Tutorial

Export a set of photos for the web

Updated 15 October 2026 · about 8 minutes

Once you've picked and edited a set of photos, you'll want them all out in one go, at a sensible size for the web. In this tutorial you'll select the set, open the batch export, and choose web-ready settings: 2048-pixel JPEGs in sRGB, with output sharpening, a watermark, and only the metadata you want to share. On the Mac you'll save those settings as an export preset for next time.

What you need

A set of edited photos. If you've just culled a shoot, filter the library to your picks first (see Cull a shoot).
Somewhere to put them: a folder, or the Photos library.

Step 1: Select the photos

In the library, select every photo you want to export, then choose Export in the selection bar.

On the Mac, ⌘-click adds photos to the selection, Shift-click selects a range and ⌘A selects all; right-clicking also offers Batch Export Selected…. On iPhone and iPad, tap Select (or long-press a photo), then tap or drag across photos; each day's header has its own Select.

Step 2: Set the size to Web / Social

Set the size to Web / Social (2048px), which makes the long edge 2048 pixels.

On the Mac, open Options from the summary in the Export sheet, then Size, and choose it under Resize To; the other choices are Original (Full Size), 4K UHD (3840px) and FHD (1080px). On iPhone and iPad, choose it from Size in the sheet.

Step 3: Choose JPEG and sRGB (Mac)

In Options, set Format to JPEG (8-bit), Quality to around 85%, and Color Space to sRGB.

JPEG opens everywhere. Quality runs from 50 to 100%; around 85% keeps files small without visible loss. sRGB is the safe choice for the web, because it looks right in every browser. Leave HDR (Gain Map) off unless you know where the photos are going supports it. On iPhone and iPad, pick JPEG under Format.

Step 4: Add output sharpening (Mac)

Under Sharpening, set Output Sharpening to Screen, Standard.

Shrinking a photo softens it slightly; output sharpening restores the crispness for the final size. Use Screen, Low for portraits and Screen, High for detailed landscapes or architecture, or None if you sharpened enough in the edit.

Step 5: Add a watermark (optional, Mac)

Under Watermark, type your Text and choose a Position, Size and Opacity.

Positions are Bottom Right, Bottom Left, Top Right, Top Left and Center. A small, semi-transparent name in a corner credits you without spoiling the photo. To put your name in the files' metadata as well, set Creator and Copyright in Settings › Export; they're written into every photo you export.

Step 6: Choose what metadata to include

Under File Naming & Metadata, decide whether to keep camera details, location, and keywords and captions.

The switches are Embed EXIF & Camera Metadata, Include Location & GPS and Include Keywords and Caption. Turn location off for photos taken at home. Filename Suffix sets what's added to each name (-edited by default). On iPhone and iPad, the Location switch in the sheet does the same job for location.

Step 7: Save the settings as a preset (Mac)

Open Preset in Options and choose Save Current Settings as Preset…, naming it, for example, Web.

Next time, choose it from Export Presets and everything above is set in one click. Delete Preset removes one you no longer need. iPhone and iPad remember the sheet's last settings instead.

Step 8: Export

Choose where the photos go: Save to Photos, or a folder.

On the Mac, the folder button offers Save to “Folder” for the last one used and Choose Another Folder…. On iPhone and iPad, Save to Photos is the main button, and the arrow beside it offers Save to Files… (by default Files › Raw Smith › Exports) and Share…. If Raw Smith isn't allowed to add photos to your library, the sheet says so with an Open Settings button.

Where to go next

Export in detail: every format, frames and captions, HDR, and XMP sidecars.
The library: selecting, albums and renaming before you export.
Shortcuts, whose Export Photos action can export from an automation.
Keyboard shortcuts.

Questions

What size should I export photos for the web?

2048 pixels on the long edge suits most websites and social platforms, and it's Raw Smith's Web / Social (2048px) size. Use 4K UHD (3840px) for large displays, or full size for printing.

Which colour space is best for the web?

sRGB. Every browser and screen shows it correctly, while Display P3 and Adobe RGB can look dull or shifted where colour management is missing.

Can I remove location data from exported photos?

Yes. On the Mac, turn off Include Location & GPS under File Naming & Metadata in the export options. On iPhone and iPad, turn off Location in the Export sheet.

Can I save my export settings?

On the Mac, yes: choose Save Current Settings as Preset… under Preset in the export options, and pick it next time from Export Presets.