What export settings should you use for web, social, print or archive?
Choose where the photo is going and get a recommended size, format, quality, colour space, sharpening and metadata setting, each with a short reason. For prints, enter the print size to see the pixels you need.
How the tool works
The settings use Lightroom export wording, and other editors have the same options. Screen destinations use sRGB, JPEG and Screen sharpening. Prints use 300 ppi as a target, Matte or Glossy paper sharpening, and a high JPEG quality. An archive master keeps the full pixel size in a 16-bit TIFF with a wide colour space and all metadata.
For prints, the tool multiplies each print edge in inches by 300 to find the pixels needed. If you enter your original long edge, it divides by the print long edge to give the effective ppi. Below 240 ppi it warns that the print may look soft up close. This is a guide, because viewing distance and image content affect what looks acceptable.
Values for websites, social platforms, competitions and email are typical figures, not rules, and platforms change them. Check the current requirements of the venue, club or lab before you upload. File sizes are rough estimates from bits per pixel and vary with image detail.
Questions
What size should I export photos for my website?
A long edge of 2048 to 2560 px suits most sites. WordPress scales images wider than 2560 px by default, so larger files add weight without benefit.
Should I use sRGB or Adobe RGB?
Use sRGB for web, social, email and competitions because browsers and projectors expect it. For prints, use the colour space your lab asks for, which is often sRGB. Keep wider spaces for 16-bit archive files.
Is 300 ppi always needed for printing?
No. 300 ppi is a common target, and many prints look fine at 240 ppi or a little lower, especially large ones viewed from a distance. The tool warns below 240 ppi.
More photography tools: Print size calculator, Photo storage calculator, Landscape editing workflow checklist, Sharpening and noise reduction starting points