How to export your photos for upload
A plain-English guide to fixing "file too large" errors and getting your TIFF, HEIC, or RAW photos into a wedding album. Takes about two minutes per file.
Which photo formats we accept
If your photo is in any of these formats and under 20MB, it will upload without a hitch. No conversion, no waiting.
Always works
- ✓ JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) — the standard
- ✓ PNG (.png) — lossless
- ✓ HEIC / HEIF — iPhone default
- ✓ WebP — modern web format
- ✓ GIF (.gif)
- ✓ TIFF (.tiff, .tif) — under 20MB
Needs exporting first
- ✗ RAW (.cr2, .cr3, .nef, .arw, .dng, .orf)
- ✗ PSD (Photoshop working files)
- ✗ Very large TIFF (over 20MB)
- ✗ Uncompressed exports from editing software
Export these as JPEG or PNG first — steps below.
Size limits: images up to 20MB, videos up to 500MB. If your file is bigger than that, follow the export steps below — a re-saved JPEG is almost always under 5MB and looks identical on screen.
Why your file might be too large
Phones and cameras save photos in compressed formats — a JPEG from an iPhone is usually 2–4MB. A 60MB file almost always comes from one of three places:
- RAW files straight from a DSLR or mirrorless camera (these are negatives, not finished photos).
- Uncompressed TIFFs exported from editing software with no compression applied.
- Photoshop PSD files — working files that include layers and edit history.
The fix is the same in all three cases: save a JPEG copy. The JPEG is what you'd email, what you'd print, and what every website on the internet shows. It will be under 5MB and look identical. Keep your original on your hard drive — just upload the JPEG.
Exporting as JPEG in Photoshop
Takes about 30 seconds per photo. Works in any recent version of Photoshop.
- 1
Open your photo in Photoshop
File → Open, or drag the file onto the Photoshop window.
- 2
Choose File → Export → Export As
On older versions, use File → Save As instead. Both work.
- 3
Set format to JPG
In the format dropdown on the right side of the export dialog.
- 4
Set quality to 80–90
That's the sweet spot — visually identical to the original, roughly 1/10th the file size. Watch the "File Size" number in the preview; aim for under 10MB.
- 5
Optional: resize to 4000 pixels wide
If the file is still over 20MB, scroll down to "Image Size" and change width to 4000px. Photos in a wedding album rarely need to be larger than that, and it cuts the file size in half.
- 6
Click Export and save
Name it something you'll recognize, save it to your desktop, and upload that file instead.
Exporting as JPEG in Lightroom
If your photos are in Lightroom Classic or Lightroom CC, the export dialog does everything you need in one step.
- 1
Select the photo(s)
You can select multiple — Lightroom will export them all at once.
- 2
File → Export (or ⌘⇧E on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows)
- 3
Set the file settings
- Image Format: JPEG
- Quality: 80
- Color Space: sRGB
- Limit File Size To: 10,000 K (that's 10MB — guaranteed to upload)
- 4
Under "Image Sizing": tick "Resize to Fit"
Set to Long Edge: 4000 pixels. Optional but recommended for very large originals.
- 5
Pick a destination folder and click Export
Desktop works great. Now upload those JPEGs instead of the originals.
Pro tip: Save these settings as a preset called "Wedding Album Upload" — click the "Add" button under the Preset list on the left. Next time you export, it's one click.
Converting on a Mac using Preview
Don't have Photoshop or Lightroom? Preview is built into every Mac and handles TIFF, HEIC, and most RAW formats.
- 1
Double-click the photo
It opens in Preview by default. If it opens somewhere else, right-click → Open With → Preview.
- 2
File → Export
(Not "Save" — "Export".)
- 3
Set Format to JPEG
Drag the Quality slider to about 80%. Watch the file size shown below the slider — target under 20MB.
- 4
Save and upload the JPEG version
Still too big? Open the JPEG in Preview, choose Tools → Adjust Size, set width to 4000 pixels, and export again. Two passes will always get you under the limit.
Converting on Windows
Windows 10 and 11 can save any photo as JPEG using the built-in Photos app — no extra software.
- 1
Right-click the photo → Open with → Photos
- 2
Click the three dots (...) → Save as
- 3
Change "Save as type" to JPG
Type a new name and click Save.
- 4
If the JPG is still huge, use Paint to resize
Right-click the JPG → Open with → Paint → Resize → set to 50%. Save again.
iPhone HEIC photos — nothing to do
iPhones save photos in a format called HEIC. We accept HEIC uploads directly — we convert them for you in the background so the whole internet can see them. You may see a brief "Processing…" spinner after uploading; that's normal.
You don't need to change any iPhone settings. Just upload.
Quick reference cheat sheet
| If your file is… | Do this |
|---|---|
| JPEG under 20MB | Upload directly |
| HEIC from iPhone | Upload directly — we convert |
| TIFF under 20MB | Upload directly — we convert |
| TIFF over 20MB | Export as JPEG first (sections above) |
| RAW (.cr2, .nef, .arw, .dng, etc.) | Export as JPEG from Lightroom / Photoshop |
| PSD (Photoshop working file) | File → Export As → JPEG |
| Anything over 20MB | Re-save as JPEG at 80% quality, or resize to 4000px wide |
Common questions
Will I lose photo quality by converting?
Not in any way you can see. JPEG at 80% quality is what every camera saves by default and what every magazine, website, and wedding print is made from. The difference is invisible on a screen or in a photo book.
Why don't you just accept any file size?
Big files slow down the album for everyone. A 60MB TIFF takes 30× longer to download than a 2MB JPEG, and most guests are on phone data. The 20MB limit keeps the album fast for everyone while still preserving full visual quality.
Can I upload RAW files so the couple can edit them later?
RAW files are too big and can't be viewed by most people without special software. If you're the photographer and the couple wants the RAWs, deliver those separately — WeTransfer, a USB stick, or a shared drive. The album is for finished photos guests can actually look at.
What about iPhone Live Photos?
iPhones store Live Photos as an HEIC image plus a short video. When you select one in the iPhone's photo picker, only the still image gets uploaded — which is exactly what you want.
I don't have any editing software. Is there a free online converter?
On a Mac, Preview is already installed. On Windows, the built-in Photos app works. If you must use a browser tool, search for "convert TIFF to JPEG online" — there are dozens of free options, but never upload photos of people you don't want on the internet to random sites.
