December 26, 2025
The Classic: “Where is the Save button?”
Beginners often desperately look for File > Save.
- Question: “Where is the ‘Save’ button? I don’t want to lose my work!”
- Answer: There isn’t one! Darktable works non-destructively. Every slider you move is immediately saved automatically in the database and in a small sidecar file (XMP). You can simply close darktable at any time – your work is safe.
The mysterious files: “What are these .xmp files?”
Many users delete these files to “clean up” and lose their edits in the process.
- Question: “There are suddenly lots of .xmp files in my photo folder. Can I delete them?”
- Answer: Please don’t! These small text files contain your complete editing history (the “blueprints”). Your original photo (RAW) is never touched. If you delete the XMP file, your edits are gone and the image looks like it did at the beginning again.
Export vs. Save
- Question: “So how do I get my image out as a finished photo?”
- Answer: Since darktable never changes your original, you have to generate a new image. This happens in the “Export” module on the lighttable. Here you create a copy of your work as a JPG or TIF, which you can then send or print.
The Filter Trap: “My pictures are gone!”
This often happens when you accidentally set a star rating filter or a date filter.
- Question: “I imported images, but I don’t see them in the lighttable anymore!”
- Answer: Often just a filter is active. Check the “Collection Filters” in the top panel. Is “5 stars only” perhaps activated there? Or is a wrong folder or an old date selected in the “Collections” module (left)? Click on “Reset collection” or select “Film roll” to see the latest imports.
Module Overload
- Question: “There are so many modules, I’m confused!”
- Answer: Darktable is powerful, but you only need a handful of modules for 90% of images.
- Tip: Use our Preferences. They reduce the visible modules to the essentials (the “scene-referred workflow”). Ignore the “All Modules” tab and stay in the tab with the “Power Button” (Active Modules) or the “Favorites Star”.
What does “Darktable Pro” mean? Do I have to pay for it?
No, darktable is and remains free open-source software.
We use the term “Pro” because our configuration (themes & shortcuts, presets, styles, etc.) transforms darktable from a (very good) cluttered toolbox into a professional working instrument.
The idea behind it is: Less is more.
- Pro means: You work more efficiently, not more complicatedly.
- Pro means: No distraction from obsolete modules.
- Pro means: An interface optimized for speed and the modern workflow.
Darktable sometimes behaves differently than you might be used to from other programs. Here are the solutions for the most common “moments of shock”.
“Why do my RAWs look so dark/flat when opening?”
Don’t panic, that’s normal!
- The Reason: Your camera shows you an already processed JPEG on the display (with contrast, sharpness, saturation). But Darktable shows you the “naked” raw data.
- The Solution: This is exactly why we use the Standard Workflow. As soon as you activate AgX or Filmic and Color Balance RGB, the image immediately looks lively again – but with much higher quality than the camera JPEG.
“My exported image has very flat colors on the web!”
This is almost always a profile error.
- The Solution: You probably exported in AdobeRGB or ProPhotoRGB. Browsers often cannot display this correctly. In the export module, strictly set the profile to
sRGB.
“Darktable is extremely slow!”
Image editing is computational work.
- The Solution: Check if your graphics card is being used. Go to Settings (gear icon) -> Processing -> Activate OpenCL support. If it says “not available” there, you might be missing graphics drivers. With an active GPU, Darktable is blazing fast.
“Where are my pictures stored?”
Important concept: Darktable is a database.
- It does not store your images “inside” the program. It only remembers where they are on your hard drive.
- Attention: If you move or rename images in Windows Explorer / Finder, darktable will no longer find them (skull symbol).
- Correct: Always move images within Darktable (in the lighttable under “selected images” -> “move”), then the database knows about it.
“I have white edges (halos) around objects!”
You probably used an obsolete module.
- The Solution: Did you use “Shadows and Highlights” or “Sharpen”? Deactivate them. Instead, use the Tone Equalizer (for brightness) and Diffuse or Sharpen (for sharpness).