Originals or web versions? What clients are allowed to download
Full near-RAW originals or reduced JPEGs for social media? Your gallery's download setting decides image quality, storage and your negotiating room. An orientation.
When the client downloads images from the gallery — do they get full resolution or a reduced web version? This seemingly small setting has real consequences for image quality, your storage usage and your business model.
Two very different use cases
A download usually serves one of two purposes. Either the client wants to have prints made — then they need the high-resolution original file, otherwise the large wall print turns out pixelated. Or they want to post online — then a reduced JPEG version (around 2560 px long edge) is entirely sufficient and uploads faster as a bonus.
Separating these two needs makes sense. Not every client has to get the full originals, and not everyone even wants them.
Why you should be able to control the download
There are good reasons to deliberately toggle original delivery:
- Payment model. While the invoice is open, you might release only web versions — the originals follow once payment arrives.
- Value. Offering web versions only lets you sell original files or prints as a paid extra.
- Protection. Reduced versions with a watermark are uninteresting for unauthorized reuse.
At the same time, there are clients for whom full originals are an obvious part of the package. What matters is that you decide per gallery — not the platform for you.
Don’t forget storage
Originals are large, web versions small. If you generally limit downloads to web versions, you not only avoid discussions but also reduce how much is delivered and cached. Across many parallel galleries that adds up.
Conclusion
The download setting is a small switch with a big effect. Deliberately separate “print” (originals) from “post” (web versions) and decide per gallery and per client what’s released. That way you protect quality, revenue and storage at once.
Lumio is built exactly for that: per gallery you enable downloads and decide separately whether clients get the full originals or only the reduced web versions (approx. 2560 px JPEG) — ideal for online posts.