How to send photos to clients without losing quality
Direct answer
Most professional photographers send photos through an online client gallery: one link, full-resolution JPEGs, a download button, and an expiry date. Email attachments hit size limits. Google Drive and WeTransfer work, but they look like a file dump and are awkward on a phone.
Whatever you use, send edited JPEGs (not RAW), say how long the link lasts, and tell clients how to save on a phone, since that's where they'll usually open it. Then check they actually downloaded. A client who can't get the files usually doesn't complain. They just never order prints or leave a review.
Grain Issue is one of those galleries, built into a photography client portal that also handles booking and proofing, from $15 a month. Free options are covered below too.
Delivery methods compared
| Method | Cost | Full resolution? | Works on a phone? | Looks professional? | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email attachment | Free | Usually no. Gmail caps attachments at 25 MB, so a handful of photos at most | Yes, for a few images | No | Sending 1 to 5 images |
| WeTransfer | Free tier, paid for bigger or longer links | Yes | Poorly. The download is a ZIP | Some branding on paid plans | One-off transfers to other pros |
| Google Drive / Dropbox | Free up to your storage | Yes, if the client downloads the file and not the preview | Previews are compressed, and download buttons are easy to miss | No | Sending to a retoucher, not a client |
| USB drive | $5 to $20 per client plus shipping | Yes | No | Can look premium in a box | Clients who ask for a physical copy |
| Client gallery (Pixieset, Pic-Time, ShootProof, Grain Issue) | Free tiers exist, paid plans roughly $10 to $50/mo (pricing compared) | Yes | Varies by platform. Test it | Yes, with your branding | Almost every client delivery |
How to deliver a gallery, step by step
- Cull and edit first. Deliver finished images, not everything off the card. A tight gallery is easier for clients to download and share. Not sure how many? See how many photos to deliver.
- Export JPEGs at full resolution. Use sRGB and high quality (90 or above). Also offer a smaller web-size set if clients want to post online.
- Name the files so they sort in order. "smith-family-001.jpg" beats "DSC_4821.jpg" when a client is picking images to print.
- Upload to one link. One gallery per session. Don't send three Drive folders and a WeTransfer.
- Set an expiry date and say it out loud. Put the date in the delivery email, and tell clients to download and back up before then.
- Write the phone instructions. On a phone, save one photo at a time to the camera roll. On a computer, download everything at once. More below.
- Check the link opened. Follow up after a week if you've heard nothing.
What to tell clients on a phone
Clients usually open the delivery email on their phone. A ZIP file lands in the Files app, not Photos, and a lot of people stop there. Put this in the email:
- On your phone: tap the photo, then Save. Pick "Save Image" if your phone asks.
- On a computer: use Download All to get the full set.
- Don't screenshot the gallery, and don't save from a Drive preview or a WhatsApp forward. Those are the low-resolution copies that come back as "why are my prints blurry?"
- Open the link in Safari or Chrome, not inside Instagram or Facebook. Downloads often fail in those in-app browsers.
The full phone guide, including how Pixieset, Pic-Time and ShootProof each handle it: phone-friendly gallery downloads.
Free ways to send photos to clients
If you're just starting out and can't justify a subscription yet:
- A gallery platform's free tier. Pixieset and Pic-Time both have one, with small storage, and some free plans take a cut of print sales (commission comparison).
- Google Drive, shared as "anyone with the link". Tell clients to download the file, not save the preview.
- WeTransfer's free tier for one-off sends. The link expires, so clients need to download quickly.
The free options work until you have more than a few clients a month. After that, the time you spend answering "how do I download these?" costs more than a paid plan.
How Grain Issue handles delivery
- Save on a phone: tapping Save opens the phone's share sheet so the full-resolution photo goes straight to the camera roll. If the share sheet isn't available, the full-resolution image opens and the client can long-press to save.
- No client password: the gallery link works without an account or PIN.
- Favorites download: clients can download just their favorites instead of a 400-photo ZIP.
- Delivery alerts: you get an email if a delivered gallery hasn't been opened after 7 days, or if it was opened but nothing was saved. Clients get a reminder before the gallery expires.
What it doesn't do: Grain Issue delivers photos only, not video. If you shoot hybrid photo and video, use a platform with video delivery. Very large ZIP downloads (a full wedding) are a job for a computer on good Wi-Fi, not a phone. Compare platforms: vs Pixieset, vs Pic-Time, vs ShootProof.
You can try it on your next client: every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, no credit card needed. See plans.
Related: how to ask clients for reviews and referrals · how to send photo proofs to clients · switch platforms without losing galleries · late gallery message templates
FAQ
How do most photographers deliver photos to clients?
Through an online client gallery. The client gets one link, views the photos, and downloads full-resolution files. Pixieset, Pic-Time, ShootProof and similar tools are the most common choices. Google Drive and WeTransfer are common among photographers who are just starting out.
How do I send photos to clients without losing quality?
Export full-resolution JPEGs and deliver them through a gallery or file link. Don't use email attachments, text messages or WhatsApp, which compress images. Tell clients to download the file itself and not screenshot or save a preview.
Should photographers give clients RAW files?
Most don't. RAW files are unedited, look flat, and need special software to open. Deliver edited JPEGs. If a client asks for unedited files, decide your policy before booking and put it in your contract.
How long should photographers take to deliver photos?
It depends on the session type and is set in your contract. Portrait sessions often take one to three weeks and weddings often take several weeks or more. Whatever your timeline is, tell the client up front. If you're going to be late, see how to tell a client the gallery will be late.
Is Google Drive good enough for client delivery?
It works for a few clients. It gets harder as you grow: previews are compressed, the download button is easy to miss on a phone, and your client sees a folder, not your brand. It's fine to start with. Switch when support questions start eating your time.
How long should a client gallery stay online?
Long enough for the client to download and back up everything. 30 to 90 days is common. Put the expiry date in the delivery email and send a reminder before it closes.