How to · 6 min
Presets, snapshots, and editable projects
Choose the right kind of saved state for the job.
A reusable look and a remembered version of one photograph are not the same thing. Presets are for repeatable processing choices; snapshots preserve an image’s edit state. Projects retain editable work rather than only a flattened result.
The method
Step by step.
- Use Presets to save processing choices you want to try on other photographs. The current preset surface explicitly excludes local corrections and presentation from its reusable processing scope.
- Before a major variation, open the image actions and expand Snapshots. Choose Save Snapshot.
- Make your alternative edit, then return to the snapshot when you want to compare or restore the earlier recipe.
- Use Save Project when you need an editable project file. Keep the original source available; an export alone is not the editable project.
- Keep a backup strategy that includes source photographs and catalog/project information. A snapshot is not an off-device backup.
Keep this close
Control reference.
- Preset
- Reusable image-processing choices.
- Snapshot
- A remembered edit state for this photograph.
- Project
- An editable document, rather than only an exported image.
- Export
- A rendered delivery file.
Closer to the controls
See the settings, not a reconstruction.
This detail is cropped from the real application capture above. Click to enlarge, then choose actual pixels to inspect the labels and sliders.
At your own pace
Try it.
Save “Restrained chrome” before trying a stronger Finish. Return to it if the second version loses subtle reflections.
Watch for
Do not assume every saved format embeds the entire original RAW. Verify portability before removing or disconnecting source storage.
Monochrome Lab Pro workflow guide. Interface details may evolve. Example settings are creative starting points, not automatic corrections.