Select photos from the Grid view to export. See Select photos in the Grid view and the Filmstrip.
Last updated on
Dec 16, 2025
In Lightroom Classic, you don't save photos in the traditional sense. Instead, you export photos. You can export photos in various file formats suitable for different uses.
For example, you can:
- Export photos as JPEGs to share online or as TIFFs for a print publication.
- Export images directly to the PSB format for very large files that exceed PSD limits.
- Export to a folder on a computer or to an attached or networked drive, such as a Flash drive.
- Burn the photos to a disc after exporting to share them on a CD or DVD.
When you export photos, you create new files that include Develop module adjustments and other changes you’ve made to the photos’ XMP metadata. You can choose a photo’s filename, color space, pixel dimensions, and resolution. You can also save export settings as presets for reuse.
In addition, you can use the Publish Services panel to export and upload JPEG photos directly from Lightroom Classic to photo-sharing websites. You can also upload layouts from the Book module to Blurb.com. See Post photos online using publish services.
Export photos
To export photos from Lightroom Classic to a computer, hard drive, or Flash drive, follow these steps:
Choose File > Export, or click the Export button in the Library module. Then, choose Export To > Hard Drive in the pop-up menu at the top of the Export dialog box.
To export to a Flash drive, choose Export To > Hard Drive, and in the Export Location panel, choose Export To > Specific Folder. Then, click Choose and navigate to the Flash drive.
(Optional) Choose an export preset. Lightroom Classic has several presets to make it easier to export photos to disk in specific file formats. For example, the For Email preset generates a 72-dpi JPEG image and automatically sends the email from Lightroom Classic. If desired, select a preset from the left side of the Export dialog box and skip to step 6. See Export photos using presets.
Specify a destination folder, naming conventions, and other options in the various Export dialog box panels.
For example, use the File Settings panel to choose a format for your exported photos — JPEG, PSD, PSB, TIFF, PNG, DNG, or the original format, — and choose a color space. See File settings. Enable HDR output to save in HDR.
In the Image Sizing panel, specify how to size the image — dimensions and resolution. See Image sizing.
For information on settings in the other panels, see Export files to disk or CD.
(Optional) Save your export settings. To save your export settings for reuse, select Add. See Save export settings as presets.
Select Export.
Once you've finished editing a photo in HDR mode, select File > Export > File Settings > Select the file format from the drop-down menu > Enable HDR Output checkbox and then select Export.
Supported non-Raw HDR file formats include:
- AVIF
- JPEG XL
- JPEG
- TIFF
- PSD
- PSB
- PNG
Gain Map provides a solution for a consistent and adaptive display of HDR images. To learn more about Gain Map, click here. To include Gain Map in the exported image, select Maximize Compatibility.
Recommendations
- Use AVIF or JPEG XL for sharing and web applications, such as online web galleries.
- Use TIFF or PSD for workflows where additional HDR work is required, such as compositing.
Note
Converting a raw photo to DNG preserves all the raw information and enables the DNG to be edited in HDR mode too.
The new AVIF and JPEG XL format offers several advantages over JPEG, including higher bit depth support and smaller file sizes, making it a great choice for HDR photos.
When the HDR Output feature is enabled, Lightroom Classic 13 and later supports opening and saving photos using AVIF, JPEG or JPEG XL.
When you save HDR images in JPEG, it reads the screen used and renders SDR or HDR images accordingly.
Note
AVIF and JPEG XL are new formats and therefore, support across apps and platforms is limited.
Multi-Batch Export
You can perform multiple export jobs for the same set of images simultaneously. When you select multiple presets and export a photo, Lightroom Classic exports one image for every preset selected.
If you want to export your photos in a specific preset, you can select and export the preset. For more information, see Export photos.
To export your photos using multi-batch export, follow the steps below:
Select photos from the Grid view to export. See Select photos in the Grid view and the Filmstrip.
Choose File > Export, or click the Export button in the Library module. Then, choose Export To > Hard Drive in the pop-up menu at the top of the Export dialog box.
Choose the presets, in which you want to export your photos, by selecting the checkbox in front of the preset names. Once you select a checkbox for a preset, all the settings in the Export dialog box panels are disabled.
If you want to see or update the export settings of a preset, clear all the checkboxes, and click the preset for which you want to update the settings.
Click Batch Export.
Note
You cannot select Email and CD/DVD export presets and the checkboxes for these presets are disabled.
In the Batch Export dialog box, do one of the following:
- Select destinations for each preset individually if you have not defined them earlier.
- Select Choose Parent Folder to specify a main folder for all the presets. Selecting the parent folder overrides any destinations saved in a preset and changes the Destination option for each preset to Put in Subfolder.
You can also change the Custom Text and Start Number options for the selected presets from this dialog box if you have specified these options while creating the preset.
Click Export.
Note
If there is any conflict in file naming while performing multi-batch export, the name of the preset is appended to the name of the exported file.
FAQ
When you select one or more export presets in the Export dialog, Post-Processing section and other sections created by third-party plug-in are hidden in the Export Settings. However, the export settings defined for Post Processing and other sections from third-party plug-ins in the export preset are respected and images are exported accordingly.
Clicking the preset name does not select the checkbox, it updates the export settings in the Export dialog based on the settings defined in the selected preset.
Selecting the checkbox for one or more presets removes the selection from the preset name to avoid confusion with existing preset selection behavior.
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