Why Export Settings Matter for Web
An image can be perfectly edited and still look wrong on the web if it is exported with incorrect settings. Color space mismatches cause images to appear washed out or oversaturated. Exporting at full camera resolution creates unnecessary file weight without any visible quality gain. The right export settings are not complicated — they just need to be applied consistently.
Recommended Settings Table
| Setting | Web Portfolio / Gallery | Client Delivery (Web) | Blog / Editorial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | JPEG | JPEG | JPEG |
| Quality | 80–85 | 85–90 | 75–80 |
| Long edge (px) | 2500 | 2500 | 1800–2000 |
| DPI | 72 (no effect on display) | 72 (no effect on display) | 72 (no effect on display) |
| Color space | sRGB | sRGB | sRGB |
| Sharpen for | Screen, Standard | Screen, Standard | Screen, Low |
| Metadata | Copyright only | All (or Copyright) | Copyright only |
Format and Quality
JPEG is the standard format for web photo delivery. It uses lossy compression — each save degrades quality slightly — but at quality settings of 75–90, the degradation is invisible at normal viewing sizes. Quality 100 produces file sizes four to five times larger than quality 85 with no perceptible visual difference on screen.
Quality 75–80 is appropriate when file size is a priority — editorial or blog use where page load speed matters. Quality 85–90 is appropriate for portfolio and client delivery where maximum quality impression is the goal. Going below quality 70 introduces visible compression artifacts at 100% zoom.
Dimensions and Resolution
Resize on export rather than delivering full camera resolution. Pixel dimensions determine display size; DPI has no effect on screen display.
- 2500px long edge renders cleanly on retina/HiDPI displays which render at 2x — so a 2500px image displays at 1250 CSS pixels with full sharpness on retina screens
- 2000px long edge is a safe minimum for most portfolio and blog use; slightly lower file sizes
- 1500px long edge is acceptable for social sharing when file size is a priority, though quality is limited
In Lightroom's Export dialog, use "Long Edge" in the Image Sizing section with a pixel value. This handles both landscape and portrait orientations automatically.
Color Space
Always export web photos in sRGB. Most monitors, mobile screens, and web browsers are calibrated to the sRGB color space. Images captured and edited in Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB must be converted to sRGB on export.
If you skip this conversion, the image will appear desaturated and muted in browsers that do not perform color management (most do not when no embedded profile is detected). In Lightroom, the color space is set in the Export dialog's File Settings section. Select sRGB regardless of your editing color space.
Metadata
EXIF metadata embedded in image files can include camera model, lens, exposure settings, GPS coordinates, and custom copyright information. For web delivery, consider what you want to retain:
- Copyright and contact info: Worth keeping for portfolio images — helps establish ownership and makes it easier to trace unauthorized use
- Camera and lens data: Fine to include or strip depending on preference
- GPS location data: Consider stripping for any images where revealing location is a privacy concern (home addresses, private locations)
In Lightroom, the "Metadata" dropdown in Export lets you choose between All Metadata, Copyright Only, Copyright and Contact Info Only, or None. "Copyright Only" is a safe default for portfolio and public web use.
Saving Export Presets
Once you have configured settings that work, save them as a named preset in Lightroom's Export dialog. Click "Add" in the preset panel on the left side of the dialog. Name it clearly — "Web Portfolio 2500px sRGB" is more useful than "Web" when you have multiple presets.
Saved presets eliminate repeated decision-making and reduce the chance of accidentally exporting with wrong settings. Create separate presets for your most common scenarios: portfolio, client delivery, and social media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use JPEG or WebP for web photos?
JPEG remains the most universally compatible format for web delivery. WebP produces smaller file sizes at similar quality and is widely supported by modern browsers, but some older browsers and third-party tools do not accept it. JPEG is the safe default; WebP is worth considering if you control the platform.
What color space should I use for web photos?
sRGB. Most monitors, browsers, and mobile screens are calibrated to display sRGB. Uploading a photo with an Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB color space without converting to sRGB first results in muted, desaturated colors in most browsers that do not support color management.
How large should web photos be in pixels?
For portfolio and general-purpose web use, 2000–2500px on the longest edge covers standard screens and high-DPI displays while keeping file sizes manageable. Uploading at full camera resolution (often 5000–8000px) provides no visual benefit on screen and results in unnecessarily large files.
Does DPI setting affect web photos?
No. Browsers ignore DPI metadata when displaying images — what matters is pixel dimensions. A 2000px wide image displays at 2000 CSS pixels regardless of whether it is labeled 72 DPI or 300 DPI. The DPI setting only matters for print output.
Should I strip metadata from web photos?
For client delivery and portfolio use, keeping copyright and contact information in the metadata is useful. For general web uploads where file size is critical, stripping most metadata reduces file size slightly. EXIF data like camera model, lens, and GPS location is worth considering carefully before leaving it in publicly accessible files.