Using Lightroom Classic for in-person sales

If you already edit in Lightroom Classic, you don’t need to change that. You can keep your originals there and use IPS Viewer for the client’s photo choices and order.

The extra step is exporting a folder of photos from Lightroom Classic and importing it into IPS Viewer. Here’s how.

Do you need a separate sales program?

Lightroom Classic’s Compare and Survey views help you compare photos. Flags, stars, and color labels give you ways to mark favorites. If that works for your appointments and you already have a good way to record orders, you may have everything you need.

IPS Viewer adds products, sizes, quantities, and order notes alongside the photo selection. It’s useful when you want to record the print order while you’re looking at the images with your client.

This guide is for Lightroom Classic. The application called Lightroom has a different interface.

Move your photos into IPS Viewer

  1. Finish preparing the photos in Lightroom Classic and select the ones for the appointment.
  2. Choose File → Export. Export JPEG files to a folder on your computer, using filenames you can match to your originals.
  3. Check the exported files, then use Import Images… in IPS Viewer to select that folder. Put the photos directly in the folder; the importer doesn’t include subfolders.
  4. Use IPS Viewer to mark Yes, Maybe, and No choices and record the order. Save your .IPS session manually as you work.

There’s no direct plugin or automatic sync. Selections made in IPS Viewer won’t appear automatically in your Lightroom catalog.

One photo can mean several prints

Suppose your client chooses portrait_014.jpg and wants two 8×10s. Marking the photo Yes records their choice. Adding an 8×10 product with a quantity of two records the order.

Keep your Lightroom originals for final editing and production. Use the filenames and notes in the order to find the right images when you’re ready to make the prints.

Importing photos into IPS Viewer · Running an ordering appointment

Watch it before you decide

The demo shows the photo-selection and ordering steps in IPS Viewer.

Watch the demo · Buy IPS Viewer — $189

Windows software. One-time purchase. No subscription. 14-day money-back guarantee.

Adobe references: Compare and Survey views · Exporting photos. Checked for this rewrite.