Understanding Copy and Paste settings in Lightroom Classic

Using the Copy and Paste buttons in the side panel of the Develop Module can be a little unintuitive at first. When you use these features, they only apply the settings to the first selected (active) image due to how Lightroom Classic handles these commands.

Why It Happens

1. Selected Image Focus: The Copy and Paste buttons are designed primarily to work with the currently highlighted (active) image. Even if you have multiple images selected, it will only copy from and paste to the first image you highlighted.
2. User Interface Behaviour: This behaviour is consistent with many versions of Lightroom, where the main image in an active selection takes precedence in these operations.

How to Alter This Behaviour

While you can’t change the fundamental way the Copy and Paste buttons work in the side panel, you can use alternative methods to apply settings to multiple images efficiently.

1. Use the Sync Settings Method:
   • After editing the first image, select it and any others you wish to apply the settings to.
   • Click the Sync button instead.
   • This will allow you to synchronise settings across all selected images.
2. Use Copy and Paste from the Develop Settings menu
   • After editing the first image, select it and any others you wish to apply the settings to.
   • Right-click (Mac/Win) or Ctrl-click (Mac), or Menu-click (Windows) on the active image and select Develop Settings > Copy Settings, and select which settings you want copied over from the dialogue. Now, click on the selected images and select Develop Settings > Paste Settings.
   • This will paste the settings across all selected images, but it’s slower (more convoluted) than the Sync Settings option.
3. Apply Presets:
   • You can create a preset from the edited image and then apply it to the group of images. This allows for batch adjustments based on your specific edits.
4. Quick Develop Panel:
   • In the Library Module, use the Quick Develop panel to apply adjustments by selecting multiple images directly.

Summary

In summary, the behaviour of the Copy and Paste buttons in Lightroom Classic is designed for the currently active image. To apply edits to multiple images quickly, consider using the Sync Settings feature or creating and using Presets. Using the Copy and Paste Settings from the contextual menu is possible, but the Sync Settings option is quicker. This approach will help streamline your editing process and ensure consistency across your selections.

For more information, see this post.