Backing Up and Restoring Your Edits

Note: Some interface details and visuals in this article may differ from the latest version of Luminar for Desktop. To see the current interface, visit the Luminar for Desktop walkthrough.

Your Luminar for Desktop catalog contains all your edits. It's crucial to back it up regularly to prevent losing your work in case of issues. Note that this backs up your editing data, not your original photo files.

👉 How to Back Up Your Catalog

1. Open Luminar for Desktop.

2. Go to the menu: File > Catalog > Backup.

3. A dialog box will appear, prompting you to save the backup file.

4. Choose a Safe Location: select a folder different from where your main catalog is stored (another location on the internal drive or an external hard drive is recommended).

5. Save the Backup: Keep the suggested filename or rename it clearly (e.g., LNeo_Catalog_Backup_YYYY-MM-DD). Click Save.

👉 How to Restore Your Catalog from a Backup

on Windows

1. Start Luminar for Desktop.

2. Go to File > Catalog > Open.

3. Find the backup file you saved earlier.

4. Select the manually saved backup file.

on macOS

1. Quit Luminar for Desktop completely.

2. Press & Hold the Option (⌥) key on your keyboard.

3. While holding the Optionkey, click the Luminar for Desktop icon to launch it.

4. Keep holding Option until a "Backups" window pops up. You can then release the key.

5. In the window, select a backup dated before your issue started.

6. Click "Restore from Backup".

7. Luminar for Desktop will now load using that older version of your catalog.