Relative adjustment of develop settings - presets via bookmarks.
January 8, 2017
You can use your browser to adjust photos in Lightroom, by clicking on links or bookmarks. Unconventional perhaps, but very useful indeed…
See the readme file after downloading for usage and other notes.
(no particular order)
These FAQs come partly from users, and partly from my imagination. Please let me know if there are errors or omissions in this FAQ - thanks.
NOTE: The following Q&A’s assume that the plugin is working as I expect… If, after your best effort, still “no go”, please let me know.
Question: Why would I ever need or want such a thing as Cookmarks?
Answer:
Question: How does it work?
Answer: Lightroom plugins can handle URL’s that are issued using the ‘lightroom’ protocol. So the cookmarks plugin gets all the develop setting adjustments from lightroom URLs issued via your browser, and applys them to selected photo(s).
Question: How do I get started?
Answer: At some point, I may post some bookmarks for you to import. For now, simply create a bookmark and enter an appropriate URL - see below for syntax, examples, and a bunch of ready-made links you can bookmark and optionally modify. Also, the cookmarks plugin has an item on the file menu for creating the location (URL) to be used in cookin’ bookmarks.
Question: How to create a custom bookmark in my browser?
Answer: Since there is no page to bookmark, you have to create the bookmark using the context menu or equivalent. For example, in Firefox:
Question: What does “Queue full” mean?
Answer: If you click a bookmark, while cookmarks is still busy with the previous request, the incoming URL is put in a queue, if there’s room. If no room in the queue, then you’ll see the above warning - remedy is to wait a moment, then try again.
Question: In the advanced settings, what is format of the prefix option for the edit history?
Answer: {date}{id}{time} {settings}, where:
{date} is YYMMDD{id} is CM, meaning “CookMarks”{time} is HHMMSS{settings} are the adjustments. If you can’t see them all, use a wider panel max (see tip elsewhere on this page).Question: Any other hot tips?
Answer: Yes:
$/locale_metric/Mac/Panel/maxWidth=900/$/locale_metric/Win/Panel/maxWidth=900 in a file named TranslatedStrings.txt in a subdirectory named Resources/{language} of the directory containing your lightroom executable, so you can open the left panel wide enough to see the entire line of cookmarks edit-history. {language} should be a 2-character code, e.g. en for “English”. Or, just use Jeffrey Friedl’s online configurator to widen…, link: http://regex.info/Lightroom/Config/Question: What are some of Cookmarks’ limitations and what are your plans for it’s future?
Answer:
It’s simplest to use the Cookmark URL generator on the file menu (plugin extras), so you never have to learn the cookmark url syntax. But, for those do-it-yerself’rs:
lightroom://com.robcole.lightroom.Cookmarks/\[i\]{name}={value}&\[i\]{name}={value}...
The complete list of names is available in the drop-down list in the URL generator.
Note: Prefix names with ‘i’ to make them incremental (relative).
Examples:
lightroom://com.robcole.lightroom.Cookmarks/iContrast2012=5&iClarity2012=-5
lightroom://com.robcole.lightroom.Cookmarks/Contrast2012=15
lightroom://com.robcole.lightroom.Cookmarks/Preset/Clear Edit History
@v2.0:
lightroom://com.robcole.lightroom.Cookmarks/Multiplier/5/iContrast2012=2&iClarity2012=-2
lightroom://com.robcole.lightroom.Cookmarks/Preset/Black//White
/ in it, you will need to “escape” it by adding an extra slash. Same goes for other things like lens profile names…Next section has a full complement of links you can use as is, or as examples… - of course they can be bookmarked too, er - I mean “cookmarked” ;-)
Remember to try the special ‘Hello’ link below first, after installing plugin.
Reminder: Bookmarks (aka “Favorites”) are how custom cookmark develop presets are saved for re-use.
File Menu → RC Cookmarks → Create a Cookmark
When finished, copy the URL onto the clipboard and paste it into the field of your browser’s bookmark properties labeled “Location” or “URL”.
Consult your browser documentation for help on creating custom bookmarks.
e.g. in Firefox, you right/ctrl-click on a bookmark folder and select ‘New Bookmark’.
You can also bookmark the cookmark links on this page below. To change the URL, right/ctrl-click the bookmark and choose ‘Properties’.
If you haven’t already done so, install cookmarks plugin and assure it is enabled.
Note: Some links are for PV2012 only, others are for PV2010/03 only - they should be so indicated. If no indication, they should be universal.
Reminder: The links below are hot - If you have Lightroom running (and cookmarks plugin installed and enabled) you will be adjusting selected photos when you click them. There’s a prompt to warn you the first time, but after that - you’re on your own!
On this page, there links for several combined adjustments, as well as links for each individual adjustment except lens corrections and camera calibration. The cookmarks plugin supports lens corrections and camera calibration too - all settings except crop, orientation, and tone-curve-enable.
Feel free to bookmark these as a starting point for your own cookmark presets.
Note: In the right column, the +1 settings are listed.
Due to the image-adaptive nature of PV2012, these settings sometimes do not do exactly what’s advertised without a little tweak afterward.
Note: Always try ‘Hello’ link first, after installing cookmarks plugin…
| Hello | Verify cookmarks plugin is enabled, without modifying any photos. After clicking the ‘Hello’ link, a dialog box should pop up in Lightroom, confirming cookmarks plugin is ready for photo adjustments… |
| Preset: Clear Edit History | In order for this to work, you must first create a preset in Lightroom named ‘Clear Edit History’ - this is just an example of how to issue presets via cookmarks. PS - to create a “clear edit history” preset, just create a blank preset then edit with a text editor and enter ClearEditHistory = true as it’s only setting. Note: it will only clear top of edit history - not the whole thing. |
| Test Error Handling | See if errors are being handled appropriately - hint: try ‘Hello’ first. |
Special | Basics | Tone PV2012 | Color | Black&White | Split Toning | Detail | Effects | Tone+Color Combos | PV2010/03
Auto Tone
-10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10
Percent auto-toning: +1=10%, +10=100%
Instructions: First, edit photo manually, as best you can. Then, try 10% or 20% movement toward auto-toned values (for example). If it makes it a little better, consider clicking it again… Maybe tweak a particular setting which is getting a little “off course”, then click again… - try it!
White Balance
Note: Temperature & Tint adjustments will go much faster if already set to ‘Custom’.
| White Balance | Custom | As Shot | Auto | Daylight | Cloudy | Shade | Tungsten | Fluorescent | Flash |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |—————–|——————————————————————————–|——————————————————————————–|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|—————————————————————————–|—————————————————————————–|—————————————————————————–|—————————————————————————–|——————————————————————————-|——————————————————————————-|—————————-| | Temperature | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +temperature(50) Raw only. | | Tint | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +tint(1) Raw only. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | RGB Temperature | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +temperature(1) RGB only. | | RGB Tint | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +tint(1) RGB only. |
Tone PV2012
| Exposure | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +exposure(.01) |
| Contrast | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +contrast(1) |
| Highlights | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +highlights(1) |
| Shadows | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +shadows(1) |
| Whites | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +whites(1) |
| Blacks | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +blacks(1) |
Presence
| Clarity 2012 | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +clarity(1) PV2012 only. |
| Sharpness | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +sharpening(1) amount. |
| Vibrance | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +vibrance(1) |
| Saturation | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | +saturation(1) |
Special | Basics | Tone PV2012 | Color | Black&White | Split Toning | Detail | Effects | Tone+Color Combos | PV2010/03
Definitions:
Symmetrical
Exposure + Fill -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 +exposure(.01) -highlights(1) +shadows(1)
This is the closest thing Lr4 has to Lr3 fill light. It uses +shadows to fill dark tones, +exposure to fill midtones and highlights, and -highlights to reduce highlight fill. Although it will brighten the blacks a little bit, not that much due to PV2012 design. If you are having difficulties getting enough fill this way, consider tossing in some +blacks, or reducing contrast. You can also add a local gradient to increase shadow fill. If still not enough try the tone curve, if still not enough, use locals (paint). If you could stand some more shadow detail, try clarity.
Sometimes a good one to start with, when photo needs both darks & mids brightened…
Fill (Progressive) -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 +exposure(.01) +shadows(2) -highlights(2) -blacks(-.02) Similar to ‘Exposure + Fill’, except easier on the exposure, and keeps blacks well-seated to maintain maximum intra-shadow contrast.
Toss this one into the mix when you need more fill, but mids are nearly bright enough already, and blacks are becoming unclipped too much.
Combined Fill -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 +blacks(1) +shadows(1) -highlights(1) Fills shadows using both blacks and shadows sliders (without overbrightening highlights). This is good when your shadows have plenty of contrast already, but still need more fill. Bottom Drop -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 -blacks(1) +shadows(1) -highlights(1) Drops the bottom end of the photograph down. This is good for left-shifting photo tones, without losing right end, and without over-darkening the shadows in the process. Contrast/Saturation -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 +contrast(3) -saturation(1) Increase contrast without over saturating. Note: I often use this in reverse (negative values) to decrease contrast without losing saturation - for when more shadow fill and/or highlight stratification is needed, and its OK or desirable to reduce midtone contrast in the doing… Highlights/Shadows -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 +highlights(1) -shadows(1) Positive values for when other adjustments have resulted in overly reduced highlights and over-filled shadows. Negative values for the opposite. Clarity/Contrast -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 +clarity(1) -contrast(1) +highlights(1) -shadows(1) Positive values replace global contrast with local contrast. Negative values replace clarity with global midtone contrast. Midtone Contrast -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 +contrast(1) -highlights(1) +shadows(1) -saturation(.3) Positive values increase midtone contrast, without overbrightening highlights or over-compressing shadows, and without over-saturating. Highlight extension/contrast -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 +whites(1) -exposure(.01) Positive values extend/expand the highlights. There will be a corresponding reduction in midtone and shadow brightness. Intra-highlight contrast -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 +whites(1) -exposure(.006) -highlights(.4) +shadows(.4) Extends and expands the highlights, but without the corresponding reduction in midtone and shadow brightness. Whites Recovery -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 -whites(2) +exposure(.01) +contrast(1) Intra-whites Contrast -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 absolute adjustment of parametric tone curve: highlight split = 90, accompanied by relative adjustment of tone curve to debrighten, with upward inflection in whites. Also, a myriad of slider adjustments… Enhances definition of whites (brightest tones of any color). Good for bright clouds, snow, waterfalls, white flowers, white wedding dresses…
Consider shifting parametric midtone and shadow splitters leftward after using, to keep from losing intra-highlight contrast.
Asymmetrical
Extended Fill To undo it, use Lightroom proper. +1 +2 +4 +8 +16 +32 Mix of absolute and relative. Max shadows, with varying amounts of +blacks too, and other (relative) adjustments. Raw or RGB. For those times when you need more bottom-end oomph than shadow slider alone can provide (without increasing exposure). Won’t overbrighten highlights.
*** Includes absolute adjustment of parametric tone curve.
Deep Fill, Ultimate To undo it, use Lightroom proper. Do It (Raw) Starts with max shadows and max blacks, then mixes in some compensations and tone curve. Fill deepest tones most - you’ll need to make some adjustments to exposure, contrast, highlights and/or whites afterward, maybe even clarity and color/vib/sat. This can be used to accomplish an effect similar to Lr3 fill-light, in cases when more conventional PV2012 shadow fill techniques ain’t cuttin’ it. Raw files only. Deep Fill, Ultimate To undo it, use Lightroom proper. Do It (RGB) Ditto, but for RGB files, not raw files. Reduce Shadow Detail To undo it, use Lightroom proper. +1 +2 +4 +8 +16 +32 Compress shadows, deepest tones most. Guts of this are +blacks -shadows +contrast -highlights, but:
*** Includes absolute adjustment of tone curve.
Blacks/Shadows -32 -16 -8 -4 -2 -1 +1 +2 +4 +8 +16 +32 Switches the balance of fill to use more blacks and less shadows. Contrast/Blacks -32 -16 -8 -4 -2 -1 +1 +2 +4 +8 +16 +32 +contrast(1) +blacks(1) -highlights(.5) -saturation(.2) Sometimes I use the negative version of this to reduce contrast in favor of pulling the blacks back. Brighten & compress highlights -32 -16 -8 -4 -2 -1 +1 +2 +4 +8 +16 +32 +blacks(2) -shadows(1) +contrast(1) -saturation(.5) -highlights(1) In a nutshell: Brightens shadows and midtones, compresses highlights. Clarity Light -32 -16 -8 -4 -2 -1 +1 +2 +4 +8 +16 +32 +clarity(3) +blacks(1) -highlights(1) Increases clarity, but in a way that keeps from too much darkening. Will brighten photos slightly, but won’t overbrighten highlights. Midtone Clarity -32 -16 -8 -4 -2 -1 +1 +2 +4 +8 +16 +32 +clarity(3) +blacks(1.5) -shadows(1) -highlights(1) -contrast(1) Increases clarity, somewhat confining it’s effect to the midtones. Midtone Brightness -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 +exposure(.01) -highlights(2) -shadows(2) I most often use this toward the end of editing, to fine tune the midtone level, without impacting the shadows or highlights too much. Special | Basics | Tone PV2012 | Color | Black&White | Split Toning | Detail | Effects | Tone+Color Combos | PV2010/03
Special | Basics | Tone PV2012 | Color | Black&White | Split Toning | Detail | Effects | Tone+Color Combos | PV2010/03
Black&White Colored Black&White Automix Automix requires Black&White first. Red -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 Orange -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 Yellow -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 Green -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 Aqua -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 Blue -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 Purple -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30 Magenta -30 -10 -5 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +5 +10 +30
Special | Basics | Tone PV2012 | Color | Black&White | Split Toning | Detail | Effects | Tone+Color Combos | PV2010/03
| Highlight Hue | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Highlight Sat | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Balance | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Shadow Hue | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Shadow Sat | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 |
Special | Basics | Tone PV2012 | Color | Black&White | Split Toning | Detail | Effects | Tone+Color Combos | PV2010/03
Singles
| Sharpness | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | Sharpening Amount |
| Radius | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Detail | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Masking | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Luminance Noise Reduction | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Detail preservation | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | Reminder: Lr default base is 50. |
| Contrast enhancement | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | Reminder: default base is 0. |
| Color Noise Reduction | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Detail preservation | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 |
Combos
| Sharpen with less Detail and Masking | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | Net result will be slight increase in sharpening. |
Special | Basics | Tone PV2012 | Color | Black&White | Split Toning | Detail | Effects | Tone+Color Combos | PV2010/03
Post-crop vignette
| Amount | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Midpoint | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Roundness | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Feather | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Highlights | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 |
Grain
| Amount | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Size | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Roughness | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 |
Special | Basics | Tone PV2012 | Color | Black&White | Split Toning | Detail | Effects | Tone+Color Combos | PV2010/03
| Punch (PV2012) Normal | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | Make more contrasty and saturated… - PV2012 only. Includes a good dose of +whites (w/ -exposure compensation). |
| Punch (PV2012) for Autotoned Images | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | Ditto, except reduced +whites, since auto-toning already provides a good dose. |
Special | Basics | Tone PV2012 | Color | Black&White | Split Toning | Detail | Effects | Tone+Color Combos | PV2010/03
| Exposure | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Recovery | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Fill Light | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Blacks | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Brightness | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Contrast | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 | |
| Clarity | -30 | -10 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +5 | +10 | +30 |
Special | Basics | Tone PV2012 | Color | Black&White | Split Toning | Detail | Effects | Tone+Color Combos | PV2010/03
(reverse chronological order)