Download Lightroom for PC for Free [2022]

Adobe Lightroom for PC is a fantastic photo manipulation software developed by Adobe Inc. Since Adobe has moved to a subscription-based plan from its previous licensing model, you can use this software by purchasing the Adobe creative cloud monthly or annual subscription plan. 

Adobe Lightroom is primarily used for importing, sharing, saving, exporting, organizing, and viewing large quantities of digital images. It features a plethora of fascinating editing features that streamline the editing work. The most prominent of them all are color grading, lens correction, red eye removal, spot removal, radial filers, and adjustment brushing. 

As the name Lightroom implies, it unleashes darkroom for processing light-sensitive photographic materials. Lightroom is a distinguished photo editing software that keeps the original image intact while the user is editing an image. Lastly, it allows you to save edited images in new files, so your original picture will not be affected if you aren’t comfortable with Lightroom photo editing tools.

Additionally, Lightroom can save photos once you upload them into its database and support all image types, mainly PNG, JPEG, CMYK, and PSD.  

Lightroom for PC was primarily meant to be used for desktop operating systems. However, in 2017 Adobe released Lightroom mobile to extend support for the mobile device. 

The latest edition of Lightroom for desktop is known as Lightroom Classic CC, whereas Lightroom for mobile is known as Lightroom CC. Although they both have the same name, the way they store images in their database and interact with Adobe’s cloud is completely different.

Furthermore, Lightroom CC stores all the imported files and pictures on its cloud database, while Lightroom Classic CC stores all the files and images in its own database. Both versions of Lightroom allow users to create, upload, import, and export Lightroom presets, a batch copy of in-program edits.

Organizing Photos in Lightroom Classics

Photos uploaded into Adobe Lightroom can be accessed from the three primary locations: Catalog, Folders, and Locations. All of them are located on the left side of the Library Module. 

The Catalog displays every photo stored in Lightroom and a plethora of filtered views. Folders reveal folder hierarchy for all the images that have been imported into Lightroom.

Collections are similar to virtual folders that enable you to group different images without affecting their location on the hard drive.

Adobe Lightroom Custom CC has defined a specific set of rules for Smart Collections. Also, this great tool organizes all the pictures based on ratings, colors, and other criteria. This tool could be insanely beneficial while grouping the fragmented images and deciding what to keep and remove.

Anything removed from the Smart Collections is stored in the Lightroom Catalog. Any pictures deleted from the Catalog will be permanently removed from your hard drive. 

It is worth mentioning that once the files are referenced in Lightroom’s catalog, you can only change their location within the Lightroom space. Any changes you make outside the Lightroom (i.e., on your hard drive) will detach that particular file and could cause problems.

One of the biggest benefits of the Collection tool in Lightroom is its ability to be synced with Lightroom mobile and other smart devices. To get this job done, all you need to do is to click a tiny bi-directional arrow located next to your Collection.

With the Synced Collection, any update you make with the picture on your computer or any other device will update automatically. This real-time update could be exhilarating for professional photographers.

The Library module allows you to view each image thumbnail faster and can be used with the combination of Smart Previews. It allows users to filter their images using certain criteria like flags, ratings, color labels, and the camera or lens used to capture the photo.

You can add keywords of your choice to save your pictures in an easily retrievable manner. Keywording photo is a fantastic idea, but it only works if you do it on your own.

Above all, you can quickly adjust your photos in the Library module via the Quick Developer Panel. This tool could be insanely beneficial if you want to add the same batch to multiple photos. That being said, Develop tool offers better control while editing.

Salient Features of Lightroom for PC

Ease of Use

Editing and organizing photos via Lightroom is easy to use and enjoy. You don’t necessarily have to be a professional photographer to embrace this software. Local adjustment tools and a few advanced options require a little training, but fortunately, complete training material is freely available online.

Additionally, the WYSIWYG Lightroom interface provides real-time feedback on any change in the image though every change is reversible. On top of that, your real image remains unaffected.

With this excellent feature, beginners can explore different tools of this utility without bothering about their original picture. Moreover, it provides more advanced options to professional photographers.

Performance

One often-reported complaint about Lightroom is its notoriously slow performance. As with any other software, there is a myriad of software that contributes to the slow performance and many of them have no direct link with the software.

If you have a computer with plenty of RAM and SSD, you’ll experience a better performance of Lightroom, specifically while editing large quantities of files. However, despite having a fast computer, you might experience a little bit speed bump while running some operations.

For instance, importing huge images to the Lightroom catalog could be relatively slower than creating Preview and implementing Develop Presets.

Furthermore, grouping and editing images is almost impossible before the importing process completes. Many professional photographers leverage other utilities like Photo Mechanic to cope with this problem. On the flip side, exporting images from Lightroom is a memory-intensive process. Therefore, a computer with multiple cores yields better performance.

Worth Spending Money

The subscription package of Lightroom Custom CC keeps changing, so it is better to check the latest pricing plan before you download Lightroom for PC. 

If you want to take your photography skills to the next level, consider investing money in Lightroom, as it provides many marvelous features and improved speed. 

Since its inception, it has made the life of photographers a lot easier than ever before by allowing them to sync and back up their photos via Adobe Creative cloud. On top of that, users can edit photos with their smartphones or tablets.

System Requirements of Lightroom for PC

Windows

Mac OS

Conclusion

Upon purchasing a subscription to Lightroom for PC, you’ll receive 1TB of cloud storage, so we strongly recommend it to novice photographers working for multiple agencies simultaneously. 

Lastly, Adobe is consistently improving its software; with each new release, they add support for new cameras.  The Lightroom best suits struggling photographers who want to succeed professionally because of its potent and easy-to-learn photo manipulation tools.