Using Metadata Presets to Enter Pricing

Entering pricing for images can be a tedious process through the Metadata forms in the Library Module.  However, Adobe Lightroom® has made it much easier through presets.  If all of your images that are for sale carry the same sizes, prices and shipping costs, then creating a Metadata preset will allow effortless updating of prices.  More importantly, the prices and choices will be accurate and the same across the gallery.  If you use different pricing for different events or clients, simply create more than one Metadata preset.

Determine Pricing

First, determine the description, pricing and shipping costs that you wish to offer to your customers.  See the section on Setting Image Pricing and Options for the formatting requirements.  Make a list of your decisions and type them into a single image to use for testing.  Upload a gallery containing the test image and view it on your web site to be sure that the options and pricing show as you expect.  Once you are sure that it works, you can make a preset with those items.

Creating the Pricing Metadata Preset

Next, scroll down to the status section and find the Instructions blank.  It should contain your pricing data similar to the example below.

Now highlight the text you verified in the first step and copy it to the clipboard.  Do this by right-clicking on the text and choosing the copy menu.

Next, go back to the Metadata panel heading, click on the presets menu and choose, Edit Presets.

A large dialog box will come up that is titled, 'Edit Metadata Presets'.

Be sure that all of the sections are unchecked except for the IPTC Status block as shown in the example.  This will prevent your preset from overwriting other data that is stored with your image.

Now, go down to the Instructions blank under the IPTC Status block.  Right-click over the Instructions blank and choose the 'Paste' menu command.

The text that you copied from the test image will appear in the Instructions blank.  Go up to the Preset Name, click on the drop down box and choose 'Save as a new preset'.

Type in a meaningful name like, LRG Complete© Pricing.  Then press the OK button and your preset will be saved.

Applying the Preset to Multiple Images

Now that you have a preset with your selling prices and other image information, we need to apply that information to the Metadata of a range of images in Adobe Lightroom®.  To do this, first select a group of images.  If you are working with a portfolio, this will be much easier, but the method applies to any grid view of images in Adobe Lightroom®.

Highlight an image and press the SHIFT key if selecting contiguous images or the CTRL (Option on the Mac) key if selecting images that are not next to each other.  While holding down the appropriate keyboard key, press the mouse button over another image.  A selection will be made and the images will be highlighted similar to the example below.

Then, select the drop down menu of the Metadata presets just under the Metadata title in the panel.  Choose the preset you created above.  The preset we used was 'LRG Complete© Pricing.'

Check the Instructions item in the IPTC Stats section to see that the preset was applied.  Notice how any copyright or other information is still present.

NOTE:  If multiple images are selected and Metadata is different among the images, the word 'Mixed' appears in the Metadata.  This is not an error in the data, but indicates that more than one value is used in the selections of images.  To remove that word and see the actual data, deselect all but one image with the mouse.

Upload the site and all the images that have assigned prices will be available for purchase.

Editing a Metadata Preset for Changes in Pricing Options

Changes invariably need made to the pricing options after they have been used.  This section deals with editing the preset so that it can be reapplied to the images and uploaded to the site.

First, choose Preset drop down box under the Metadata panel and select the Edit Presets menu item.

The dialog box used to create the preset will be shown.  Go down to the Instruction blank in the IPTC Status section and edit the line with the description, pricing and shipping options.  To make the changes, select the drop down menu at the top of the dialog box with the name of the preset in it.  Choose the Update Preset menu item.

This will save the changes made to your pricing preset.

Finally, select the group of images in Adobe Lightroom® that need adjusted and apply the preset as we did above.  Then upload the site and all your changes will be effective.