Aperture: Avoiding issues with your External Editor (FAQ)

Questions addressed in this document:

1. The "Open With External Editor" command does not appear in my contextual menus, and it's dimmed in the Images menu.
2. How do I set my external editor?
3. When I use the command, Photoshop opens, but the file does not.
4. Why do files have the same name?
5. Why do I get an "Unsupported Format" message?
6. Why does Aperture unexpectedly quit a lot when I'm editing externally?
7. Why do I have so many versions of the same photo?
8. Sometimes my Photoshop layers are preserved, and sometimes they seem flattened. Why?
9. I just saved in Photoshop, but I don't see the changes in Aperture.
10. My colors look a little off.
11. My color is way off.

1. The "Open With External Editor" command does not appear in my contextual menus, and it's dimmed in the Images menu.

   
   
   That's easy. Just set your external editor, and the command will appear in your contextual menus and become available in the Images menu.
    

2. How do I set my external editor?

   
   
   To set your external editor, choose Aperture > Preferences and click the Set... button that appears underneath External Editor. Complete the ensuing dialog to select your editor.
    

3. When I use the command, Photoshop opens, but the file does not.

   
   
   This usually happens if you've performed an Archive and Install at some point after installing Photoshop CS. This issue is easily resolved. Learn more here.
    

4. Why do files have the same name?

   
   
   This is expected behavior, and you can't avoid it. The Open With External Editor command creates a new file with the same name, though the file suffix (.tiff or .psd) will be different, unless of course you have one of the few cameras that shoots directly to TIFF. Duplicates from an externally edited file will also have the same name and file suffix (assuming you didn't change your preferences mid stream).

   If you want, you can use the Metadata Inspector to rename the affected files manually.

   1. Select a file in the Browser.
   2. If the Inspectors aren't already open, press "I" on your keyboard.
   3. From the Metadata menu that forms the top portion of the Metadata Inspector, choose Name Only (you can actually choose any set that includes Version Name, but this one makes it easy).
   4. Modify the name as desired.
   5. Press Return, or simply click outside the text entry field.
   Tip: Experiment with the Metadata Inspector to learn how to make your own custom sets. After you do, you choose View > View Options to display your own choices as metadata overlays in the Browser and Viewer.

5. Why do I get an "Unsupported Format" message?

   
   
   Aperture supports the RGB color mode, not CMYK, Multichannel, or other. Some unsupported formats will cause Aperture to display an "Unsupported Format" message where the image would normally appear. Lab Color and Multichannel can both cause this (depending on whether you're using TIFF or PSD).

   Some other unsupported formats will display, but may appear incorrectly and cause undesired behaviors. A TIFF saved to CMYK is an example of mildly off, while a PSD saved to CMYK will go further (you see a section of misaligned separation layers).

   To get back an image that is in Multichannel mode, you can reopen it in Photoshop, change the mode back to RGB, then quit and relaunch Aperture. This sequence of events may affect the image quality, so if your changes in Photoshop were minor, you might be better off starting over with a new version.
    

6. Why does Aperture unexpectedly quit a lot when I'm editing externally?

   
   
   Are you working with a lot of the unsupported color modes we just discussed? Try refraining from that for just a few minutes to see if that is your issue. Try working in a project that contains only supported images.
    

7. Why do I have so many versions of the same photo?

   
   
   It's normal for Aperture to create a new version the first time that you use the Open With External Editor command on an image. The new version is actually an alternate master, linked to the original master of the resulting stack. Aperture must create this intermediary PSD or TIFF file (as set in Aperture > Preferences) due to the fact that edits to RAW images can't be shared between applications.

   As long as you stay within the supported formats, you can use the Open With External Editor command to reopen a file that was created by the command, and it should not result in a new version. However, if you use unsupported formats, the versions will proliferate.

   Additionally, if a TIFF or PSD was created via the Open With External Editor command, applying new adjustments to it will cause Aperture to create a new version. Thus you can minimize versions by applying adjustments in Aperture prior to making edits in Photoshop.
    

8. Sometimes my Photoshop layers are preserved, and sometimes they seem flattened. Why?

   
   
   Learn how Aperture preserves Photoshop layers in versions 1.0 and 1.1.
    

9. I just saved in Photoshop, but I don't see the changes in Aperture.

   
   
   Take a deep breath.

   In the amount of time that took you, your image may have finished saving, and the changes will appear in Aperture. The issue is that PSD and TIFF files used for intermediary editing can be very large, and they may take slightly longer to save than you expect. Watch the progress bar in Photoshop, and wait for an image to finish saving before you try to view it in Aperture.
    

10. My colors look a little off.

    
    
    Be sure that you're using the same Onscreen Proofing profile in Aperture that you're using in Photoshop as either the RGB Working Space in the Color Settings dialog OR for Photoshop soft proofing (more on that in a second). Also, select the "Ask When Opening" checkboxes you find in the Photoshop Color Settings. Though these checkboxes are related to another issue, they will help you make the right decisions on color.

    Example:

    • Julie has a workflow that ultimately ends in RA-4 wet lab processing, so she has Photoshop set up with an RGB Working Space of sRGB IEC61966-2.1.
    • Likewise, in Aperture she set the Onscreen Proofing profile to sRGB IEC61966-2.1.
    • Julie sends a TIFF file to Photoshop, and it arrives there with an Adobe 1998 color profile.
    • Because she selected the "Ask When Opening" checkboxes, she gets a warning and can make a sound decision.
    • Julie considers both "Use the embedded profile (instead of the working space)" and "Convert the document's colors to the working space." (She knows that color management rules, so she ignores the "Discard" choice entirely.)
    • Conversion to the working space might limit her choices after returning to Aperture, so Julie decides to use the embedded profile when opening the file, and then follow it up with the soft proofing feature in Photoshop.
      1. Choose View > Proof Setup > Custom... .
      2. In the Proof Setup dialog, choose Profile > sRGB IEC61966-2.1.
      3. Deselect "Preserve Color Numbers" if it's not already.
      4. Choose Intent > Relative Colormetric.
      5. Select "Use Black Point Compensation" if it's not already selected.
      6. Click OK.

    To learn more of what Julie knows, including how to add your custom proof setup to the menu for later use, please choose Help > Photoshop Help... while in Photoshop, and use the search link in the resulting web page. For more on color in Aperture, try this.

    Note: The above settings are an example. You must make informed color choices for your own workflow after reviewing the documentation of all products involved in production, with particular consideration to the limits and colorspace of the final output.
     

11. My color is way off

    
    
    If you convert to a color mode that Aperture doesn't support, such as CMYK or Lab Color, your image will experience a mild to severe color shift. In some cases you may see more exotic effects. See the section on unsupported formats above.