Tip Number 15 for People New to Lightroom Classic

OK, back with one last tip I would tell someone new to Lightroom Classic, and that is …

Tip #15: Use Export Presets

One of the main reasons we bring photos into Lightroom Classic is so that we can send them out (looking better than they came in) in a variety of file formats, color spaces, and sizes. I don’t generally keep my exported copies and prefer instead to re-export new copies as needed on a case by case basis. Depending on your workflow, you may have certain regular types of exports that you do, such as the way you deliver files to clients or post on social media. You may even have a few outliers that you don’t do regularly, but you also don’t do often enough to remember all of the settings you used the last time. All of these cases (and more) are good candidates for being saved as an export preset.

Export presets are created and managed right on the Export dialog itself. To create one, simply configure the settings in each panel based on your needs for that export purpose, and then click the Add button to open the New Preset dialog box, where you can enter a meaningful name and place the preset in a preset folder to keep them organized (highly recommend).

If your needs change around the specifications of a given export (or if you make a mistake), you can always update a preset by re-configuring the Export dialog, then right-click your desired preset and choose Update with Current Settings. Notice there are other options in that contextual menu for managing your presets as well.

Once you have a set of Export presets created, be sure to leverage the File > Export with Preset menu, which will let you drill down to your desired preset, select it, and export the selected photos without even having to see the Export dialog, which can be a real timesaver. I’ve got a deeper dive into Export presets post if you want to learn more.

I hope new and veteran users of Lightroom Classic find these 15 tips helpful, and I look forward to following up on my backpacking trip next week.