Ratings are how you save your choices while you cull. Stars, color labels, tags and rejects mean whatever you want them to mean, so use them in the way that suits your workflow. They're separate from Narrative's AI assessments.
How should I use ratings?
There's no right or wrong way to use ratings in Narrative. Many photographers give one star to the photos they want to edit. Others use color labels for things like blog posts, social media or photos that need retouching, or a tag for photos to come back to.
To rate a photo, press its shortcut key, or use the rating controls on the thumbnail.
What are the rating shortcuts?
These rating shortcuts work in Narrative on both Mac and Windows:
1–5: star rating
0: clear stars
6, 7, 8, 9, P: red, yellow, green, blue and purple labels
⌘ 0 / Ctrl 0: clear the color label
⌘ ⌥ 0 / Ctrl Alt 0: clear all ratings
T: tag
U: remove a tag or reject
X: reject
You can turn on auto-advance after rating, or make a rating key remove the rating when you press it again, in Preferences. For every shortcut, see Narrative keyboard shortcuts.
How do I ship only my keepers?
Rate each photo you want to keep.
Filter by that rating to check your selection.
Click SHIP + EDIT.
Choose the ratings you want to ship.
Check the photo count and destination, then ship.
Narrative sends just those photos to your editing software or chosen folder. If a photo you expected is missing, check your filters and the ratings you've chosen in Ship + Edit.
For example, choosing one-star photos might show 8 of 142 selected. Every shoot is different, so there's no right number to aim for.
What happens to rejected photos?
Rejecting a photo in Narrative doesn't delete it. Reject works like any other rating, so you choose whether rejected photos are included when you ship, move or copy. If you don't want them, just leave rejected photos out of your selection in Ship + Edit.
Can Narrative rate my photos automatically?
Yes, Narrative can rate your photos automatically with Auto-rate, but only when you choose to run it. Go to Photo → Auto-rate via First Pass… to apply ratings by First Pass category, like one star for every Best in scene photo.
Important: Auto-rate can overwrite ratings you've already applied. Check every category before clicking Apply Ratings. Auto-rate never deletes photos.
Where are my ratings saved?
Narrative saves ratings for RAW photos in XMP sidecar files. These are small files saved next to each photo that store your ratings. Keep those files with your photos whenever you copy, move or back them up, or your ratings won't come with them.
Will my ratings show up in my editing software?
Yes, your Narrative ratings show up in Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC, including stars, color labels, tags and rejects. Other editors handle them differently. For example, Capture One reads stars and color labels but ignores tags and rejects. Check editor compatibility.