Run multiple exports at once in Lightroom

Question

There are frequently occasions where I have to run multiple exports of the same image in one go, e.g. export for website (desktop/tablet/mobile/thumbs dimensions) or for social media (instagram/facebook). Currently this involves choosing export several times.

There must be an easier way to run this, either by chaining them together or getting multiple results from running a single export, even if it involves a third party plugin.

(It may not sounds like much of a problem, but say I was exporting ten images for a website across multiple dirs, this means clicking 40 times!)

Answer 1

You now can!

With the 'Max 2019 Photography Releases' one of the improvements to Lightroom Classic is the ability to export the same image multiple times. Just by selecting the exports you wish to run.

Answer 2

Put the 10 images into the Quick Collection and export in one operation from there.

Answer 3

This is a common complaint about Lightroom. You can use Photoshop and Image Processor Pro if you have to export multiple files at multiple resolutions.

Check this topic for other suggestions.

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/lightroom_export_images_at_multiple_resolutions_in_one_go

Answer 4

I just had the same requirement to export not once, but 4 times (a large photo, a medium sized photo, a small photo, and a thumbnail) and there is a way. However, it needs a little bit of Windows Batch (or iOS shell if you are a Mac user) coding.

How my export workflow looks like:

1. I export my photo(s) with Lightroom using a predefined export (as usual).
2. This export runs a Batch file just after export.
3. This Batch file creates several new files from the exported file (in my case I resize the photo several times)

What you need:

• ImageMagick, a free command-line image processor.

What to do:

1. Install ImageMagick and be sure it's in your PATH.
2. Find your Lightroom Export Actions folder. In Windows it's located in C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\Export Actions
3. Create a new file there an name it Create Export Files.bat or whatever you prefer and fill it with the following code (this creates the files mentioned above and deletes the Lightroom export):

@echo off
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
echo running...
cd
:loop
if "%1" == "" goto endloop
echo Processing %1...
if exist %1 (
    set FILE=%1
    set BASENAME=""
    for /F %%i in ("!FILE!") do set BASENAME=%%~dpni
    echo !BASENAME!
    convert -quality 60 -resize x75 -unsharp 1x1.0+0.5+0 -strip !FILE! !BASENAME!$thumb.jpg
    convert -quality 70 -resize 900x600 !FILE! !BASENAME!$900x600.jpg
    convert -quality 70 -resize 1350x900 !FILE! !BASENAME!$1350x900.jpg
    convert -quality 70 !FILE! !BASENAME!$1800x1200.jpg
    del !FILE!
)
shift
goto loop
:endloop
echo done.
ENDLOCAL

4. Open the Lightroom export dialog and prepare your export as you like. I chose an image size of 1800x1200 pixel (the size of my "large" photo) and a quality of 100 % (to let ImageMagick work with the best quality, it will be reduced later by ImageMagick).
5. At the end of the dialog you find a point "Post-Processing" and a label "After Export". Within this box you'll find your "Create Export Files" script (or whatever you named it). Select it. Now this script will be run after Lightroom exported your files.
6. Save the export and run it.

Even if you know a bit Windows Batch, you might wonder why SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion and !FILE! instead of %FILE%. See here for more information.

Update:

As of version 7 ImageMagick renamed its convert program to magick. So if you use a current ImageMagic installation you may either tick the Install legacy components checkbox during install or modify the script to use magick instead of convert.

Answer 5

If you put those 10 images in a collection, do a select all and export, you only need to repeat the process 4 times, not 40 times.