You have edited a beautiful photo. Now it needs to go online: to a website, a social platform, a blog or a client gallery. Exporting creates a new file from your edited master, sized and prepared for that destination. The wrong settings can make images look soft, dull, heavy to load or easy to steal. This lesson walks through each export setting and shows how to build presets so every export is right without thinking twice.
What is exporting?
Exporting means creating a new image file from your edited master for a specific use. Your original and your edits stay untouched, as explained in non-destructive editing principles. You can export the same image many times in different sizes and formats for different places.
The key export settings
| Setting | Common starting point | Why | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
| File type | JPEG | Universal and efficient for photos | RAW versus JPEG and other image formats |
| Color space | sRGB, profile embedded | Most predictable on all screens | color management for web and digital delivery |
| Size | Long edge of roughly 1600–2500 pixels for most websites and galleries | Big enough to look sharp, small enough to load quickly | preparing photographs for websites |
| Quality | About 70–85 on a 0–100 scale | Good balance of detail and file size | image compression and file quality |
| Output sharpening | Light sharpening for screen | Resizing softens images slightly | sharpening |
| Metadata | Copyright and contact info; consider removing GPS location | Protects authorship and privacy | folders, naming systems and metadata |
| File name | Clear, consistent names, with a suffix such as _web | Easy to identify | folders, naming systems and metadata |
Remember:These are general starting points. Each platform has its own recommended sizes and shapes, which change over time; check current guidance, covered in social media image preparation.
Why size matters
Uploading a huge file does not guarantee better quality online. Many platforms resize and recompress large images themselves, sometimes more harshly than you would. Exporting close to the size the platform displays gives you more control over sharpness and quality, and helps your own website load faster, which visitors and search engines both prefer.
Watermarks
| Approach | Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| No watermark | Clean presentation | Easier to copy without credit |
| Small, discreet watermark in a corner | Credits you without distracting | Can be cropped out |
| Large or central watermark | Harder to misuse; useful for proofs | Spoils the viewing experience |
Watermarks deter casual copying but do not stop determined misuse. Copyright protection and enforcement are covered in copyright infringement and responsible enforcement.
Building export presets
- Decide your main destinations: website, social feed, client gallery, email.
- Create one preset for each with size, quality, color space, sharpening, metadata, watermark and naming.
- Export to a clear folder, such as an Exports folder inside each shoot.
- Check a test export on a phone and a computer after uploading.
- Update presets when platforms change their recommendations.
Tip:Presets turn exporting into one click and remove the risk of forgetting an important setting, such as sRGB or removing location data.
Common mistakes
- Exporting in a wide color space for the web: colors may look dull.
- Uploading huge, full-resolution files: slow pages and uncontrolled recompression.
- No output sharpening: resized images look soft.
- Sharing location data accidentally: check metadata settings.
How professionals export for screens
Professionals keep export presets for every destination, embed copyright metadata, remove sensitive location information and check results on real devices. They size images for their own websites to balance quality and speed, which is covered in portfolio pages and image optimization. Exporting is fast for them because every decision was made once, in the preset.
Practical examples
A slow portfolio website
- Situation
- Your portfolio pages take a long time to load on phones.
- What to do
- You re-export your images with a 2000-pixel long edge at quality 80 in sRGB.
- Why it works
- Smaller, efficient files load faster while still looking sharp on screens.
- Result
- Pages load quickly and images still look crisp.
A soft-looking post
- Situation
- Your social media photos look softer than in your editor.
- What to do
- You export at the platform's recommended size and add light screen sharpening.
- Why it works
- Resizing reduces sharpness, and the platform was recompressing an oversized file.
- Result
- Crisper posts with more control over quality.
Key points
- Exporting creates new files from your edited master for each destination.
- For screens: JPEG, sRGB with profile, sensible size, quality about 70–85, light output sharpening.
- Export close to the displayed size so platforms recompress less.
- Include copyright metadata; consider removing GPS; use watermarks thoughtfully.
- Build export presets for each destination and check results on real devices.
Frequently asked questions
What size should I export photos for the web?
What quality should I use for web JPEGs?
Should I export in sRGB?
Do watermarks protect my photos?
Conclusion
Good web exports are the right size, format, color space, quality and sharpness, with sensible metadata. Build presets for each destination, export close to the displayed size and check results on real devices. Next, you will learn the export settings for printing.
Finished reading? Track your progress through Workflow and delivery.