With Lightroom Classic 9.0, you can export one image, or a batch of images, using multiple export presets.

This new feature is a huge time saver in some aspects. It’s fantastic, but not perfect and many things could improve it.

For example, when you begin checking off multiple presets to export with, you will notice a message stating that the post-processing and other modules created by plugins, like JPEGMini Pro, will not be used.

So straight away, one improvement would be to support both of those things.

But I have my idea that I would hope Adobe can implement because it is something I hear is already inside of Premiere Pro for video exports.

AI is so smart as it related to images. I think Skylum, ON1, Topaz and Adobe have proved this over the years.

One thing that is possible, but not often utilized, is smart cropping during export. Meaning, the software would analyze the image for the proper crop point — for example, a person’s face or a flower.

During export, the software would automatically crop for the subject and export at whatever dimensions specified.

The way this would work well in Lightroom’s multiple preset exporting is as follows:

  1. You create a bunch of presets for social media sizes
  2. You turn on smart cropping in the presets
  3. You select a batch of photos to export
  4. You choose all the presets for social media sizes
  5. Lightroom will smart crop, using AI, each photo at the specified dimensions

The result would be a folder of images all named according to its preset specification, sized for the specified platform, and cropped, so the subject is still in the frame. No heads cut off, no stems without flowers, and so on.

Of course, as professional photographers, we still want to crop how we visualize it manually. But for some work, like personal brand photography, having a quick method for exporting and cropping would be a huge time saver. I’m sure this would be amazing for other genres of photography, as well.

  • Do you think Adobe should build this into Lightroom?
  • What else would you like to see from the Multiple Preset Export feature?

Lead photo by Ben Koorengevel