Does Your Computer Run Slow When You’re Editing Photos? Try These 7 Tips
Photo editing is a demanding task, and it’s not uncommon for users to complain about their computers performing at a suboptimal level. This is especially true for older devices, which may not be capable of keeping up with newer software releases.
Having a computer that runs slow when editing images is, at best, annoying. But at its worst, the issue can hinder your productivity and have a knock-on effect on other tasks you need to complete. Fortunately, you have several options to enhance your device’s performance.
1. Only Keep One App Open at a Time
Photo editing software puts a significant strain on your computer’s processing systems. Even if you have a MacBook Pro or something similar, having multiple apps open can impact the speed at which you’re able to edit your pictures.
One common mistake that photo editors make is keeping several programs open simultaneously. While you canuse Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop together, you’re only going to be active within one app at any given time.
Instead of keeping your internet browsers, instant messaging apps, and everything else open, close all your apps apart from the specific photo editing software you’re using. If you need to use Photoshop after making your initial changes in Lightroom, save your file as a PSD and move on to the other app.
2. Choose the Right Computer to Begin With
you may improve any computer’s performance, but your job will become much easier if you start by choosing a device that can handle photo editing in the first place. While many computers at the lower end of the pricing scale are fine for writing and browsing the web, they struggle with more demanding tasks.
Many photographers opt for the MacBook Pro, but you don’t necessarily need one. Dell, Microsoft, and HP all have computers that will enable you to edit your photos with more speed.
If you’re unsure about which computer is right for you, have a look at the manufacturer’s specs. Ideally, they’ll also have tested the device with programs like Photoshop. And if you’re set on an Apple computer,our guide to picking the right MacBook Prowill help you make a better decision.
Buying a second-hand computer is a better choice if you don’t have the budget to buy a brand-new device. There are severalwebsites where you could find used laptops.
3. Keep Your Software Updated
Even if you have the best photo editing computer, it’s important to look after your device if you want it to maintain high performance for longer. One of the simplest ways you can fix a computer that runs slowly when editing photos is to ensure that your software is updated.
How often you receive software updates will depend on your operating system. And while it’s important to install the major upgrades, such as changing from Windows 10 to Windows 11, the smaller updates are also important.
The smaller updates are essential for patching possible glitches on your device. Furthermore,it’s crucial that you install security updatesto minimize the risk of malware creeping onto your device—which could negatively impact computer performance and cause other problems.
Setting up automatic updates is a simple way to ensure that your device always performs as it should. You should also keep your photo editing software up to date, and the process will differ depending on what you use. For Adobe Creative Cloud products, you’re able to check for updates within the apps.
4. Stay on Top of Your Disk Storage
When your computer or smartphone is slower than it previously was, what’s the first thing you do? For many people, it’s cleaning up their storage. And if your computer isn’t performing at the level it should be, you should consider doing the same.
Like when you have multiple apps open, too many unnecessary files on your computer can hinder its photo editing performance. You can start by emptying your Trash folder—and if you’ve edited a lot, it’s worth checking for duplicate photos. This is particularly useful for RAW files, which take up much more space than JPEGs.
You might also want to think about removing RAW files from images that you adjusted a long time ago. Alternatively, you can move them to your editing software’s cloud storage.
5. Save Your Photos to an External Hard Drive
If you’re an avid photographer, it’s easy to edit gigabytes’ worth of photos in a single session. While modern computers often have pretty good storage, you’re still going to burn through it much quicker than non-photographers. With that in mind, buying an external hard drive is a good idea.
When choosing a hard drive for your edited photos, look for something that offers at least 1TB of storage. And if you’re someone that takes a lot of pictures, you should consider opting for something with 2TB or more.
Besides saving your edited shots on an external hard drive, you can also add all of your unedited files and access them whenever you want. Moreover, you may want to shift your photo editing tools from your computer to this kind of storage system.
6. Have a Clear Workflow Outlined
Not having a clearly-defined photo editing workflow can wreak havoc on your photo editing speed. If you’re editing two or more files at once, or you’re shifting between different programs, you’ll often find yourself feeling overwhelmed. Multitasking is also one of the countlessdistractions that can make you less productive.
Before you edit your next round of photos, spend a few minutes outlining your workflow. You can make a simple checklist and keep it in an app on your computer, such as Apple Notes or Google Keep.
7. Adopt a Minimalist Approach to App Usage
Even if you only have one app open at a time, keeping apps that consume more storage space can result in a slower computer overall. So, you should think about whether you really need to use two or more programs.
Photoshop, for example, has Camera Raw in the same place. Camera Raw can do much of what you can achieve in Lightroom, so it might be wise to experiment with only using the Photoshop app.
Improve Your Computer’s Performance for Better Photo Editing
Having a computer that can handle photo editing is crucial if you want to work efficiently, and it’s also essential for ensuring that you don’t become frustrated. Thankfully, if your device isn’t running at an optimal level, small adjustments can often make a huge difference.
Keep your computer and editing software up to date, and attempt to use as few apps as possible. It’s also worth thinking about where you store your files, and regularly clear out your storage.
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