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swenpaylay
Participant
September 28, 2019
Question

Why do exports from iPad look so bad vs. Mac?

  • September 28, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 555 views

I'm running the latest versions of Lightroom CC on both my Mac and my iPad Pro, both with their latest software (Mojave and iPad OS13). I prefer to work start to finish on my iPad but I'm finding the exports are simply poor quality. I inspected photos in both the large and small export presets from both Mac and iPad, and indeed, the iPad files are half the size at equal resolution. The iPad copies are also noticably less sharp with slightly duller colors and contrast. Beyond that, they are all 'Display P3' color profile, which wreaks havoc for printing vs. the sRGBs produced by the Mac version.

 

This is quite disappointing and I'm wondering if anyone knows why this is the case, if it will be remedied, or if there is a work around? Reading through the forum this issue seems to go back a couple of years. 

 

Here's a screen shot of the info from the four files. iPad Small > Mac Small > iPad Large > Mac Large (notice the 'i' in the titles indicating the iPad version). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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    2 replies

    Jim Wilde
    Community Expert
    Jim WildeCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 28, 2019

    The differing sizes of the exported jpegs relates to differences in the export default "quality" setting, which controls the amount of jpeg compression (which thus affects the file size). IIRC, the LR iOS app uses around 80% quality, whereas the LR desktop app uses around 90%. That difference will make a significant difference in the output file size.

     

    Obviously more user control over the export parameters would be great, and I expect it'll happen at some point. In the meantime you could add your vote to the existing feature request at the official Adobe feedback site. This one relates to the desktop app, but there's probably also another one over there for the mobile apps: https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/is-lightroom-cc-a-nonprofessional-version-of-lightroom 

    S
    swenpaylayAuthor
    Participant
    October 24, 2019

    Yeah. I mean you are explaining what's happening but not why. It just seems like product segmentation to me. Forcing me to subscribe to LR classic to get more export control. Needless though, even free apps for ipad give more export control. Plus the P3 color profile almost seems like sabotage. Just let us export in sRGB at any size/filetype we want, Adobe! Likewise I shouldnt have to subscribe to a whole separate forum to provide an idea that should be a given. 

    S
    swenpaylayAuthor
    Participant
    September 28, 2019

    I'll add that smart previews are not the cause as I have all originals downloaded on both machines. 

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