This website or its third-party tools use cookies which are necessary to its functioning and required to improve your experience. By clicking the consent button, you agree to allow the site to use, collect and/or store cookies.
This site requires cookies to work. Please click the consent button to view this website.
I accept
Deny cookies Go Back

Focus Photo School

  • Lightroom Tutorials
  • Photoshop Tutorials
  • Snapseed Tutorials
  • Login
  • BUY

The Export Dialog In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic

View Next

    Divider LineExport in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom vernacular means “to save a new copy of your photograph for a specific purpose.” Think of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic’s Export Dialog as if it were a big “Save As” button. Use this feature of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic whenever you need to create a copy of your photo for distribution via email, print, or for use on the web.

Since the export process creates a new file, we must use clear terms to distinguish between the new copy and the original image. Let’s refer to the original image as the “source file” and refer to the new copy as the “exported file.” The source file is the image that you originally Imported into your Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Catalog.

Over time, you may have improved the source file by adding valuable metadata and you may have made visual improvements to this image using Photoshop Lightroom’s amazing Develop Module. Enhancing the source file might require a lot of work and it may even require the use of additional software like Adobe Photoshop CC. On export, all of your enhancements to the source file will be passed along to the exported copy.

Exporting in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic is a one way street. None of the settings in the Export Dialog will alter the source file. The settings that you select in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Export Dialog do not change the size, shape, or color of the source file in any way. This is a critical concept that often confuses new Photoshop Lightroom users.

I usually capture raw files when I am working with my camera. Bringing home raw files is usually the best use of my equipment, but these files are not ready for immediate distribution. Fortunately, working with digital camera raw files is painless and efficient using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

Once my raw file–the source file–is all tuned up, I can use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic’s Export Dialog to create an email ready jpeg copy in no time. The settings that I choose within Photoshop Lightroom’s Export Dialog control the exported copy’s name, its file format, its size, and its metadata. In this case, my export settings tell the program to create a tiny little jpeg version that is optimized for email distribution, but the source file remains unchanged.

If the source file looks great inside of Lightroom Classic then the exported copy will also look great. This is an important detail. The current appearance of the source file is always passed down to the exported copy. If your source file currently appears as a black and white image within your Photoshop Lightroom Catalog, then the exported copy will be born as a black and white image. If you have given the source file dark vignetted corners using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Develop Module tools then an exported copy will also have dark vignetted corners. What you currently see inside of your Photoshop Lightroom Catalog is what you will get in the exported copy.*

 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Export Dialog

The exported copy can be stored in a different folder, or even on a different hard drive, than the original source file. You can choose whatever filename and destination you want for the exported copy within the Export Dialog without affecting the source file. The source file retains its current filename and stays in its current folder no matter how many times you invoke the Export Dialog.

Your exported copy can inherit all of the source file’s metadata or you can tell Photoshop Lightroom’s Export Dialog to strip out all but the most essential metadata fields. If enabled, the Minimize Embedded Metadata switch in the Export Dialog will remove everything but your copyright info from the exported copy’s metadata fields. Again, this Export Dialog choice will not affect the source file at all. Stripping metadata out of the exported copy reduces the file’s size and it can be useful when you want to keep your metadata private.

Most Photoshop Lightroom users eventually build an understanding of the basic controls inside of the Export Dialog, but there are two features that can confuse even experienced Photoshop Lightroom users. The ability to have the exported copy automatically added back into your Lightroom Catalog can be a tricky feature. Enabling the Add To This Catalog feature forces the Export Dialog to create an exported copy and then to create a reference point for the new image within your current Lightroom Catalog.

I usually leave this option turned off, but every now and then this “export then automatically import” routine makes sense. Automatically importing the exported copy can be useful, for example, when I need two separate versions of the same image within my Lightroom Classic Catalog. This trick, for example, can be useful when I want to create a full color image and a separate black and white version of the same original capture.

The Image Sizing controls are the other feature of the Export Dialog that often bewilder Photoshop Lightroom users. Your choices in the Image Sizing” portion of Export Dialog control the physical dimensions of the exported copy. If you are using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Export Dialog to prepare files for printing at a professional photo lab then you should to use inches as the units of measure in this panel. On the other hand, pixels dimensions are the appropriate units of measure when working on a file that will be displayed on a web page. The correct resizing method, and the appropriate units of measure, change based on the purpose of the exported copy.

Learning to save Export Presets for repetitive tasks is one of the real secrets to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom happiness. Export Presets make life faster and easier by automating repetitive tasks. I don’t save a new Export Preset every single time that I use the Export Dialog, but if I find myself pushing the same buttons again and again, then I know it is time to create a new Export Preset. With the right Export Preset, I can click one button and let the program do everything else for me without altering my source file in any way!

—
*An exported copy always matches the current appearance of the source file within the Photoshop Lightroom Catalog however this can get a little confusing when exporting raw files. If you choose to export an image as a raw file, then the changes that you have made within Photoshop Lightroom may not be visible at your computer’s operating system level. The exported raw file does indeed have your Photoshop Lightroom improvements but your enhancements may not be visible using just your computer’s operating systems.

Unlock Focusphotoschool Course Banner


Divider Line
View Next

Your Are Logged In!

Your Member Profile & Billing Info
  • ADOBE PHOTOSHOP LIGHTROOM CLASSIC TUTORIALS
    • Module 1:LIGHTROOM CLASSIC SETUP
      • Lesson 1:What Is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic?
      • Lesson 2:Is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Right For You?
      • Lesson 3:The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Catalog Concept
      • Lesson 4:One Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Catalog Is All You Need
      • Lesson 5:Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Image & Catalog Storage Options
      • Lesson 6:How To Open The Right Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Catalog Every Time
      • Lesson 7:Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Preferences Menu Advice
      • Lesson 8:How To Save Your Work In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 9:Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Presets Storage Options
      • Lesson 10:Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic User Interface Secrets
      • Lesson 11:Backing Up Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic & Your Photography
    • Module 2:IMPORTING
      • Lesson 1:What Does Import Mean In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic?
      • Lesson 2:Lightroom Classic File And Folder Names Best Practices
      • Lesson 3:How To Import New Photos Into Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Using An Import Preset
      • Lesson 4:Four Ways To Get Images From Apple Photos Into Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 5:The Most Powerful Way To Migrate From Apple Photos To Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 6:How To Convert To Dng In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 7:How To Delete Or Move Photos In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Using Smart Previews For Better Performance
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Faster Culling With Embedded Previews In Adobe Lightroom Classic
    • Module 3:ORGANIZING
      • Lesson 1:How To Find Missing Tools In Adobe Lightroom Classic’s Library Module
      • Lesson 2:Organizing Your Images With Metadata In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 3:How To Select Multiple Photos At Once In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 4:Keyword Basics In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 5:How To Use The Enhanced Zoom Tool In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 6:How To Use The View Modes In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Initial Sorting with the Pick and Reject Flags In Adobe Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Map Module In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use A GPS Tracklog In Adobe Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Metadata Presets In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Speed Things Up With Custom Keyword Sets In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Facial Recognition In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Collections And Smart Collections In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Colored Labels In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Better Quick Collection Trick In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Advanced Smart Collections In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
    • Module 4:DEVELOPING BASICS
      • Lesson 1:Editing Without Fear In Adobe Lightroom
      • Lesson 2:How To Find Missing Tools In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic’s Develop Module
      • Lesson 3:How To Use Camera Profiles In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 4:How To Set The Exposure In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic (Basic)
      • Lesson 5:How To Set The Exposure In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic (Advanced)
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Auto Exposure In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        White Balance Correction In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Make Black & White Photos Using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Saturation In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Tone Curve In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Target Adjustment Tool In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adding A Vignette In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Lens Correction In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Guided Upright Tool in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Noise Reduction With Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Sharpen In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 6:How To Use Color Grading In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Synchronizing Develop Settings In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Red Eye Removal In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Spot Removal Basics In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Advanced Spot Removal In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
    • Module 5:DEVELOPING ADVANCED
      • Lesson 1:5 Useful Develop Module Keyboard Shortcuts In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 2:How To Set New Raw Develop Defaults In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 3:How To Use The Graduated Filter In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 4:Changing Colors With The Graduated Filter In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 5:How To Use The Radial Filter In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Range Masks In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Adjustment Brush In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Amount Slider To Improve Your Adjustment Brush Work In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 6:How To Use The Adjustment Brush Flow And Density Controls In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Filter Brush For Mask Refinement In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Dehaze In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Texture In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Local Hue Tool In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Auto Correction Develop Presets In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Merge To Panorama In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Fill Edges In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Merge To HDR Command Inside of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Merge To HDR Panorama In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Creating Two Versions Of The Same Photo In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Enhanced Details In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Video Editing In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
    • Module 6:EXPORTING
      • Lesson 1:The Export Dialog In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 2:Preparing Photos For Email With Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 3:The Crop Overlay Tool In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Lesson 4:How To Add A Watermark In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Crop Multiple Photos To Same Aspect Ratio In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Multi-Batch Exports In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Slideshow Module In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Posting Images To Flickr From Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Customize Your Screensaver Using Lightroom
      • Unlock This Lesson
        From Adobe Lightroom To Instagram
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Dropbox Publish Service Plugin
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Adobe Stock Publish Service
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Make A Folded Greeting Card In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Print Module Template Tricks In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
    • Module 7:THE ADOBE LIGHTROOM FOR MOBILE APP
      • Lesson 1:What Is The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App?
      • Lesson 2:The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile In-App Camera Basics
      • Lesson 3:The Professional And HDR Camera Modes In The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Lesson 4:How To Import Images From Your Camera Roll Into The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use Direct Import In Adobe Lightroom Mobile For iOS
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Speed Up Importing In Adobe Lightroom Mobile For iOS With Shortcuts
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Smart Collection Sync Plugin For Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Sync Collections With The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adobe Lightroom For Mobile Image Organizing Tips & Tricks
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Basic Photo Editing With The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Crop Tool In The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Linear & Radial Gradient Tools In Adobe Lightroom For Mobile
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Selective Editing Brush In Adobe Lightroom For Mobile
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Use The Healing Brush In The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Create Presets In The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Share Your Images Using The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        How To Edit Adobe Lightroom For Mobile Photos With Other Apps (iOS)
      • Lesson 5:From The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App To Adobe Photoshop For iPad Pro
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adobe Lightroom On The Web
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Deleting Synchronized Photos From The Adobe Lightroom For Mobile App
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adobe Spark Post
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adobe Spark Page
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Building A Website With Adobe Portfolio
    • Unlock This Lesson
      BONUS TUTORIALS
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Workflow Smart Collections
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Creating Star Trails With StarStaX
      • Unlock This Lesson
        FotoMagico Slideshows
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Multimedia Slideshows With FotoMagico
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Noise Reduction With Lightroom & DxO OpticsPro
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Custom Raw Profiles In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Custom Camera Default Settings In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Using A Second Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Catalog While Traveling
    • Module 8:TIME-LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY
      • Lesson 1:How To Make A Time-Lapse Movie Using Adobe Photoshop
      • Unlock This Lesson
        LRTimelapse Pro Lesson I
      • Unlock This Lesson
        Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic + LRTimelapse Pro + Adobe Photoshop
      • Unlock This Lesson
        The Holy Grail Of Time-Lapse

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Blog Posts

  • Choosing The Right Photo Storage Program – 2021 Edition
  • How To Add A Graphic Watermark In Adobe Lightroom (Cloud-Based)
  • How To Shoot Stunning Sunrises & Sunsets Live Presentation
  • How To Upgrade Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Version 10 (October 2020 Edition)
  • How To Create Presets In Adobe Lightroom (Cloud-Based)
  • How To Export Photos In Adobe Lightroom (Cloud-Based)

FOCUS PHOTO SCHOOL

What will you focus on? Whether you want to be a photographer or just love taking pictures, learn what you need with our courses in photography from Lightroom to Mobile Photography. Learn More
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Refund Policy
Terms of Service

All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2016 - 2019 Focus Photo School

© 2021 Focus Photo School · Rainmaker Platform