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Using Minimal previews – as opposed to the other options on the list – will save space, and Lightroom can add minimal previews fast (they actually come straight from the original image file). Minimal previews are the smallest previews Lightroom offers. There’s also a fifth type of preview, Smart Previews, which I also discuss below. Note that there are several types of previews you can build in the Library, and each one offers slightly different functionality: The Lightroom Library module uses previews to display your photos so that you can then view, zoom, rate, and flag them. Then, when you export an image, you get an entirely new file with all the edits baked in. It uses previews to display the adjustments. In other words, no matter how heavily you edit a photo, Lightroom leaves the original file unchanged. You see, Lightroom doesn’t change the pixels of your photos directly instead, it keeps a record of the changes you make in the Develop module, then each time you view a photo, it serves up a preview with all your edits. It has to do with Lightroom’s unique form of editing. Let’s dive right in! Why does Lightroom build previews?Įvery file in Lightroom has a preview – but why? Why is this necessary, when other programs – including Photoshop – don’t use previews at all?