Quality setting for jpegs exported in LR

[Littlefield]

I have searched and have not seen the answer. LR sets a default quality number at 60 . Should you go all the way to right to 100 on the saved jpg that is to be exported to hard drive? I am thinking 80 what do y'all use ?

Now that I print in LR it makes more sense to export that pic as a good jpeg rather then a huge tiff right ?
Thanks Don

[FlyingPhotog]

Are you exporting to backup your images? If so, I'd suggest you export in .dng (digital negative) .psd (photoshop native format) or .tff These are "lossless" formats.

You may already know this but in case you don't: Every time you open and then resave a .jpg, it recompresses the image and you lose information.

[Littlefield]

Thanks ,yea I have been using tiffs in a converted file but got to thinking as big as they are I might switch to jpegs on some.

[ibdb]

What do you intend to do with the exported images?


If I'm sending them out to be printed, after any and all other edits have been completed, 100%. But depending on how big I'm printing, it may be at a reduced resolution (say maximum of 1800 a side or something like that).
If I'm sending them up to my gallery, 100% and let the gallery software handle the resizing/downsizing.
If I'm doing a quick and dirty export for an image I'm attaching here, maybe 60% to 70% and at a reduced DPI and maximum resolution.
If I'm exporting with the intention of doing more work in CS3, I'll export to PSD.There are a ton of other cases out there that might require different options.

[Littlefield]

I was just going to save them on my hard drive because I can print in LR now at home so I was thinking at 80 on quality would be good .I have been saving tiffs but the files are huge and I have the raw file saved.
If the jpeg is brought back in LR would it print good at 80 or should I have saved it at 100 ?
Thanks
Don

[FlyingPhotog]

I was just going to save them on my hard drive because I can print in LR now at home.

But if you have them imported into LR, they're already on a hard drive(?) or am I missing something?

I thought you were asking about exporting to a different drive than where your images already live (and have been cataloged by LR?)

[ibdb]

I was just going to save them on my hard drive because I can print in LR now at home so I was thinking at 80 on quality would be good .I have been saving tiffs but the files are huge and I have the raw file saved.
If the jpeg is brought back in LR would it print good at 80 or should I have saved it at 100 ?
Thanks
Don
If you're already printing from within LR, why export at all? I only export things if I have to do anything to them external to the program. If I'm done with the image, I make sure I export changes to metadata, but I may not actually export the image itself until I need to at a later time, or not at all if it's never selected for printing.

[tim]

In PS I save images to print at the lab between Q10 and Q12, depending on how I feel. It makes little visible difference. No idea about lightroom.

[Littlefield]

But if you have them imported into LR, they're already on a hard drive(?) or am I missing something?

I thought you were asking about exporting to a different drive than where your images already live (and have been cataloged by LR?)


Ok I import raw files from my hard drive work on them . How do you save the changes ?
They are on my hard drive in raw and LR will not save the changes unless you export a tiff or jpeg right ?
I mean when you get the raw how you like it in LR you should save it with a tiff or jpeg or will LR keep those changes in the develop mode unless you alter them .
I am printing in LR so do I need to save what I did to my hard drive by export ?

How do you export changes to metadata?

Thanks this is new to me .
Don

[davidcrebelxt]

Yes... LR will keep those changes stored in its database...next time you open LR they are right where you left them.

What it does is stores those "adjustments" as metadata not actually touching the RAW files themselves.

So No, you do not have to export to ANYTHING if you are doing all your viewing and printing from within Lightroom.... only need to to view/edit/print in other applications or sending to a photolab for printing.

[davidcrebelxt]

Oh, there is also an option in LR to save the changes as metadata to .xmp sidecars... then you could open the RAW image directly in PS Elements or CS3 and see all your adjustments... but as I said, its all stored in the database also (along with other data too such as edit history, which does not get stored in the .xmp)