JPG for Photography
Professional guide to using JPG format for photography — optimal quality settings, when to use JPG vs RAW, and export best practices.
JPG Quality Settings for Photographers
Choosing the right JPG quality depends on your use case:
| Use Case | Quality | Typical Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Print / Portfolio | 95-100 | 5-15 MB | Maximum quality, no visible loss |
| Client Delivery | 90-95 | 2-5 MB | Excellent quality, reasonable size |
| Web Gallery | 80-85 | 200-500 KB | Great balance, fast loading |
| Social Media | 75-85 | 100-300 KB | Platforms recompress anyway |
| Thumbnails | 60-70 | 20-50 KB | Preview quality sufficient |
JPG vs RAW: When to Use Each
Shoot RAW When:
- Professional/paid work requiring post-processing
- High-contrast scenes needing shadow/highlight recovery
- Color-critical work (product, fashion)
- Images will be heavily edited
Shoot JPG When:
- Casual/personal photography
- Events requiring fast turnaround
- Storage space is limited
- Straight-out-of-camera colors are acceptable
- Sports/action with high burst rates needed
Shoot RAW+JPG When:
- Need quick previews plus editing flexibility
- Unsure which images need extensive editing
- Backup/archive purposes
Color Profiles for JPG
| Color Space | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| sRGB | Web, social media, general use | Universal compatibility, safe choice |
| Adobe RGB | Print, professional editing | Wider gamut, may look dull on web |
| ProPhoto RGB | High-end print workflow | Widest gamut, requires color management |
Recommendation: Export to sRGB for web/social, Adobe RGB for print services.
Export Settings by Software
Lightroom Classic
- File Settings: JPEG, Quality 85-95
- Color Space: sRGB (web) or Adobe RGB (print)
- Resize: Long edge 2048px for web
- Sharpen: Screen, Standard amount
Photoshop
- File → Export → Save for Web
- Quality: 80-90 for web
- Convert to sRGB: checked
- Metadata: Copyright only (reduces size)
Capture One
- Process Recipe: JPEG, Quality 85-95
- ICC Profile: sRGB or Adobe RGB
- Scale: Fixed long edge for web
Avoid Quality Loss
- Never re-save JPGs — each save adds compression artifacts
- Edit RAW/TIFF — export to JPG only as final step
- Keep originals — work on copies, preserve masters
- Use "Save As" — don't overwrite original files