How to Export Multiple Photos in Lightroom

(Last updated on October 12th, 2023)

Short Summary

• In this article, you will learn how to export multiple photos in Lightroom in a few simple steps.
• The steps are:
  • Select multiple photos in Lightroom using the grid view, the filmstrip, or the keyboard shortcuts
  • Open the export dialog box and choose the export location and name for your files
  • Choose the export settings and presets for your files, such as file format, image sizing, output sharpening, metadata, watermarking, and post-processing
  • Export multiple photos with different settings at once using the export with previous option or the export manager plugin
• You will also learn how to use export presets or plugins to make your workflow easier and faster.
• By following these steps, you can save time and disk space, as well as ensure consistency and quality of your exported photos.

Introduction

Have you ever spent hours editing and organizing your photos in Lightroom, only to realize that you still need to export them one by one? If you have a large number of photos to export, this can be a tedious and time-consuming process. Fortunately, there is a way to export multiple photos at once in Lightroom, saving you time and disk space. In this article, I will show you how to do it in a few simple steps. You will learn how to:

• Select multiple photos in Lightroom
• Open the export dialog box and choose the export location
• Choose the export settings and presets
• Export multiple photos with different settings at once

By the end of this article, you will be able to export multiple photos in Lightroom like a pro. Let’s get started!

How to Select Multiple Photos in Lightroom

The first step to export multiple photos in Lightroom is to select them. There are different ways to select multiple photos in Lightroom, depending on how you want to group them. Here are some of the most common methods:

• Using the grid view: The grid view is the default view in the library module, where you can see all your photos as thumbnails. To select multiple photos in the grid view, you can either click and drag your mouse over the photos you want to select, or hold down the Ctrl key (Cmd on Mac) and click on each photo individually. You can also use the Shift key to select a range of photos by clicking on the first and last photo in the range.
• Using the filmstrip: The filmstrip is the horizontal strip of thumbnails at the bottom of the screen, where you can see all your photos in the current folder or collection. To select multiple photos in the filmstrip, you can use the same methods as in the grid view: click and drag, Ctrl/Cmd + click, or Shift + click.
• Using the keyboard shortcuts: If you prefer using keyboard shortcuts, you can use the arrow keys to navigate through your photos, and press Spacebar to select or deselect a photo. You can also use Ctrl/Cmd + A to select all photos, or Ctrl/Cmd + D to deselect all photos. If you love shortcuts, consider browsing Lightroom keyboard shortcuts for efficiency.

To select photos efficiently, you can also use filters, ratings, or collections to narrow down your selection. For example, you can filter your photos by date, keyword, flag, star rating, color label, or metadata. You can also create collections or smart collections to group your photos by criteria such as location, event, or project.

How to Open the Export Dialog Box and Choose the Export Location

Once you have selected the photos you want to export, you need to open the export dialog box and choose where you want to save them. You can open the export dialog box from either the library module or the develop module. There are two ways to do this:

• Using the menu: Go to File > Export… or press Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + E.
• Using the right-click: Right-click on any of the selected photos and choose Export > Export…

After opening the export dialog box, you need to choose where you want to save your exported files. You can do this in the Export Location section of the dialog box. There are two options here:

• Export To: This option lets you choose between exporting your files to a specific folder on your computer, or exporting them as email attachments.
• Export Location: This option lets you choose which folder on your computer you want to save your files in. You can either choose an existing folder from the drop-down menu, or create a new folder by clicking on Choose… You can also choose whether you want to put your files in a subfolder within that folder, and how you want to name that subfolder.

To name your exported files, you can use a custom name template in the File Naming section of the dialog box. You can either choose a preset template from the drop-down menu, or create your own template by clicking on Edit… You can use various tokens such as filename, date, sequence number, or metadata fields to customize your file names.

To organize your exported files, you can use subfolders based on date, event, or project. For example, you can create a subfolder for each year, month, or day that you took your photos. You can also create a subfolder for each event or project that you worked on, such as a wedding, a vacation, or a portfolio.

How to Choose the Export Settings and Presets

The next step to export multiple photos in Lightroom is to choose the export settings and presets. The export settings and presets determine how your photos will look and behave after they are exported. You can choose the export settings and presets in the various sections of the export dialog box, such as file settings, image sizing, output sharpening, metadata, watermarking, and post-processing.

Here are some of the most important sections and options:

• File Settings: This section lets you choose the file format, color space, quality, and compression of your exported files. You can choose between JPEG, TIFF, PSD, PNG, or DNG formats. You can also choose between sRGB, Adobe RGB, or ProPhoto RGB color spaces. You can adjust the quality and compression of your files by using the slider or entering a value. For example, a higher quality value means a larger file size and less compression artifacts.
• Image Sizing: This section lets you resize your photos to fit a specific dimension or resolution. You can either choose to resize your photos by their long edge, short edge, width and height, dimensions, or megapixels. You can also choose to resize your photos by their resolution in pixels per inch (ppi) or pixels per centimeter (ppcm). For example, if you want to print your photos at 300 ppi, you can enter that value in the resolution box.
• Output Sharpening: This section lets you apply sharpening to your photos after they are resized. You can choose between sharpening for screen or print. You can also choose the amount of sharpening from low to high. For example, if you want to sharpen your photos for web display, you can choose screen and standard.
• Metadata: This section lets you choose which metadata fields to include or exclude in your exported files. Metadata is the information that is embedded in your photos, such as camera settings, location, keywords, ratings, etc. You can either choose to include all metadata, copyright only, or none. You can also create custom metadata presets by clicking on Edit…
• Watermarking: This section lets you add a watermark to your photos to protect them from unauthorized use. You can either choose a simple text watermark or a graphic watermark. You can customize the watermark by clicking on Edit Watermarks… You can adjust the size, position, opacity, and style of your watermark. Learn how to add a watermark in Lightroom for an additional layer of protection.
• Post-Processing: This section lets you choose what to do after your photos are exported. You can either choose to do nothing, show them in Explorer/Finder, open them in another application, or run a custom script.

One of the best features of Lightroom is that you can create and use export presets to save time and ensure consistency. Export presets are sets of export settings and presets that you can apply to any number of photos with one click. You can create your own export presets by clicking on Add… at the bottom left corner of the export dialog box. You can name your preset and choose which settings and presets to include in it.

You can also use the built-in export presets that Lightroom provides for different purposes, such as web, print, or social media. You can access these presets by clicking on the drop-down menu at the top left corner of the export dialog box.

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How to Export Multiple Photos with Different Settings at Once

The final step to export multiple photos in Lightroom is to actually export them. If you want to export all your selected photos with the same settings and presets, you can simply click on Export at the bottom right corner of the export dialog box. Your photos will be exported to the location and name you chose.

However, if you want to export multiple photos with different settings and presets at once, there is a trick you can use. You can use the Export with Previous option to export multiple photos with different settings and presets at once. This option lets you export the last selected photo with the previous export settings and presets, without opening the export dialog box again. You can access this option by right-clicking on the last selected photo and choosing Export > Export with Previous.

To use this option effectively, you need to follow these steps:

• Select the first photo you want to export and open the export dialog box
• Choose the export settings and presets you want to apply to this photo and click on Export
• Select the next photo you want to export and right-click on it
• Choose Export > Export with Previous to export it with the same settings and presets as the previous photo
• Repeat this process for each photo you want to export with different settings and presets

Alternatively, you can use a plugin called Export Manager to export multiple photos with different settings and presets at once. This plugin lets you create multiple export jobs and run them in batch mode. You can download and install the plugin from this link.

To use this plugin effectively, you need to follow these steps:

• Download and install the plugin from the link
• Go to File > Plug-in Extras > Export Manager
• Click on Add Job to create a new export job
• Choose the photos you want to export in this job and click on Next
• Choose the export settings and presets you want to apply to these photos and click on Next
• Name your job and click on Finish
• Repeat this process for each export job you want to create
• Click on Start All Jobs to run all your export jobs in batch mode

Conclusion

In this article, you have learned how to export multiple photos in Lightroom in a few simple steps. You have learned how to:

• Select multiple photos in Lightroom
• Open the export dialog box and choose the export location
• Choose the export settings and presets
• Export multiple photos with different settings at once

By following these steps, you can save time and disk space, as well as ensure consistency and quality of your exported photos. You can also use export presets or plugins to make your workflow easier and faster.

I hope this article has helped you learn how to export multiple photos in Lightroom. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below. Thank you for reading! 😊

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)