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Guide / Copy and apply settings in batches
Copy and apply settings in batches
Copy settings from one photograph to others. Paste only the groups you need, such as white balance, without replacing individual exposure edits or crops.
Before you start
Adjust one photograph first, then choose the others that need the same settings. Photographs with different exposures, positions, or formats usually should not share every setting.
Steps
Copy settings
Adjust the source frame and note its number. Choose Copy Settings from the Viewer menu or by right-clicking the source frame in the Contact Sheet; Edit → Copy Settings is another entry. Select the target photographs afterward. Copying records edits only; it does not copy, move, or back up originals.
Copy Settings in the Viewer context menu. Check the source frame before copying; this copies settings, not the photograph file.Select image to enlarge Select photographs and paste the needed settings
In the Contact Sheet, click the first target to replace the previous selection, then hold Cmd on macOS or Ctrl on Windows while clicking the others. Check the count and selection marks, leaving out the source and any earlier selection. Choose Edit → Paste Settings… or right-click for Paste Settings…. To copy white balance only, select White Balance and clear the other groups before pasting. This preserves each target’s exposure, crop, and analysis area. A single-frame paste from the Viewer context menu affects that frame, not the Contact Sheet selection.
Contact Sheet multi-selection: nine of 37 frames selected. Paste Settings opens the paste options; check the selection count and source first.Select image to enlarge Do not confuse single-frame and batch paste
This Viewer menu pastes only to the current frame; it is not a batch operation. Use the Contact Sheet selection above for multiple targets. Paste Settings… lets you choose groups; Paste Last Options reuses the previous choices. Open Paste Settings… to inspect the groups if unsure.
Do not confuse single-frame and batch pasteSelect image to enlarge Apply settings to every frame
To apply settings across the roll, open the source in the Viewer and right-click the photograph for Apply Settings to All Frames…. Check the source and select only the groups the frames can share, then click Apply to All. This always affects every frame, regardless of the Contact Sheet selection. Keep separate crops and analysis areas for different formats or positions, and retain individual tonal edits where exposures differ.
Viewer menu: Apply Settings to All Frames… applies roll-wide, regardless of the current multi-selection.Select image to enlarge Choose shared settings in the confirmation window
In the confirmation window, select only settings that can be shared, then click Apply to All. If you only want matching white balance, do not also select crop, analysis area, or exposure. Cancel and inspect source and targets if unsure.
Choose shared settings in the confirmation windowSelect image to enlarge Check the pasted settings
Open at least one target frame and one image that should remain unaffected. Check the intended settings. If scope or groups were wrong, use Undo before layering further edits.
Check the result
Open a few target photographs to check the edits, then inspect an unselected photograph to confirm it has not changed. Undo promptly if you selected the wrong targets.
Common issues
- Unexpected framing or analysis after paste: check for inappropriate geometry/analysis groups, undo, then transfer only the required groups.