Best Image Sizes and Formats for Client Delivery
There is no universal export setting: the correct file depends on what the client will do next.
“High resolution” is not a complete specification. A useful delivery requirement states the intended use, pixel dimensions or print size, file format, color space, compression expectation, and whether the client needs metadata or transparency.
Practical starting points
| Use | Dimensions | Format | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client archive | Full available resolution | High-quality JPEG unless another format is agreed | sRGB by default |
| Professional print | Based on final print size and lab requirement | JPEG or TIFF as specified | Lab-specified profile |
| Website | Match the site slot; avoid unnecessary originals | JPEG, PNG, or WebP according to workflow | sRGB |
| Social media | Create platform-specific crops from current requirements | Usually JPEG; PNG for suitable graphics | sRGB |
| Proofing | Large enough to review, limited if required by agreement | JPEG | sRGB |
Pixel dimensions matter more than DPI metadata
For digital delivery, the actual width and height in pixels determine how much image data the file contains. A DPI value becomes meaningful when paired with a physical print size. Changing only the DPI field does not create additional detail.
JPEG, PNG, WebP, or TIFF?
- JPEG: efficient for photographs and broadly compatible.
- PNG: useful for transparency and graphics, often unnecessarily large for photographs.
- WebP: efficient for modern web delivery, but confirm the client workflow accepts it.
- TIFF: appropriate for specific production workflows, not a default client format.
Turn vague requests into measurable requirements
Replace “send web and print versions” with two explicit rows: PRINT — full resolution JPEG, sRGB, no watermark; WEB — 2400 pixels on the long edge, JPEG, sRGB, maximum 5 MB. Then verify the exported folder against those rules.
Check dimensions, formats, and file sizes →
When requirements conflict
Ask the destination owner. A print lab, publisher, web developer, or marketplace specification should override a generic rule. Save that requirement with the project so the next export is reproducible.