Catalog or virtual copy or snapshot

Question

I burn a CD of original nef and a CD original dng right after import. Then after developing photos, I want to burn CD of a full size master copy. That should be enough for offline backup and archive. But for getting back to that full size master after changes for offset printing and changes for web output, what are ways to decide between capturing that original master as a virtual copy, snapshot, or part of a catalog?
Thank you,
Tim

Answer 1

What's the best way to handle organizing the original image, edited versions and print versions.  Virtual copies or snapshots?
None of the above. Lightroom should handle all of this, so you don't have to. You import your original image into Lightroom, you edit it (no need to "handle" or "organize" this edited image, as Lightroom does this for you), and now the edited copy is part of your catalog, showing in the Library module. You don't store or create a separate photo that is your edited version.
Should you choose to print the photo, you select the Print command, and that's it. Again, no need to "handle organzining" it, there is literally nothing to do because Lightroom has done it for you after you select the Print command — you wouldn't store or create a separate photo that is your print version.
If you desire multiple edits of an image, then you have a choice of Virtual Copies or snapshots; Virtual copies appear in the Grid, while snapshots do not. Virtual copies let you go in an entirely different direction of editing, while Snapshots are just intermediate points along a single direction of editing.