How to send photos to clients, from proofs to RAW files

The best way to send photos to clients is to export full-resolution JPEGs, organise them in clearly named folders, and deliver them through a download link rather than email or a messaging app, which cap or compress images. Clients who explicitly need RAW files get them the same way, alongside the JPEGs, with a word on how to open them.

Delivery is the last thing a client experiences, and often the moment they decide whether to book you again. This guide covers what to deliver (JPEG, RAW, TIFF), how to export, how to choose between online galleries and transfer links, and a checklist for deliveries that look as good as the photos.

JPEG, RAW or TIFF: what should you deliver?

Most clients, from couples to small businesses, need edited JPEGs at full resolution plus, ideally, a web-sized set for social media. TIFFs make sense for print work or when a retoucher will take over. RAW files are a special case, covered below.

Should photographers give RAW files to clients?

Many photographers do not, and say so in their contract: a RAW file is an unfinished negative, and an unedited image circulating with your name on it does not represent your work. Others deliver them for commercial jobs, for second shooters, or for an extra fee. There is no universal rule; what matters is that the contract says it clearly before the shoot.

If you do send RAW files, tell the client how to open them. Recent versions of macOS Preview and Windows Photos (with Microsoft’s free raw image extension) can display many RAW formats, and Adobe Lightroom, Capture One or the camera maker’s free software can edit them. DNG, Adobe’s open RAW format, is the most widely readable option if your workflow allows converting to it. Our page on sending RAW photos to clients covers the transfer side.

Export settings that keep the quality

• Full resolution, no resizing for the main delivery.
• JPEG quality high (around 90 or more on a 0–100 scale): the visual difference with 100 is minimal and files are noticeably smaller.
• sRGB colour space for JPEGs meant for screens and consumer print labs; Adobe RGB or ProPhoto only when the client’s workflow expects it.
• Keep the metadata you want: copyright and contact details in the IPTC fields; consider removing GPS location for private clients.
• A second, web-sized export (for example 2,048 pixels on the long edge) for social media, so clients do not upload 20 MB files to Instagram.

Why not email, WhatsApp or a USB stick?

Email stops at 20–25 MB per message at most providers, which is two or three photos (see the email attachment size limits). Messaging apps are worse in a different way: they usually recompress photos sent as media, so the client receives a visibly softer image unless you send the files as documents. USB sticks still have a place as a keepsake for weddings, but they get lost, need shipping, and cannot be updated if you spot a mistake after delivery.

Online gallery or transfer link?

Many photographers use both: a gallery for proofing and selection, a transfer link for the final high-resolution files, RAW deliveries or files for a printer or an art director. A link is also the simplest way to send files to a retoucher or another photographer.

How to send photos to a client with a transfer link

1. 1

   Step 1

   Organise the export

   One folder per delivery, with subfolders such as “Full resolution” and “Web”. Name files consistently, for example ClientName_Event_001.jpg.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Upload the folder

   Drop the whole folder on Transfr. Its structure is kept, and the client’s Download all gives one ZIP with the same folders, so there is no need to zip it.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Set the options

   Add a password for private sessions and choose the expiry date. Sign in with a free account to get an email when the client downloads.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Send by email or link

   Enter the client’s address or copy the link into your own delivery email.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Collect feedback

   Clients can preview JPEGs in the browser (RAW files are downloaded, not previewed) and leave comments pinned to a point or area of an image, which is handy for retouching requests.

On the free plan, the link stays available for 7 days, which is a good nudge for clients to download promptly. With Transfr Pro, links can stay up to 60 days and the download page can carry your logo, background and your own subdomain or domain; see custom branding.

A delivery checklist that looks professional

1. Cull and check before export: no duplicates, no unedited strays, consistent colour across the set.
2. Name files and folders clearly, with the client’s name and the date.
3. Write a short delivery note: what is included, how long the link is valid, how to download on a computer, your usage terms.
4. Tell clients to download to a computer, not a phone, for large sets, and to keep a backup copy.
5. Check the download notification (sent to signed-in senders), and send a friendly reminder if nothing has been downloaded after a few days.
6. Keep your own archive for the period your contract promises; delivery links are not a backup.

Sending photos to a print lab, an agency or a magazine

Professional recipients usually have specifications: colour profile, resolution, file format, sometimes a naming convention or a maximum file size. Ask for them before exporting, rather than re-exporting after a rejection. Print labs often want JPEG or TIFF in a specific colour space at the final print size; agencies and magazines may want IPTC captions and credits filled in. For press deadlines, send a link the same day and use download notifications to confirm the files have been picked up, instead of hoping an email attachment arrived.

When several people need the same files (a client, a designer and a printer), one transfer link sent to all of them is simpler than three separate deliveries, and you upload only once.

Protecting your photos and your clients’ privacy

Wedding, family and boudoir sessions are personal data. Use a password, send it separately, and prefer links that expire over folders that stay public forever. For sensitive sessions, end-to-end encryption means the photos are encrypted in your browser and only people with the full link can decrypt them. Our secure file transfer checklist and the page on password-protected transfers explain the options.

How long will a big shoot take to upload?

A wedding of 800 JPEGs at 15 MB each is about 12 GB; adding the RAW files can triple that. At 20 Mbps of upload, 12 GB takes about 1 h 20 min; at 100 Mbps, about 16 minutes. Our upload time table gives every combination, and why is my upload so slow? helps if it drags.

Receiving photos from clients

The reverse also happens: reference images, old family photos to restore, product shots from a client. A file request link lets clients upload originals to you without an account, so you never have to work from compressed chat copies. See how to receive files from clients.