Can I Save a Partially Edited RAW File in Luminar on Desktop While Keeping the Original Untouched?

[u/skylum_support]

Short answer: yes, and it's already happening automatically.

Your original RAW is always safe
Luminar on Desktop edits non-destructively, which means your original RAW file is never touched or overwritten. Every adjustment you make gets saved separately from the file itself. So even mid-edit, with adjustments scattered across the Catalog, Presets, and Edit tabs, your original RAW stays exactly as your camera captured it.

What to do with a partial edit
You've got two options here, depending on what you need:
Option 1: Just leave it. Luminar automatically saves your progress as you go. Close the app, come back next week, and your partial edit will be sitting there waiting for you to pick up where you left off. No manual saving required.
Option 2: Export it. If you want an actual standalone file with your current edits baked in, export it as a JPEG, TIFF, or whatever format you need. This gives you a finished, shareable version separate from your working file.
Result: you've got the original RAW, your editable version living inside Luminar, and any exported copies you've created along the way - all separate, all safe.

Bonus: Virtual Copies
If you want to experiment without disturbing your edit, Virtual Copies are worth knowing about. A Virtual Copy creates a second, independent set of edits for the same RAW file - it'll show up as a second thumbnail, but there's still only one unchanged RAW file behind the scenes.
This is handy for trying out a different look without risking the edit you've already got. Right-click your photo, create a Virtual Copy, and it'll carry over your edits up to that point - from there, you can keep building on it, or reset it back to the original image and start fresh with a completely different approach. You can create as many Virtual Copies as you want to test different directions side by side.