General Tips For Exporting Images From Lightroom to Social Media

When exporting images from Lightroom for posting on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X, it’s important to optimize the file sizes for the best quality and performance. Here are the recommended file sizes and dimensions for each platform:

Facebook

Recommended Image Size:

• Resolution: 72 dpi (standard for web)
• File Format: JPEG (best for web use)
• Dimensions:
  • Profile Picture: 180 x 180 px (minimum)
  • Cover Photo: 820 x 312 px (minimum)
  • Shared Image: 1200 x 630 px (ideal for feed posts)

File Size:

• Facebook automatically compresses images, but try to keep the file size under 1 MB for faster loading times.
• If necessary, aim for 100 KB to 500 KB for posts in the feed to avoid excessive compression.

Notes:

• Use the sRGB color space for the best results.
• For shared images, 1200 x 630 px is the optimal size for a good balance between quality and file size.

Instagram

Recommended Image Size:

• Resolution: 72 dpi
• File Format: JPEG (best for web use)
• Dimensions:
  • Square Post: 1080 x 1080 px
  • Landscape Post: 1080 x 566 px
  • Portrait Post: 1080 x 1350 px
  • Instagram Stories: 1080 x 1920 px (aspect ratio 9:16)

File Size:

• Instagram will compress images, so aim for images under 1 MB in size.
• The ideal range for image file size is 500 KB to 1 MB.
• To reduce the risk of Instagram applying excessive compression, keep the file size as small as possible without sacrificing too much quality.

Notes:

• Instagram prefers square photos (1080 x 1080 px), but it also supports portrait and landscape orientations.
• For the best display, use sRGB color space and export images at a resolution of 72 dpi.

X

Recommended Image Size:

• Resolution: 72 dpi
• File Format: JPEG (best for web use)
• Dimensions:
  • Profile Picture: 400 x 400 px
  • Header Photo: 1500 x 500 px
  • Shared Image: 1200 x 675 px (ideal for feed posts)

File Size:

• The maximum file size allowed for images on X is 5 MB (for JPEG, PNG, or GIF).
• However, to avoid compression and ensure faster loading times, aim for 300 KB to 1 MB for feed images.

Notes:

• For shared images in the feed, 1200 x 675 px is the optimal size for good display on both desktop and mobile devices.
• Ensure that images are in sRGB color space for consistent color reproduction.

General Tips for Exporting Images from Lightroom:

1. Resize Images for Web: In the export dialog, ensure you set the longest side to match the ideal dimensions for each platform (e.g., 1080px for Instagram).
2. Use the Export Settings: Adjust the quality slider to around 80-90% for a good balance between quality and file size.
3. Sharpen for Screen: In the export dialog, choose “Sharpen for Screen” (Standard) to enhance image clarity for online display.
4. Color Space: Always export images in sRGB color space, which is the standard for web and social media.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your images look great and load quickly on Facebook, Instagram, and X, with minimal compression loss.