Hey!

If I've desaturated an image in my raw converter, then brought it into Photoshop and cloned/healed it, only to decide after all that Photoshop work, I want to see the image more saturated, is there any way to re-export the original file with the saturation value amplified and, overlaying the re-export over the retouched file, simply transfer saturation values over?

I cannot simply boost saturation of the retouched photo.

Thanks!

Depending on your version of PS you could this, make a duplicate copy of the original PSD and open it in ACR (File-Open As and look for Camera RAW), do the adjustments you need and then open it in PS, then open the original, go back to the adjusted PSD and just duplicate the layer from the onto the original and mask away.

Another way would be to flatten the image or stamp visible and duplicate into a new document save as a TIF and Open As in ACR.

That's what I can think on top of my head.

I would make a duplicate image, put it in the LAB color mode, and draw the ends of the diagonal line, in the A&B channels, in the curves box, straight across, laterally, (away from the corners). An equal, symmetrical drawing in of the corners keeps the color balance the same, an unequal, a-symmetrical drawing in of the corners gives you different color casts, (this can be desirable if you are unhappy with the color balance of the original). In any case, you will add a lot of saturation to the new image. If you click and drag this image onto the original, while holding down the shift key, the two images will line up, pixel for pixel. You can take the opacity of the new image/layer down, until you are happy with the amount of saturation, then merge it down. I like to put the new one on top, and take the opacity down, because The new one will spike up the two sides of the histogram, when taken back into the RGB color space. I know this is a mouthful, so, if you have any questions, you can message me here.
-Don
Don't draw in the corners very much. If you Ctrl click in the curves box, you can toggle back and forth from a finer, to a more course grid.

The point of RAW conversion as a first step (This doesn't apply if conversion is your only step) is to get the BEST file you can from the camera sensor information, maximize the range of your raw file.

DESATURATING is something you can Always do in photoshop with one simple adjustment layer, there's no point in doing that from the raw.

I wouldn't be trying to find a workaround if I were you, I would change my workflow.

Try Photoshop Match Color:
http://youtu.be/BBU7GpCXoEs
http://www.photoshopessentials.com/phot … tch-color/

Thanks for the suggested solutions.

Here's one option not mentioned that might prove productive for others:

http://petapixel.com/2014/04/17/tutoria … photoshop/

n/m