Everything you need to know about exporting images from Lightroom Classic

Lightroom Classic can be incredibly useful for photographers. It has a host of valuable functions for editing, organizing, and sharing photos.

Unfortunately, some things in Lightroom Classic can be a little tricky to figure out. After all, it’s loaded with powerful features!

One thing that can be difficult to master is the export function. Fortunately, with a little know-how, it is entirely possible to master Lightroom Classic.

We’ve put together the ultimate guide to ensuring your images are exported properly and with the highest quality possible.

Is it important to learn how to export?

The short answer? Yes!

Export is the only way to really “save upPhotos. In Lightroom Classic and similar photo-editing platforms, simply pressing a Save button doesn’t save images.

Instead, you need to set the export quality and file type for your photos before exporting them after the editing process is complete. Lightroom Classic lets you export images as JPEGs for sharing on social media, or as TIFF files for physical printing. You can also export to folders, attached drives, CDs, DVDs, and network drives. Your changes in Adobe Lightroom do not replace the original images. The export function is therefore very useful if you want to edit the original image differently later.

Lightroom Classic has features that go beyond other photo editing tools. If you don’t know how to export, don’t stop them from using them.

Why is the export process so complicated?

The Lightroom Classic export process is a bit complex compared to other Adobe products. Often the confusion comes from the way Lightroom handles your image files. When you make adjustments to an image in Lightroom Classic, you are essentially not overwriting the original image (i.e. this is a non-destructive edit, it will not alter your original files.)

Catalog information is used to indicate how the images will be used and exported. Unfortunately, this makes it a little more difficult. Together, copying and cataloging files provide a very complete export experience. It just takes some skills to master. In the long run, the export feature is worth the slight headache.

Let’s look at the different ways you can export your images from Lightroom Classic.

The Lightroom Classic export process

The export process in Lightroom Classic seems deceptively simple at first. It looks like all you have to do is select the export destination after choosing your images to export.

However, there is much more to it than what the eye sees. You can choose your own export setting, but you need a thorough and thorough understanding of all of the settings in order to be proficient in exporting your images.

The very first step is to choose the photos that you want to export.

Note that all of the photos you select have the same export settings. So if you have multiple images that require different settings, you will need to repeat this process.

Your images can be selected using the library module. You can also click your first picture and then hold the key CMD Enter a key and click other images to select them. You can also select images to be exported using the film strip at the bottom of the screen.

Once you’ve made a selection, go to the main menu and select File> Export. This opens the export window. You can also access the export window by clicking the Export button in the lower left corner of the Library module.

At the top you will see a drop-down menu labeled “Export to. “Most of the time you choose hard drive.

Select the export destination via the “Export” dialog box

Once you are in the export window you will find that there are lots of settings!

At this point, you’ll need to choose an export preset (if you have it, fine if you don’t) or whatever custom export settings you want for your photos.

Use Lightroom’s export preferences

Now we can use one of the most useful features of Adobe Lightroom Classic! If you’re at all familiar with develop presets, this should be easy.

This is where we will essentially be “Export / Save”The export settings. You can save all of the export settings for each batch of photos to use again in the future. If you want to add more images to apply the same export settings, all you have to do is use the saved template of your export settings.

Presets can be saved once you’ve had a chance to play around with the export settings.

Lightroom already has a few presets included, all of which are very useful on their own. These options include:

Export to DNG
Burn full size JPEGs
For emails (including hard drive)

These preferences can make exporting easier, but they may not suit your workflow or export needs. In the next section you will learn how to define your own export settings.

To create your own export preset, you need to customize your export settings and then save them to a preset. To do this, load the export window, select the desired export settings and click on Add Button.

Give your preset a name and choose where you want to save it (the User Presets folder is usually fine). Once that’s done, your custom export preset will be available whenever you need it to export future projects faster.

Provide your own custom export settings

By specifying each export option individually, you can control small details that the standard export preferences do not provide. As you define your export options, you can use the settings you want that you think are right for each project, set, and photo.

The same Lightroom export dialog box we worked with also has the ability to choose storage and photo settings for exported files. You can apply these settings to your photos including color space, quality, compatibility, compression, etc. You can even rename your pictures and resize your pictures based on their width, height, dimensions, or even a custom resolution.

You will likely need to make different export settings for different use cases or photo styles. For example, if a client requests that you provide their images at 3000 × 2000 resolution, you can save them as a preset. However, this may not work for your other customer whose images need to be 4000 × 3000. These settings can be saved in your preferences.

Catalog

In the Export dialog box, there is an option to export and then add to your catalog. This feature essentially re-imports your exported images into your Lightroom Classic catalog (for further processing, organization, etc.).

network

For example, let’s say your goal is to display your photos online in your portfolio, blog, or on social media. In this case, you should opt for smaller file sizes while maintaining the best possible resolution quality.

The best format for this purpose is JPEG, especially within an 80-100 value on the quality slider. You should also resize the photos according to the size of the image you plan to post online.

This can be set in the File Settings and Image Size sections of the export window.

Post export options and post-processing tips

Once you’ve hit that gorgeous “Export” button and are finally done, there are still some great options left to you. You can use other programs to open your exported items, such as: B. Adobe Photoshop. If you use multiple platforms for editing, you can take advantage of additional features and customizations not available in Lightroom.

Location, location, location

After all of the post-processing work you’ve just completed, consider the exact destination you want your photos to be sent to. Nobody likes looking for their photo sets because they were just working with the obscure folder that Lightroom used by default. You can always find your most-used destination in the Export dialog box so you don’t have to worry about losing your pictures.