When it comes to the photography world, one question that pops up repeatedly is: "How should I export my images for social media?" While it seems like a straightforward task, it’s anything but simple. Social media platforms host and process millions, if not billions, of images daily, forcing them to compress uploads to maintain platform speed and performance. Unfortunately for us creators, compression can often ruin image quality, which is why we push our work to the absolute limits. Here’s my approach to exporting images for social media and beyond, with a focus on maintaining quality while navigating platform quirks.

Why Image Exporting Matters for Social Media & Web

Image quality is paramount when it comes to engaging audiences and making a lasting visual impression. Social media algorithms tend to compress uploaded images, leading to a reduction in sharpness and clarity. For creators, understanding how to export images while minimising these effects can make all the difference. Whether you're sharing a portfolio on Instagram or maintaining a professional website, image quality directly affects your brand perception and engagement.

High-Resolution Exporting for Instagram

When exporting for Instagram, I don’t employ any overly complex strategies. My priority is to ensure that the image I’m uploading is the highest-resolution version I have, stored either on my hard drive or in Lightroom CC. Though I primarily edit my photos in Lightroom Classic, I store my JPEGs for online use in Lightroom CC, as it offers easy access and efficient storage options. My chosen export setting is 3000px on the longest side, a standard that I use across all web platforms.

Workflow Overview for Instagram Images

1. Image Storage and Export Settings:
   I store and manage my JPEGs in Lightroom CC, but my edits are usually done in Lightroom Classic. For Instagram posts, I set the image resolution at 3000px on the longest side. This resolution strikes a balance between maintaining quality and ensuring images look great on mobile screens and web browsers.

2. Using the Darkroom App:
   For resizing, I turn to Darkroom, a free and user-friendly app available on iPhone and Mac. This tool allows me to add borders that automatically resize images to either a 4:5 or 9:16 aspect ratio without cropping the main image. Depending on my needs, I’ll export images as either PNG or JPEG, depending on whether maximum sharpness or slightly smaller file sizes are more appropriate.

3. Posting Strategy:
   I post images directly from my phone using the Instagram app, via the Instagram web interface from my laptop, or through the Meta Business Suite if I need to schedule posts in advance. I follow this consistent workflow to ensure images maintain a high-quality appearance.

Optimising Image Uploads for Your Website

Unlike common advice to downsize images for faster website load times, I believe in prioritising quality. With modern screens supporting 2K-4K resolutions, I prefer to upload images that showcase my work in the best possible way. Typically, I use 3000px as the resolution for my website images, which may seem excessive, but ensures a great display even on large monitors.

Choosing the Right Resolution

While larger images naturally take up more data (ranging from 2MB to 9MB), modern internet speeds make this less of an issue than it used to be. Uploading high-quality images means they display beautifully on high-resolution screens, offering a better viewing experience. That said, I avoid uploading massive uncompressed files, like 50-100MP medium format images, and aim instead to balance quality and usability.

Balancing Quality and Usability

The key is finding the middle ground—providing images that look crisp and professional without slowing down page loading speeds. Most of my website images are between 2MB and 9MB, which is a less common practice but one that aligns with my dedication to image quality.

Beyond Instagram: Maximising Image Quality

On other platforms, such as VSCO, Purple Port, Facebook, Pinterest, and FotoApp, I follow a simpler approach. If I have the option to upload at maximum size, I do. My philosophy is straightforward: the bigger and sharper the image, the better. While each platform has its own compression methods, uploading high-quality images ensures a consistent level of visual appeal across all channels.

Conclusion

There’s no universal method to perfectly export an image for social media or the web. Compression is unavoidable, and every platform has different ways of handling uploads. The golden rule I follow is this: bigger and sharper is almost always better. By taking these steps and pushing the limits where possible, I ensure my work is seen at its best.