simple export of full size res image from lightroom 3.6 to portable drive

[shipit]

OK.  I'm a newbie.
The subject line delivers the question.
How does one do the simplest of exercises with Lightroom 3.6?  I see export to email, burn a JPEG, export to hard drive?  Is moving an image to a portable drive simply a two part maneuver?

And, (two part question)  what settings do I have to select in the dialog box to make sure the exported image is at the highest resolution?  pixel size.  or  is there a default that will leave the copy at its maximum size and resolution?

I would love to hear from one of the many professionals/graphic designers/etc regarding why Lightroom (and others) do not copy, save, and deliver in the "common" manner.  I am guessing that certain professional equipment requirements may be dictating the strategy.  Is that close?  Or, is it simply to be different?  If it is to be different, it does not seem to include the full array of possible exporting options.  Exporting one pic to a dvd or cd is not ideal, but to a portable drive.

Thanks.

[Schewe]

OK.  I'm a newbie.
The subject line delivers the question.

Well, it's really Lightroom 101 bud. There are a bunch of free and paid video tutorials out there for you to learn from (I even appear in some) and plenty of books on the subject so there's plenty of ways for you to learn to help yourself...

I would love to hear from one of the many professionals/graphic designers/etc regarding why Lightroom (and others) do not copy, save, and deliver in the "common" manner.  I am guessing that certain professional equipment requirements may be dictating the strategy.  Is that close?  Or, is it simply to be different?

Well, again, Lightroom 101 bud...LR is a databased digital asset manager not a pixel editor like Photoshop. You edit the parameters of the image, not the image pixels themselves. As such, everything you do to an image in LR is automatically saved in the lightroom catalog. The only time you need to spawn off an image file is for use outside of LR...there is no reason to "copy, save, and deliver in the "common" manner". If you need an image to consume outside of LR, you either Export it or open the image in a pixel editor...

You need to do some learning and a forum such as this isn't a good place to learn all the basics that you need to learn. It's for relatively simple questions with relatively simple answers. The answers to your question will be self evident once you learn how to use the program.

[elied]

What Jeff wrote is, of course, absolutely true, but to limit this reply to your specific question:
Exporting from LR is a process of using data from the original Raw file (which in itself is not a color image file) plus the input you have supplied about how you want that data altered/edited in order to create a new file which can be a psd, a tiff or a jpg. In the Export dialog you designate the file format, the destination folder - either on your internal drive or a portable medium - and if you do not check the Resize checkbox the output image will be in the full size delivered by your camera minus any cropping you may have done.

"... leave the copy at its maximum size and resolution." When we are talking about digital images (not prints), size [pixel dimensions] and resolution are synonymous. Should you need more pixels, usually for a high resolution print, use the Resize and Output Sharpening functions.

[shipit]

HEY Elied,


Thanks for your answer which did help to catapult me to finding out what I had simply been overlooking.  I think everyone appreciates it when someone has the ability to read the question and try to focus on the answer.

It is a simple task to export to an external drive or to a pixel editor and then export.

I am presently using a trial version that came with a copy of PSE10 that I had purchased last fall.  I think because of the assistance I found here, I will go ahead and purchase it.

I can see why the debate continues between those who love either or use both.  I did find some of the other panels more intuitive and easier to use than the export settings, but....that's just me.

                                                          Thanks again.

[sniper]

It's all a learning curve, if your handling lots of images Lightrooms the way to go.

When you click export and the window appears there the option to export to and just below it the choose, clicking that should let you browes to your external drive (mine does)

[PeterAit]

Your drive being potable is irrelevent - it will still show up as a drive letter on your system, so just select that as your destination in the LR export dialog box (in the Library module). For full resolution, make sure the Resize to Fit option is off and so is the Limit File Size option. Nothing more to it.

The Camera to Print LR video is worth every penny.

[shipit]

Thanks Sniper and PErterAit

PeterAit,
    The fact that the drive is portable isn't completely irrelevant.  At least, I would not say that.  But, it is inconsequential when you know how to select it.

Lr says, at the top of the export dialog box, "choose: hard drive" then when you click open the drop down menu, it only adds CD/DVD.   Now, I admit this was a mistake, but I took it to mean that my only choices were internal or CD/DVD.  Even though a careful look at the choices after selecting hard drive would have also displayed any external storage devices connected (flash or any other USB device), I did not look closer which led me to the wrong conslusion that getting the image where I wanted it required some more intricate operation. 

It may be a small thing, but words being as important as they are, I think the developers of Lr ought to consider changing the wording of selection "hard drive" which usually cannotes an internal device, to simply select "drive" or "storage media."   Then, choose.

But, small thing.  I have watched numerous vids about portions of Lr.  Most exporting was to online media or to another editor.  I am looking forward to more study over time.


                                Thanks again.