • How to Take the BEST Street Photography December 3, 2019
  • Tips For Taking Nature Photos – Forests & Trees December 2, 2019

Most Popular Posts

  • How to Adjust the Mouse Click & Scroll Settings in Windows 10 How to Adjust the Mouse Click & Scroll Settings in Windows 10
  • Canon Rebel T3i LCD Screen How to Set the Photo Quality in your Canon Rebel DSLR Camera
  • Canon Rebel DSLR T6i Auto Mode How To Stop the Flash From Popping Up On Your Canon Rebel DSLR Camera
  • Race Car How to Export Video From Adobe Photoshop
  • Lovely Couple in the Snow How to Apply an Adjustment to Only One Layer in Adobe Photoshop

Copyright © 2019 · IndustryDev.com Web Design & Photography Blog · About · Write For Us · Contact · Privacy / Terms · Sitemap · Archives