You might have puzzled what’s an XMP file and – extra importantly – the way it works. Generally this may be arduous to grasp, so we’re right here to clear the fog.
An XMP file is a compressed container for metadata supported by apps akin to Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and others. However that’s slightly imprecise, so let’s get extra particular!
What’s an XMP File?
XMP stands for Extensible Metadata Platform. An XMP file (additionally known as a sidecar file) preserves any extra metadata utilized to that file. This enables the data to be saved individually and keep intact between units.
To exemplify: in a picture enhancing app, the edits you make are utilized to a RAW file (the picture that comes instantly out of your digicam). These edits are saved in a separate sidecar file or inside a catalog (e.g., Lightroom catalog).
Lightroom can solely retailer enhancing data in a catalog or XML file as a result of it doesn’t have entry to proprietary RAW recordsdata.
In a nutshell:
An XMP file is a metadata file that shops the settings you utilized to a photograph in apps like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. This data inside an XMP file consists of:
- EXIF data – digicam settings (publicity data like aperture, iso, and shutter pace), time, date, and key phrases that describe the file.
- Edit data – changes made to publicity, white stability, and coloration saturation, in addition to some other modifications you made to the picture’s look
XMP recordsdata may be edited extra simply – that’s, with out altering the unique file. They’re ultimate once you wish to protect your edits, like once you collaborate with different photographers and wish to ship a sidecar file, so that they see the modifications you made to a picture.
This knowledge is normally embedded in sure recordsdata, akin to open format photos like JPEG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF.
I Do Not See XMP Information in My Library
By default, Lightroom embeds XMP data inside Lightroom Catalog with out producing XMP sidecar recordsdata. If that’s the case, you want to allow this perform in Catalog Settings.
The right way to allow XMP sidecar recordsdata in Lightroom:
- Within the prime toolbar, you may see the tab Edit (“Lightroom Traditional” on Mac) – click on on it
- From the dropdown menu, choose the “Catalog Settings” possibility
- Click on on the “Metadata” tab
- Verify the “Robotically write modifications into XMP” field
If you wish to disable this function, return to “Catalog Settings” and uncheck “Robotically write modifications into XMP.”
When you’re working with RAW recordsdata and have this perform turned on, Lightroom will mechanically write enhancing directions to the .xmp file every time you edit the chosen picture – meaning it can try this at each slider you progress in Lightroom.
Utilizing XMP sidecar recordsdata is sweet if you wish to protect your enhancing data in case your catalog will get corrupted. Additionally, XMP recordsdata take up little or no area in your arduous drive. Nonetheless, it slows down Lightroom!
Finally, it’s as much as you to decide on which possibility works finest for you.
XMP Information and Lightroom Develop Presets
Earlier than, Lightroom had restricted enhancing capability and solely allowed for RAW file managing. The Lightroom Develop Preset aimed to make enhancing as accessible as attainable, enabling non-destructive enhancing.
What’s Non-destructive Enhancing?
You’ll see a bunch of RAW and XMP recordsdata with the identical identify piled collectively in your arduous drive. RAW recordsdata are taken out of your digicam – they don’t have any knowledge connected to them. XMP recordsdata are metadata recordsdata: the data saved in them consists of EXIF knowledge and any enhancing you may need completed in apps like Lightroom.
When enhancing RAW recordsdata In Lightroom, all of the modifications are saved within the XMP file. For instance, when you transfer a slider in Lightroom, you may see the edits you made with that slider within the sidecar file (the XMP file). So when you learn it in a textual content editor, you’ll see these edits you made offered as enhancing directions.
As you see, you may edit any picture by altering the values contained in the XMP sidecar and with out touching Lightroom sliders. After all, it might not be sensible.
All these edits you make are remodeled right into a JPEG preview with all of the modifications within the app. The RAW file stays unaltered this complete time.
Sidecar vs Preset
If you wish to save edits utilized to the chosen picture as a preset, Lightroom takes all enhancing directions from sidecar and saves them as Develop Preset utilizing the XMP file format.
In a nutshell, the Lightroom develop preset is identical XMP sidecar file with a distinct perform.
If you apply the develop preset to the picture, the enhancing directions will probably be copied from the preset in XMP format to the sidecar XMP file; Lightroom then reads this file and generates a preview with all these values.
Having a sidecar file permits edits to be shared between apps. For instance, you can begin enhancing a picture in Lightroom, proceed in Photoshop, and ship it over the cloud in Lightroom Cell – with out dropping any enhancing knowledge.
The right way to Open XMP Information in Lightroom?
There is no such thing as a technique to open the XMP file in Lightroom. This system manages all XMP recordsdata mechanically with out you having to do something.
However you may open the XMP file exterior Lightroom.
If you wish to see or change the data inside an XMP file, you may open it utilizing a textual content editor:
- Go to a textual content editor, like Notepad++
- View or edit the XMP file as a textual content file
*You need to use textual content editors if you wish to duplicate presets, as Lightroom doesn’t have this function. Simply duplicate the preset within the file browser and alter the identify contained in the XMP file so Lightroom can see it.
Producing XMP Information on Demand
If you wish to share a RAW file with all of the edits, you may embody a sidecar file subsequent to it. You additionally won’t need Lightroom slowing issues down by writing .xmp recordsdata each time – possibly you wish to go away this option to you.
The right way to create one XMP file:
Edit your picture and hit the “Ctrl-S” (Command-S on Mac) keyboard shortcut. Lightroom will create a separate .xmp sidecar file with all of your modifications.
Various to XMP recordsdata:
There’s additionally a manner round this. You possibly can create a DNG file, so that you don’t should ship each an XMP and a RAW file – all the data will probably be embedded on this one DNG file.
The right way to convert a photograph do DNG file format:
- Go to the Library module.
- Beneath the Library menu within the higher toolbar, choose ‘Convert Photograph to DNG.’
Finally, you may export a photograph as a DNG picture, and all XMP data will probably be embedded contained in the DNG picture.
What’s an XMP File? | Last Ideas
At its most elementary stage, an XMP file is a sidecar file containing extra details about a picture. However as we’ve seen, there’s far more to XMP recordsdata than meets the attention.
Now that you recognize all the pieces about XMP recordsdata, it’s as much as you to resolve if you wish to use them repeatedly in your enhancing workflow or simply each infrequently.