Raw Images to JPEG

[vickie.james]

After editing a raw image in Lightroom 3, it looks good (just like what I want), but when I import and convert to JPEG, they look grainy in Photoshop CS5. What am I doing wrong? Tried to post a photo here, but can't seem to get it to post. I am new to Lightroom 3 and CS5. I am sure that is something that I am doing wrong.

[TGrundvig]

With LR, you can Export to a jpeg right in LR....no need to go to CS5 to do that. If that is what you are doing, then you need to look at the settings for Export. Make sure it is not resizing the image to a low quality or smaller image.

[vickie.james]

Originally Posted by TGrundvig

With LR, you can Export to a jpeg right in LR....no need to go to CS5 to do that. If that is what you are doing, then you need to look at the settings for Export. Make sure it is not resizing the image to a low quality or smaller image.

Could you tell me the steps in which you edit a raw image and convert it to JPEG in Lightroom?

[katodog]

When you export, go to the "File Settings" drop-down and choose the output you want.

[Mookalafalas]

I have a related question. When I export I lose all my Exif info. Any way to keep that? I now wonder if it is just cuz I set something wrong in options...

[tonylong]

Originally Posted by Mookalafalas

I have a related question. When I export I lose all my Exif info. Any way to keep that? I now wonder if it is just cuz I set something wrong in options...

At the bottom of the Export dialog there is an option to minimize the Metedata. De-select that to include all your Exif.

Originally Posted by vickie.james

Could you tell me the steps in which you edit a raw image and convert it to JPEG in Lightroom?

A good "Beginning flow" is to start with adjusting the White Balance if needed, then working through the Basic paned for "global" adjustments. At this point you could go in several directions -- if you have a set of photos that could use the same global adjustments you could select them and then Sync them to apply your adjustments to all of them or you could fine-tune the adjustments in the Tones/Curve panel and/or the HSL panel and apply Sharpening and/or Noise Reduction and then Sync if you wish.

Individual images then can be cropped, and you also have the local adjustment brushes that you can work with if/when needed.

Exporting can be a quick simple process. You can have settings you use for the Web/email/sharing for monitor viewing where you use a Resize to a set of dimensions that is good for monitor viewing (POTN, for example, has a max of 1024 pixels at the widest)and, typically, a medium jpeg quality level and specify the sRGB color space, and you can have a "print" group of settings where you will specify settings for a print job, most typically full size (unclick Resize) and high quality at sRGB, but this can vary with the particular print task.

Each group of settings can be saved as an Export preset using the left side panel of the Export dialog.

Now, in your original post you mentioned two things. First a "grainy look" -- well, exactly what do you mean by that, what adjustments have you made to the image (look in the History panel) and what Export settings are you using?

You said you haven't figured out how to post for the Web -- do you have a photo hosting site where you post pics? This is the simplest way, such as a Flickr account. You can link here to an image on Flickr.

If not, here is a quick way to Export the image to your hard drive (set this up as an Export preset) and to upload it to here:

After cropping the image to clearly show the problem you are having, open the Export dialog. You will want to set a few options. POTN has three restrictions to bear in mind for uploading from your computer: a max of 1024 pixels at the widest, a max file size of 150 Kb, and a max of two images per post.

Jpeg Quality is what will determine your file size. The output will vary with the imgage. Start with a quality level right in the middle, but you will want to experiment and it can vary from image to image to get the file size within 150Kb so set a "low average" setting that will do for most of your images.

Make sure that you are converting to sRGB, because this is the "Standard" color space for most Web browsers and image viewers.

Click to Resize and click to keep the Aspect Ratio, and set your pixel dimensions to an appropriate image size. Like I said, 1024 pixels at the widest is the max, but often for this type of uploading I use 800 pixels at the widest.

When you are looking for feedback it would be helpful to make sure that your Metadata/Exif is not being deleted/minimized.

Do the Export (make sure you have a destination folder where you can quickly get to it and check the file size with your system browser).

Then, here on POTN go to the Reply window (or a new thread post window) and click the Advanced option -- this will put a toolbar at the top of the window that will include (in the top middle) an Attach tool with a little paper clip icon. If you click the icon a little attach dialog will pop up where you can browse to one or two files, doble-click them, then when one or both appear in the dialog you can click to Upload.

At that point they are "in POTN" -- to place one in the reply area, go to an empty line then click on the little arrow next to the paper clip Attach icon -- when you click on the arrow your file(s) will be in the list and if you select one the Reply window will show an attachment ID surrounded with ATTACH tags. Try it out -- go ahead and upload part of an image that clearly shows the problem you are having!