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How To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom (Step by Step) • PhotoTraces


Whether or not you’re capturing in RAW or JPEG, Lightroom supplies highly effective instruments that will help you convert your photographs to the format that most closely fits your wants. On this article, I’ll present you find out how to convert RAW to JPEG in Lightroom in only a few easy steps.

How To Convert RAW To JPEG In LightroomHow To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom (Step by Step) • PhotoTraces

By now, each photographer is aware of that to maximise picture high quality, dynamic vary, and shade accuracy, it’s essential set your digital camera to RAW picture format and keep it up. 

It’s also evident once you import your new pictures to Lightroom; you retain them within the unique RAW format. And solely after performing all obligatory enhancing steps, on the very finish of the picture enhancing workflow, do you change RAW recordsdata to JPEG for publishing.

To transform RAW to Jpeg in Lightroom, choose the picture in Libray or Develop Module, right-click on it (Possibility Click on on Mac) and select the Export possibility from the menu. Within the export settings window, set picture format to JPEG, and for high quality, select 100% to maximise picture high quality or set high quality to 80% for net publishing.

Nondestructive Enhancing and RAW to JPEG Conversion

If we need to be fully correct, there isn’t a strategy to convert RAW to JPEG in Lightroom.

Let me clarify.

Lightroom makes use of nondestructive enhancing when coping with RAW recordsdata. It implies that the unique file at all times stays intact and is rarely modified by this system. 

For instance, transferring enhancing sliders in Develop Module don’t change the unique RAW file. As an alternative, Lightroom writes all enhancing steps to the sidecar file in XML format. And for the preview, Lightroom generates a JPEG picture by studying and making use of enhancing values from the sidecar file. The unique RAW file at all times stays untouched.

XMP sidecar file in Lightroom
XMP sidecar file in Lightroom
Sony RAW picture with the sidecar XMP file subsequent to it. The sidecar incorporates all of the enhancing directions for the RAW picture.

After we say “changing RAW to JPEG,” it implies that Lightroom creates a brand new model of the edited picture in JPEG format. You find yourself with 2 picture recordsdata, one unique RAW file and one other in JPEG format, with all edits utilized.

How To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom 

1. Choose the RAW Picture Supposed for JPEG Conversion

Earlier than changing RAW to JPEG, choose the RAW picture you intend to transform.

You may provoke RAW to JPEG conversion in each Library and Develop Modules of Lightroom.

You may choose any RAW file in Lightroom by merely clicking on it. The spotlight across the picture is a affirmation that it’s chosen.

How To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom (Step by Step) 1How To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom (Step by Step) 1
The chosen picture is highlighted. Filmstrip of the Develop Module.

2. Activate the Export Module

Proper-click (Possibility-click) on the chosen RAW file and select the Export possibility from the menu.

Convert RAW to JPEG - the Export OptionConvert RAW to JPEG - the Export Option

In the end, you possibly can provoke the export course of by going to the Important Prime Menu and choosing the ‘Export…’ possibility. Or you should use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+E.

I at all times use the “proper click on” possibility whereas changing RAW recordsdata to JPEG. I discover it extra handy. However it’s a private desire.

3. Set the Conversion Format to JPEG

Clicking the Export possibility (step 2) will activate the Export Setting Window.

First, it’s essential choose the export picture format beneath the File Settings panel.

  • Picture Format: from the drop-down menu, choose the JPEG possibility
  • Shade Area: choose the sRGB possibility.
  • High quality: for picture high quality, transfer the slider all the best way to 100%. It tells Lightroom to avoid wasting the JPEG picture in the very best high quality.
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Saving the JPEG picture at 100% high quality is good once you want your JPEG picture for archiving or printing functions.

4. Specify the Vacation spot for the Transformed JPEG Picture

Lightroom presents loads of choices the place to retailer transformed JPEG pictures. In our case, we are going to save the ultimate picture to the native folder of the pc’s onerous drive.

First, choose the Onerous Drive possibility from the ‘Export To’ high menu. It signifies that you simply need to save the exported file to the native onerous drive.

Subsequent, from the Export Location part, choose the ‘Desktop’ possibility. It tells Lightroom that you simply need to save the JPEG file to your pc’s desktop. You may most likely guess that saving the transformed JPEG picture to your Desktop just isn’t the one possibility in Export Module. Nonetheless, it’s the easiest and quickest approach of choosing Export Location with out going into the rabbit gap of infinite Lightroom choices.

And to make it simpler to find the transformed picture in your Desktop, test the choice ‘Put in Subfolder’ and provides it a reputation, say ‘JPEG Export.’ The choice tells Lightroom to robotically create the JPEG Export folder in your Desktop and sage the ultimate JPEF picture there.

How To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom (Step by Step) 3How To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom (Step by Step) 3

5. Hit the Export Button

And at last, you press the Export button to provoke the RAW to JPEG conversion.

How To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom (Step by Step) 4How To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom (Step by Step) 4

Once you convert just one picture, the conversion goes quick, virtually instantaneously. However in case you convert a lot of pictures, the conversion course of can take some time. 

As you most likely discover, the Export Setting Window has a wide range of export settings. Nonetheless, for the present tutorial, we used solely a barebone of settings to transform RAW to JPEG.

In case you are on the lookout for a mo detailed info on Lightroom export settings, test the next tutorials:

How To Convert RAW to JPEG In Lightroom Utilizing Presets

One of many foremost strengths of Lightroom is the facility of presets. Lightroom has 9 sorts of presets: Develop Presets, Import Presets, Meta Information Presets, Copyright Presets, and so forth. The Lightroom presets means that you can automate repeated duties making a complete enhancing workflow quick and environment friendly.

It isn’t a shock the Export Setting Window has preset performance. As an alternative of twiddling with infinite export settings each time you change RAW to JPEG, it can save you the specified configuration as a preset and reuse it each time you change a picture.

Let me present you the way simply you possibly can create an export preset in Lightroom.

Choose the RAW picture within the Library or Develop Module.

Proper-click (possibility Click on) on the chosen picture and select the Export possibility from the menu.

From the Export Settings Window, choose the next choices:

  • File Settings:
    Picture Format: JPEG
    Shade Area: sRGB
    High quality: 100%

Maintain the remainder of the conversion choices untouched.

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Once you end with the conversion settings, it’s time to save them as a preset.

On the backside left nook of the Export Settings Window, find the Add button and press it.

The New Preset menu will seem.

Give the identify to your new preset, one thing like ‘JPEG 100%’, and choose the ‘Consumer Presets’ for the folder.

Lastly, click on the Create button.

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New export preset ‘JPEG 100%’ beneath Consumer Presets will likely be created.

Subsequent time it’s essential convert the RAW file to a JPEG picture, you possibly can altogether bypass the Export Settings Window. You may set off the RAW to JPEG conversion instantly from the Library or Develop Modules.

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How To Batch Convert RAW recordsdata to JPEG Photos

Within the first a part of the tutorial, you realized find out how to manually convert the RAW file to JPEG within the Export Module of Lightroom.

Within the second half, we coated find out how to automate the method of RAW to JPEG conversion through the use of the export preset.

And now, I need to present you how one can take the automation even additional by combining export presets and batch conversion.

Butch conversion means changing a number of RAW recordsdata to JPEG pictures in a single go.

Choose a number of recordsdata within the Library or Develop Modules of Lightroom by holding does CTRL-key.

Proper click on on chosen RAW recordsdata, select the Export, after which Export preset ‘JPEG 100%’, which you created earlier.

How To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom (Step by Step) 8How To Convert RAW To JPEG In Lightroom (Step by Step) 8

Now Lightroom takes the entire RAW recordsdata you chose and converts them to JPEG utilizing export settings from the export preset.

That is the method I take advantage of after I must convert a number of RAW recordsdata to JPEG pictures.

How To Convert RAW To JPEG: Closing Ideas

As you possibly can see, Lightroom presents us just a few methods to transform RAW recordsdata to JPEG. The quickest and most handy approach for the conversion is to make use of the export presets.

In case you are subscribed to my mailing record, you possibly can entry the members’ space, the place you possibly can obtain free Export Presets I created for the PhotoTraces group.

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