Image Delivery Checklist for Photographers: A Client Handoff Preflight
A repeatable preflight for wedding, portrait, product, event, and commercial photography deliveries.
A finished edit is not automatically a finished delivery. A client handoff can still fail because one image is missing, a web export is mixed with print files, filenames sort incorrectly, or the gallery link was tested only while signed in. The safest approach is to treat delivery as a small quality-control process with a fixed order.
The five-minute preflight
- Freeze the approved selection. Compare the final export count with the approved pick list or Lightroom collection.
- Check the folder structure. Keep print, web, social, and preview files in clearly named folders.
- Verify every file. Check dimensions, extension, file size, naming pattern, and missing sequence numbers.
- Open a sample. Inspect files from the beginning, middle, and end at 100%.
- Test delivery as the client. Use a private window and confirm download permissions, expiry date, and mobile access.
Pre-delivery checklist
| Area | What to verify | Failure it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| Selection | Final count matches the approved set | Missing or unintended photographs |
| Names | One pattern and zero-padded sequence | Files sorting in the wrong order |
| Dimensions | Minimum pixel dimensions match the use | Small files sent for print |
| Format | Only promised file types are included | Unsupported uploads and confused clients |
| Color | Export profile matches the destination | Unexpected color shifts |
| Access | Link and password work when signed out | A delivery the client cannot open |
Run the checks in the right order
Start with count and filenames because they reveal missing material quickly. Continue with dimensions and formats, then inspect visual quality. Finish with the transfer itself. If you change an export after checking it, run the affected folder through preflight again.
Run the free Image Delivery Checker →
Keep evidence of the handoff
Record the delivery date, folder count, link, expiry date, and requirements used for the check. This small record resolves questions later without relying on memory. For high-value work, preserve the final manifest beside the project archive.