Phosphors

Documentation for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Beta is live.

To use it, choose Help > Lightroom Help (F1) in Lightroom 3 Beta or go to Using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Beta.

Here are some of the Lightroom 3 Beta Help topics:

What's new in Lightroom 3 Beta

Importing photos into a catalog

Exporting using Publish Services

Create a copyright watermark

Simulate film grain

Update the process version

Apply a postcrop vignette

Export a video slide show

Custom print packages

Keep in mind that just like the software, this documentation is prerelease. It may be incomplete or contain bugs. We hope to add commenting capabilities soon so you can provide feedback. Meanwhile, you can always share your thoughts at the Lightroom 3 Beta forum.

Enjoy.

I know all the excitement is about the Lightroom 3 Beta right now, but we could still use some help with a survey about Lightroom 2. If you have ever tried to upload photos from Lightroom 2 to an online sharing site, please take a few minutes to complete this survey. We appreciate your help.

Richard Harrington is a favorite Photoshop trainer who nicely balances a clear, concise style with key details when you need them. He's a great choice whether you're just starting out with the app or a longtime user who wants to dive deeper.

Recently, Richard introduced an iPhone app that lets you learn on the go. To learn more about these iPhone-based tutorials, check out this helpful overview.

We're gathering opinions from Photoshop customers on key workflows.

Click here to take a quick survey about color management.

Click here to take a quick survey about image adjustments.

I received a simple question via email this morning:

"How do you attach and use plug-ins?"

And I realized that Lightroom Help doesn't provide an answer. Certainly, plug-in developers provide some documentation for their own tools--and by all means, do consult it--but here are some things you should know that will help you work more efficiently with plug-ins in Lightroom:

1. Lightroom 2 can work with export plug-ins regardless of where they're located, but it's easiest if you put them in one of the following folders:

• Mac OS: /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Modules
• Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Adobe\Lightroom\Modules
• Windows Vista: C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\Modules

To install a plug-in, simply drag it into one of those folders, and then launch Lightroom. Lightroom will automatically find the plug-in and make it available.

2. Use the Plug-In Manager to enable/disable plug-ins. Choose File > Plug-In Manager or click the Plug-in Manager button in the Export dialog box.

3. To use an export plug-in, click the double-pointing arrow ( ) at the far right of the Files On Disk button that straddles the top of the Export dialog box. Then, choose the plug-in from the list.

4. Some plug-ins have additional functionality that is available by choosing Plug-In Extras from the File, Library, or Help menu.

For more information, see the Export Plug-Ins topic in Lightroom Community Help.