Convert RAW to JPG on Windows

Clients and listing portals want JPEG. You shoot CR2, NEF, DNG, or ARW and edit in RAW for latitude. Delivery is a separate export step at the right dimensions and quality. Mistakes here mean overwritten masters, email-bouncing 40 MB proofs, or portals that reject camera-native formats. Keep ingest read-only, export JPEG to a deliverables folder, and only then resize for web or MLS caps.

Keep the RAW master

Deliver JPEG unless the client explicitly asked for RAW. Never overwrite RAW when exporting.

File type	Role
RAW	Edit master, archive
JPEG	Client, web, MLS, print portal
HEIC	Phone intermediate; convert before cross-platform send

Folder layout	Purpose
Ingest drive	Untouched camera files
deliverables\jpeg\	Exported proofs and finals
web\	Smaller JPEG after resize

For resize and compress after export, see how to compress images on Windows . For PNG to JPEG in mixed handoffs, see PNG to JPG on Windows .

Portal	Typical max width	Quality starting point
MLS	3000 px long edge	q85 to q90
Email proof	2048 px	q80
Web gallery	1920 to 2400 px	q80

Export JPEG from Photos

Photos on Windows 11 opens many RAW formats when codecs are installed.

1. Open RAW files in Photos.
2. Select images → … → Save as or use export when available.
3. Choose JPEG at high quality into a deliverables folder.

Some camera RAW formats need the manufacturer app first. If Photos shows a blank preview, use Lightroom or the camera vendor tool.

Batch export from Photos works when every file imported cleanly. When you copy RAW straight from a card to D:\Jobs\ClientA\raw\, vendor software or Lightroom is usually faster than importing hundreds of files into Photos just to export JPEG.

If Photos shows a blank preview for a CR3 or proprietary RAW, install the camera maker’s codec pack or use Lightroom for that shoot. Never rename RAW files mid-ingest; fix names in the deliverables JPEG layer instead.

Delivery target	Starting quality	Max width hint
Email proofs	High	2048 px after export
MLS listing	High	Follow portal rules
Web gallery	Medium-High	1920 to 2400 px

Camera or Lightroom export

Lightroom or Capture One is more reliable for every camera RAW.

1. Import RAW with your usual edit preset.
2. Export → JPEG, quality 80 to 95 depending on client.
3. Set long edge (for example 3000 px for listings, 2400 px for web).

FFmpeg batch resize after export (not for demosaic):

Get-ChildItem deliverables\*.jpg | ForEach-Object {
  ffmpeg -i $_.Name -vf scale=3000:-2 "web\$($_.BaseName).jpg"
}

Spot-check white balance and sharpening on three random frames before you upload the whole set. RAW to JPEG is destructive at the export step: you cannot recover clipped highlights from the JPEG later.

Lightroom export checklist:

Setting	Listing shoot	Web gallery
Long edge	3000 px	2400 px
Quality	85 to 90	80 to 85
Color space	sRGB unless print asked otherwise	sRGB

Capture One and Lightroom remember export recipes per client. Name recipes after the portal (“MLS 3000 sRGB q88”) so assistants do not guess quality on rush jobs.

Using GetCompress

GetCompress handles post-export resize and compress after your editor creates JPEG from RAW.

Drop the deliverables folder into the app. Set max width and quality, and export.

Workflow features that help:

• Batch queue: shrink a full proof folder after Lightroom export.
• Presets: save “MLS 3000px” vs “web 1920px”.
• Quality presets: when portals cap megabytes per image.
• Local processing: keep unreleased property and portrait proofs off online compressors.
• Folder monitoring: auto-process new exports from a watched folder.
• Max width: when MLS caps megabytes per image, not just pixels.

GetCompress does not replace RAW development. Export JPEG from Photos or Lightroom first, then use GetCompress for consistent delivery sizing across the shoot. Adjust the preset once when a portal rejects the batch instead of re-developing every RAW unless edits changed.

Windows studio workflows often export from Lightroom to deliverables\jpeg\ on a NAS. Point GetCompress folder monitoring at that path so new exports shrink to MLS caps while editors keep working in Lightroom on the RAW masters locally.

Assistant editors can run GetCompress on proof JPEG while lead retouchers stay in Lightroom on RAW. Same preset names on both machines (“MLS 3000 q85”) keep delivery consistent without sharing heavyweight catalog files over VPN.

Windows Photos export quality labels differ from Lightroom percentages. When a portal rejects files, compare byte size and long edge first before re-developing RAW; the fix is often resize or q85 to q80, not a full re-edit.

Real estate teams on Windows sometimes deliver twice: full JPEG set to MLS and a smaller web gallery from the same Lightroom export folder. Two GetCompress presets on one deliverables\jpeg\ drop produce both targets without a second Lightroom export pass.