How to Batch Edit in Lightroom

Edit one photo, apply the settings to hundreds. Here's the workflow plus a faster alternative.

Why Batch Editing Exists

Shoot a hundred product photos under the same light and you don't want to edit a hundred times. Lightroom's sync and auto-sync features let you nail one image and apply the same tone, white balance, and lens corrections to every other shot in the set.

The catch is that batch editing only handles uniform moves. Anything that depends on the subject, like background cleanup or shadow removal, still has to be done per image. Retouchable picks up where batch editing stops by running the same AI pipeline on every image you upload, including the subject-specific work.

How It Works with Retouchable

Edit Your Hero Shot

Pick one representative image and get it exactly right. Tone, white balance, lens corrections, crop.

Select the Rest

Highlight the hero plus every other shot in the Filmstrip. The hero should be the active selection.

Hit Sync

Press the Sync button, choose which settings to copy, and Lightroom applies them to every selected image.

5 Batch Editing Tips

Use Auto Sync for Live Changes

Turn on Auto Sync and every slider move instantly applies to the whole selection. Dangerous but fast.

Don't Sync Crop or Spot Removal

Those are per-image settings. Syncing them usually creates weird crops or cloned out spots in the wrong places.

Create a Preset First

If you'll reuse the look later, save the hero's settings as a preset before batch applying. Cleaner for future shoots.

Use Smart Previews for Speed

Build smart previews so Lightroom isn't reading the full RAW on every slider move. Massive speed boost on slower drives.

Batch the Export Too

Export presets with file naming, sharpening, and output sizing save as much time as the actual editing.

Batch Edit Without the Manual Work

Upload an entire shoot and get catalog-ready images back in minutes.

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Why Retouchable for Editing Fundamentals

Bulk Upload

Drop an entire folder of product shots into Retouchable and process them in one pass.

Consistent Output

Every image in the batch comes back with matching tone, background, and framing.

Per-Image Subject Work

Background swaps, shadows, and cutouts run per image so every product gets handled correctly.

Queue and Come Back

Start a big batch, walk away, and come back to a full set of finished images.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I batch edit different products in one pass?

Yes if they share lighting. Mix of colors or shapes is fine as long as the exposure and white balance match.

What does Auto Sync actually do?

It makes every adjustment you make apply in real time to every other selected image until you turn it off.

How is Retouchable different from Lightroom batch?

Lightroom copies numeric settings. Retouchable runs a full AI pipeline per image so background, shadows, and cutouts are handled individually.

Will batch editing work on mixed lighting?

No. Changing light breaks the shared baseline. Group your images by lighting condition first.

Ready to Process a Whole Shoot in One Go?

Retouchable runs the same pipeline on every image so you don't have to babysit.