XMP Files?

[mcoppadge]

After editing some photos on Photoshop, I found a bunch of .xmp files in the same folder. Can someone enlighten me as to what these are? Can I get rid of them?

 

[Josh66]

Can I get rid of them?

You can, but then you will use all of your work.

They are the sidecar files that tell PS what to do to your picture.

When you edit, it's not actually changing the picture. It's just writing a file (the .xmp sidecar) that tells it what to do when you export it.

 

[mcoppadge]

Are they associated with a certain filetype?

 

[Josh66]

What do you mean? They are a file type.

Do you mean a certain program? As far as I know only PS or LR can read them.

 

[Josh66]

Think of it as a log of all of the changes you have made to a picture.

 

[mcoppadge]

I mean are they created whether or not you're editing JPGs, TIFFs, or RAW?

 

[Josh66]

Yes, they get created no matter what kind of file you are working on.

That's the case with Lightroom anyway, I would think Photoshop would be the same.

 

[mcoppadge]

Great. Thanks!

I use Extensis Portfolio to catalog my photos and I kept finding .xmps in my catalog and didn't want them there. I figured out how to get Portfolio to ignore them so it doesn't really matter anymore. At least now I know what they're for.

 

[Peano]

Are they associated with a certain filetype?

Yes, they're associated only with raw filetypes ... .NEF in your case, .CR2 for Canon raw files, etc. They contain instructions for the changes you made in your raw converter, not changes you made inside Photoshop. So if you move a raw file to a different directory, you should move the .XMP file along with it.

If you don't want Camera Raw to create .XMP files, you can change that in the preferences dialog. But you're probably better off to keep saving changes in .XMP sidecars.

 

[Peano]

Yes, they get created no matter what kind of file you are working on.

No, they're only created for raw files, not for .DNG or .TIF or .JPG, for instance.

 

[Josh66]

Yes, they are created for JPGs and TIFFs in Lightroom - like I said.

 

[Peano]

Yes, they are created for JPGs and TIFFs in Lightroom - like I said.

That's the case with Lightroom anyway, I would think Photoshop would be the same.

It isn't the same in Photoshop/Camera Raw.

 

[iflynething]

I have never actually tried to open one though, gonna try it now though

~Michael~

 

[UUilliam]

.xmp is a virtual backup copy of your RAW file so it doesn't destroy your raw file when editing, If you dont want your changes to be saved, delete them or if you saved the changes as .jpg then delete them if you want.

 

[iflynething]

I have always deleted these files. EVERY time.

If they are back-up to the RAW files, then why are they only under 10kb? I right clicked it and selected to open in PS but nothing happened?

~Michael~