Exporting for screen, print and video delivery, and capstone

Delivery is where all the earlier decisions come together and where mistakes become visible to clients and audiences. An image that looked perfect in the editor can appear soft on Instagram, oversaturated on a website, too dark in print or rejected by a broadcaster's quality control. Exporting correctly means knowing each destination's requirements for size, format, colour space, sharpening, metadata and naming, and building export presets that apply them consistently. This lesson covers resizing and resampling, output sharpening, exporting for web and social media, preparing files for print, delivering video for platforms and broadcast, packaging and delivering work to clients, and a capstone project that designs a complete workflow from capture to archive.

Resizing and resampling

Exporting for screens usually means making images smaller. Resampling changes the pixel dimensions, calculating new pixel values from the old ones using an interpolation method: bicubic and Lanczos methods give good results for reducing size, while upsampling (enlarging) creates new pixels that contain no real detail, although modern AI upscaling tools can produce convincing results for moderate enlargements. Downsampling should be done once, from the full-resolution master, rather than repeatedly. Exports are usually specified by the long edge in pixels (for example 2,048 pixels), so that both horizontal and vertical images fit the destination. Changing the ppi value without resampling, as Lesson 1 explained, only changes the printed size.

Output sharpening

Sharpening happens in three stages: capture sharpening corrects the slight softness of the sensor, anti-aliasing filter and demosaicing; creative sharpening emphasizes detail in particular areas; and output sharpening compensates for the softening caused by resizing and by the output medium. Output sharpening depends on size and destination: small screen images need only light sharpening after downsampling, while prints need stronger sharpening that looks excessive on screen, because ink spreading on paper (dot gain) and viewing distance soften fine detail. Matte papers need more sharpening than glossy papers. Export dialogs in raw processors offer screen, matte and glossy sharpening options at low, standard and high amounts, which are good starting points.

Exporting for web and social media

Web and social platforms have their own preferred sizes and recompress uploads. General guidelines:

• Convert to sRGB and embed the profile.
• Size to the platform's recommended dimensions so the platform does not resize unpredictably; for example, many platforms display images up to about 1,080 to 2,048 pixels wide, and website hero images may need 2,400 pixels or more for high-density screens.
• Use JPEG at quality around 80 to 90, or WebP or AVIF where the website supports them.
• Apply light screen sharpening after resizing.
• Include copyright and contact metadata, but consider removing GPS location data for privacy.
• For websites, use responsive images, letting the site serve several sizes to different screens, and keep file sizes modest so pages load quickly; image files are often the largest part of a web page.
• Add descriptive alt text when publishing images on websites, so that people using screen readers understand the content, and so search engines can index it.

Platform recommendations change frequently, so check current guidelines rather than relying on remembered numbers.

Preparing files for print

Print preparation starts with the required size and resolution. At 300 ppi, an 8 × 10 inch print needs 2,400 × 3,000 pixels; large prints viewed from a distance can use lower densities, often 150 to 200 ppi, and very large banners even less. If a file has fewer pixels than needed, the print shop or software will upsample, and moderate upsampling is usually acceptable. Aspect ratios matter: a 3:2 image does not fit 8 × 10 or 11 × 14 without cropping, so crops should be chosen deliberately rather than left to the lab. For books, magazines and commercial printing, files may need to be converted to CMYK using the printer's profile, with bleed (extra image area beyond the trim, often 3 mm or 0.125 inches) and safe margins for important content. Lesson 6's soft proofing guides adjustments, and labs usually provide profiles and file requirements, which should always be followed. A test print of a reference image is the best check of the whole chain.

Video delivery

Video deliverables vary by destination. For web platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo, an H.264 or H.265 file in an MP4 container at the project frame rate, with a high bitrate (platforms re-encode uploads, so higher-quality uploads give better results), Rec. 709 colour, and AAC or PCM audio at 48 kHz is typical. Social platforms prefer vertical (9:16) or square versions with burned-in captions for viewers watching without sound. Broadcasters and streaming services publish detailed technical specifications covering codec (often ProRes 422 HQ or XDCAM HD), resolution, frame rate, colour space, audio track layout, loudness (for example −23 LUFS or −24 LKFS integrated), closed captions, slates and file naming, and their quality control will reject files that do not comply. Cinema deliveries use Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs). A full delivery package often includes the master file, separate audio stems (dialogue, music, effects), caption files, a textless version for international versions, and documentation.

In Canada, broadcasters require closed captioning for nearly all programming under CRTC policy, with quality standards for accuracy and timing, and many productions also provide described video; delivery specifications from Canadian broadcasters reflect these accessibility requirements.

Delivering to clients

Client delivery is part of the product. Online galleries and file transfer services let clients view, select, download and share images, with options for watermarked proofs, download limits, passwords and expiry dates. Files should be named clearly (client, project, sequence) and organized by type, such as web and print folders, with a short note explaining which files to use for what. Large video deliveries use transfer services, cloud links or physical drives with checksums. Contracts should state what is delivered, in what formats and sizes, how long files will be kept by the photographer or production company, and the licence terms for use, including whether the client may edit or apply filters to images. Keeping a record of what was delivered and when protects both parties.

Export presets and automation

Export presets save every setting for a destination: format, quality, size, colour space, sharpening, metadata, watermark and naming. A well-designed set of presets, such as "Web 2048 sRGB", "Client print full TIFF" and "Instagram 1080 × 1350", makes delivery fast and consistent and reduces errors under deadline pressure. Watch folders, batch actions and render queues automate repetitive conversions, and video render presets reproduce broadcaster specifications reliably. Presets should be reviewed when platform requirements change.

Capstone: design a complete workflow

The capstone asks you to design, document and test a complete digital imaging workflow for a realistic scenario, such as a wedding photography business delivering 50 weddings a year with short video highlights, or a small production company shooting corporate documentaries. Your workflow document should cover:

• Capture settings: formats, bit depths, codecs, colour profiles, card strategy and dual recording.
• Ingest: offload software, verification, naming convention, folder template and metadata templates.
• Organization: catalogue structure, keywording vocabulary, rating and culling process.
• Editing: non-destructive approach, presets, versioning, proxies or intermediates for video, and colour management including display calibration targets.
• Storage: working, near-line and archive tiers with capacity calculations for three years.
• Backup: a 3-2-1-1-0 plan with schedules, versioning, off-site and offline copies, and a test restore procedure.
• Delivery: export presets for each destination, client delivery method and contract terms for file retention.
• Archiving and security: formats, migration schedule, fixity checks, encryption and account security.

Test the workflow with a real or sample shoot from capture to delivery and archive, timing each step and recording problems, then revise the document. A workflow that is written down, tested and followed consistently is one of the most valuable assets an image maker can have.

Watermarks and proofs

Watermarks discourage unauthorized use of proof images and promote the photographer's brand, but large intrusive watermarks also distract clients from the images they are judging. A balanced approach uses modest watermarks on proofs and low-resolution previews, relies on gallery download controls and metadata for protection, and delivers final images unwatermarked. For images published on social media, a small, consistent credit may help people find the creator if images are shared. No watermark prevents determined copying, so registration and clear licensing terms remain the real protection.

Quality control before delivery

A final check before files leave your hands catches embarrassing errors. Open a sample of exported files outside the editing application, at full size and at their intended display size; confirm pixel dimensions, colour space, embedded profile, file names and metadata; look for dust spots, retouching artefacts, banding and over-sharpening; and for video, watch the full export, checking audio levels, captions, frame rate, start and end frames, and any flash frames or gaps. Many studios use a short written checklist for each deliverable type. Correcting a problem before delivery takes minutes; correcting it after a client has printed or published the files can cost the relationship.

Delivering for accessibility and inclusion

Delivery also includes making work accessible to as many people as possible. For images, this means alt text and descriptive captions on websites and in documents. For video, it means accurate closed captions or subtitles, audio description for important visual information where required, and transcripts. For both, it means avoiding meaning that depends only on colour, since many viewers have colour vision deficiencies, and ensuring sufficient contrast in text overlays and graphics. Accessibility is increasingly a legal requirement for public bodies and large organizations, and it improves the experience for everyone, including viewers watching without sound or on small screens.

Every delivery is also an opportunity to learn. Recording client feedback, technical problems found after delivery and the time each stage took helps refine presets, checklists and pricing for the next job, so that the workflow improves steadily over time instead of repeating the same mistakes.