This is a Lightroom Classic feature, and it’s a super useful one. When you’re in the Develop module, to see a side-by-side before-and-after view, just press the letter Y on your keyboard, and — voilà — a side-by-side before/after appears onscreen (as seen below).
If you want to zoom in, press Command–+ (PC: Ctrl–+) and you get the tighter view you see above. If you press the letter Y again, you return to normal view (the after view). If you want to toggle through the different comparison views (left/right, top/bottom, and single-image split-screens of each), click the button with YY on it on the left of the toolbar, just to the left of the words “Before & After.” To leave this mode altogether, press the rectangular button to the left of the YY button (or just press the letter D).
Hope you found that helpful. 🙂
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Here’s wishing you a kick-butt Monday! 🙂
-Scott
nice tuto.
I also like to use the “<" of my belgian keyboard to see full screen before/after.
however i have a problem with virtual copies. If I create the VC after editing original, reset (this reset seems not a reset to original raw !), edit the VC differently and press the before/after "<" key, it shows the original editing, not the original raw file. How, without using history panel at each VC, can we reset the VC to original raw instead of original editing ?
You can also change what you consider the “before” state using the History panel, right clicking, and selecting “Copy History Step Settings to Before.”
That is correct (and a great tip). 🙂