Exporting From Mac Photos

macmost.com/e-2740 Learn the various ways you can export files from the Photos app on your Mac. You can do a simple drag-and-drop, but you'll get more options if you use File, Export. You can also export directly to another app, or save as a PDF.
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00:00 Intro
00:30 Simple Drag and Drop
01:43 Edit Before Export
03:05 Export Options
03:33 File Kind
03:53 JPEG Quality
04:06 Export Size
05:04 Metadata Included
05:40 FileName and Folders
06:29 How To Master Exporting
07:01 File Kind Options
07:32 Sharing Instead of Export
08:06 Export as PDF
#macmost #mactutorial

[@diamondbreak]

I always give it a Like as soon as the first second runs LOL. Your quality and trust-worthiness always precedes your videos.

[@DavidBishopinc]

The save to PDF looks like it could come in handy. Thanks for sharing, love your videos.

[@lutzpietschker5171]

Great video again. Note that the "include location information" is also in the preferences, it is used for the drag & drop method. I lost a lot of location information by not knowing this (when moving images from the app to the file system).

[@carolinelvsewe]

I’m always looking for ways to work with my photos. Thanks for some great information!

[@MrTsatour]

Thanks, Gary, a mine of information as usual. Much appreciated.

[@Jacotte89]

Extremely useful ! Thank you

[@billycullen6832]

Superb tuition ! Thank you.

[@pissedmeoff]

this is amazing! thank you for your help

[@sircorn4248]

Big help video. Thank you.

[@ohhhbirdy5975]

why do apple make thjis literally the most confusing ukcing thing on earth to acoomplish

[@itsjoshfebles]

BROOO I feel you

[@wrenchrat]

Thanks! this was very helpful

[@fierywomanpacnw7004]

That helped, thank you very much !

[@jeffharmed1616]

Very useful thanks

[@randallyons8745]

great review

[@HHanna-sx9bn]

great video thanks

[@haydnhorne2505]

Thankyou Gary

[@step1idiomas]

Thank you!!

[@desertpatient]

Thanks bunches

[@PantelisPoulakis]

Gran video

[@loisskiathitis8926]

Very useful video tutorial today! Being a scrapbooker this will help me a lot. Thank you, Gary! 👏🏻❤️

[@frankscully]

Never fails!!! I always learn something new. Thanks Gary.

[@raulelayne285]

Hi, thanks for your great videos every week . I can't export photos from my Mac OS--unknow error (-1), can you explain why. thanks- I restated my Mac 3 times

[@Johnthetripper]

I never knew you could drag and drop, well there you go.

[@kamrantariq80]

Nothing appears in my desktop folder when I drag the photos into it from photos, ridiculous!

[@pefhra]

Here’s a question; slightly related: When attaching most file types to an email, I would usually prefer to view the item as an icon, rather than a preview of the file. If there’s a rhyme or ready to the way Mail decides to show as a preview or a file type, I haven’t decided it. It seems like sometimes it’s an image, sometimes an icon. I guess I have 2 questions: When does Mail decide to show the preview vs the icon. Can I make it so it defaults to show as an icon?

[@jopopatacsil2399]

Thanks so much Gary! You're videos are very helpful in my transition from WINDOWS TO MAC. Quick question related: 1. The videos (37) I dragged from PHOTOS to a folder in Finder are smaller in file size. I opened and played the videos and they look the same but I'm curious why the size changed? I also tried dragging one video at a time and the file size is still smaller. 2. Also, is there a status bar to check how long is the transfer time? TIA for your comment. :)

[@macmost]

Smaller than what? Where are you seeing the numbers to compare and what are they? Look in the Photos toolbar at the top of the window for a circle that fills in. Click it.

[@anthonywallace3830]

Thanks for this video. It was really helpful. Do you know if there is any photo software that can identify the faces, much like the Photo App does, so once everything is exported on to a hard drive, you can sort them this way? Thanks again!

[@macmost]

Sorry, I don't know of anything that can do that. Maybe then export from Photos be selecting all of the photos in each People section and saving them to a folder? You'll get duplicates that way though. But WHY do you need them on the drive as files, grouped by person?

[@paulo1901]

Nice video Gary. Can you export a whole album at once? Thanks!

[@macmost]

Sure. Just go to the album, select All, then export.

[@paulo1901]

@@macmost Thanks, Gary!

[@johnphillips519]

Oh wow, I have been wondering about this for quite some time, I have been exporting to another photo editor (Polarr) to get my pics down to 2048 on the longest side for social media uploads, Polarr made it easy but it was a hassle to to and fro if you know what i mean, Ok so now how do i do the same with IOS?

[@claudionelli]

Dear Gary At the end of each year, in order to save space on my MacBook air's hard drive, I use to export all my photos and videos to a single folder and transfer them to an external hard drive. Please, do you know how to export photos from the macbook air photo app by naming them with the format "yyyy-mm-dd - foto progressive number" or if there is an easy and automatic way to do it. Thanks Gary.

[@macmost]

There's no easy way to export with a name format like that. You also will lose other library information if you simply export to files. I would never do it that way. You can always use iCloud Photos library to save space. You can also move your library to an external drive, though that means you won't have access to it when the drive isn't connected.

[@user-jz9xz6gu1d]

Gary...great video as always. My struggle is I am being told I need to unload photos and videos due to cloud storage issues. When I export my creation date goes away. Still searching on how to ensre the creation date of videos and photos don't modify when exporting from photos app. that creation date is critical for me knowing when the photo was taken. You covered how to keep the location but now I need to find how to keep the creation date. Any insights would be helpful.

[@macmost]

Use the "Unmodified Originals" option. And keep in mind that there is a difference between the photo metadata date and the FILE creation date.

[@davidwright8920]

Hi Gary great video as usual. I am still running Bug Sur on my iMac at the moment which still has the bug when exporting JPG's in that the title and comments do not come across in the exported jpg file. Has this problem been fixed in Monterey?

[@macmost]

Not sure what bug you mean. Title and comments are part of the Photos library, not part of the file metadata, so they wouldn't exist in an exported file.

[@davidwright8920]

@@macmost Some time ago I was having problems when exporting to a jpg file in that the Title, Keyword, caption and location information was not being exported even though I had selected the options for this to happen. I recall, and I thought that it was you, being told to export in tiff format then open the tiff file in preview and export the file from preview and the information would be there, this worked and I have been using it since. Having watched this video I that I would ask the question (not clear I accept). Since receiving your reply I have just tried exporting a jpg file form Photos and all worked well so guess that answered my question. Thanks for responding.

[@bommaritohawaii]

Gary - I would like to export portrait photos from Photo App to Mac Finder. If I drag and drop out (as jpg) will the portrait format be exported by default?

[@macmost]

Yes, it shouldn't change. The best way to find out is to try it and see. Always good to experiment.

[@Johnthetripper]

Is there a way to choose the file size when dragging and dropping? Or do you need to do that by the "Export" function only?

[@macmost]

Export only. Drag and drop is meant to be quick-and-easy.

[@carolbianchi7852]

How do you get rid of the “original” if you don’t want it? I took a photo of a large screen on a stage to use as screensaver. I cropped out the extraneous around the screen and saved. Now when that photo comes up in the rotation, all I see is the original photo. I’ve tried changing the type, importing and exporting. Everything short of .pdf. I’ll bet you know the process. Thanks for your time on this.

[@spitNsawdust]

Which is the best format to keep my photos in Sir….HEIC or JPEG? I’m just putting my collection together. Your advice has been such a great help, thank you. ✌️

[@macmost]

"Best" is subjective. HEIC is better quality / file size. JPEG works on older machines though. Apple is moving forward with HEIC as their standard.

[@robertshatto629]

I didn’t use HEIC until other (non-Apple) software started to support it. I use both Apple Photos and a network drive to store photos. The network drive is my long term option and is not using apple’s strange internal data structure used only by the Photos app. Once Adobe Bridge started to accept HEIC I began to take my picts using it. The strange behavior I’ve noticed from Apple’s Photos app is that if I export the original picture (non-modified) directly to the network the photo has a creation date that is no longer the date the photo was taken. BUT if I export the same photo to the Desktop and THEN copy it to the network all the dates remain correct. So if you want the Finder to view the photos sorted by date you must be careful.

[@spitNsawdust]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply. It’s greatly appreciated. I am favouring HEIC for its file size and it’s great to know it’s better quality. Do either of you think it’s worth converting from JPEG to HEIC, if only for the HD space saved? Good to know that Robert, especially as I’m just migrating everything (PC) over to macOS. I’m using the photo app as a viewer really, all my photos are organised in finder folders and not copied to photos app, just linked, Its been quite confusing, so I’m super grateful for all help in this matter.

[@macmost]

@@spitNsawdust I don't know if it is worth all of the time and effort to do the conversion. I certainly haven't bothered.

[@bommaritohawaii]

Question please re my most import workflow... which is exporting Cinematic video. I want to migrate content from Photos App to Mac OS... folder in Finder. I want to retain all of the cinematic video content here, organize, etc. Then push into Final Cut for editing. What is the best process for this? Can I delete the aae files upon export to Mac OS?

[@macmost]

Just File, Export, Unmodified Originals. I don't know why an aae file is included, but I don't think it you'll need it if you are just keeping the original file.

[@60beats44]

Thank you so much Gary. Your videos were pivotal for me to change from Windows to Mac a few months ago. Always 'someone' with great expertise here to help. The hardware/operating system change is still in process for me and one thing that remains confusing for me is that 'exporting' usually means sending something from one place to another, without the item remaining in its original place. In Windows, dragging jpegs from one place to another means exactly that. I know that dragging other files in the Apple ecosystem has different outcome as well, so that really confuses me. The other thing with 'Mac Photos' is that I am unsure if it is correct procedure to add new jpegs to the 'Mac Photos' app only, now that I have exported my photos from the 'Windows Photos' folder to the 'Mac Pictures' folder and then copying everything to Apple's 'Photos' app, since these photos are not duplicated to the 'Mac Pictures' folder. I apologise if I sound a little too confused.

[@macmost]

"Exporting" usually means to make a new copy of something, in perhaps a different format. In terms of Photos that is exactly what it means. The original remains in the library.

[@60beats44]

@@macmost Thanks again Gary. It might just be my experience in the logistics sector, meaning that when a piece of equipment for instance is exported, it is shifted from one place to another without making a copy.

[@robertshatto629]

I think you might have run into the OS way of doing file movement. If you drag a file from one place to another WITHIN the same physical drive - the file will be MOVED. If you cross a physical boundary, like from one drive to a different drive, the file will be COPIED (unless you hold a modifier key).

[@60beats44]

@@robertshatto629 Thank you Robert for your input as well. Just to be sure, I just dragged one of my jpeg files from the Mac 'Photos' app to my desktop (same SSD) and although the photo was moved, a copy remained in the original location. This is a major difference to how the Windows system works.

[@robertshatto629]

@@60beats44 I was referring to your use of the word “Windows” which I believed to be a reference to the OS. You are including an app in your response which is not what i was referring to. The “Photos” app is not the OS. Also, I’m confused about how you use the word “moved” - the Photos app did not actually “move” the file if the original remained where it was. Let’s try to clarify: “Move” makes a copy of the file and puts it somewhere else and after it confirms that the new file has been written the original file is then deleted. “Export” does some sort of file conversion (like .jpg to .tiff) and then performs a “Copy” of the new converted file. It leaves the original alone. “Copy” does NO Conversion (like Export) and also leaves the original alone.

[@atjlucko123]

Hi Gary and a big thanks for this video, I have a one, for me a huge trouble, how flyer Import from my MBP on Messenger application and to one specific group inside?! I am a mountain guider and when I have some track in plan, I want said news to group of my friends mountaineer. So far I made a PDF dokument and sent via bluetooth to my iPad, but I like try sent directly from my MBP to specific group in application Messenger! So, is that command operational, and if it is, how, please can you make some video about that trouble situation Gary?! Big thanks in advance for any answer and sugestion!

[@macmost]

"Messenger" as in Facebook? Or "Messages" as in the built-in macOS messaging app? Don't know about Messenger, but with Messages you just have to add each name to the list of recipients.

[@artmaltman]

Can the photos apps on iOS and MacOS be made to synchronize folders? Thank you.

[@macmost]

Do you mean folders containing albums? Yes, if you are using iCloud Photos they are synced.

[@jamescraig3345]

If shooting RAW+JPG and want to simply export the RAW, it seems you have to file/Export unmodified Original and then delete the JPG. So when I select a dozen or more to export for RAW, I have the extra step of deleting a dozen JPG. Not a big deal, but is there a trick here?

[@macmost]

I don't have any to test, but what you are doing is probably the way.

[@itz4u]

Hi Gary very helpful, but I must be doing something wrong because every time I 'Export unmodified originals' it saves it on my currant day. I tried saving on an external HD or FlashDrive ....it saves on currant date. I tried saving to my original HD and it still saves on current date I/m runny OS X El Capitan 10.11.6. It use to do it before but now i need space so all these memories i need to backup with original Date intact. Can you please help? Thanks

[@ornellafalcone2158]

I have the exact seem problem and any article I find about this topic seem have an answer...

[@frankvet1]

Hey... I guess I was more interested in VIDEO! I find that ANY length video is quite cumbersome to export or edit or whatever, even drag to desktop to edit in another app. thoughts? THANK YOU

[@macmost]

The time it takes to export depends on the length of the video, and dimensions. You can try to use File, Export, Export Unmodified Original to see if that is better as it doesn't try to convert the video. You could always do what I do and store most of your video as files instead of inside your Photos library.

[@michaelpeppersack8599]

when I export how do I send it to desk top to put it into a editing program for photos?

[@macmost]

The Desktop is just another folder. Select that as the location for the export if that is where you want to put the file.

[@nubianprince3232]

Have you reviewed the app called infuse 7 and if so where can i find the info, thanks!

[@macmost]

Never heard of it. What are you trying to DO?

[@nubianprince3232]

@@macmost It is a file sharing program that you can play content from across all your devices, thanks for the quick follow up,I figured out how to delete content from the app.

[@NeilVitale]

When you drag and drop out of photos how to control what metadata is "dragged" along with it?

[@macmost]

Use File, Export instead and then you have those options.

[@grazstarr]

Aaaaaargh why is there no information anywhere on how to control the resolution of the export??? I'm coming from the Adobe suit for pro photography editing and I'm using the photos app with Pixelmator Pro, with the photos app being the file management system. I need to export at 72 resolution (for screen) but not have the image pixelate. I can't work out how to do this the measly two options of "jpeg quality" and "size" do not give clear enough export options! Does anyone know if Apple offer these more controlled export options?

[@macmost]

"resolution" isn't something that means anything at that point. A 4000x3000 image at 72 ppi and a 4000x3000 image at 300 ppi are the same exact thing. The ppi is only useful if printing. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZq0Xn5qfpmdl6c

[@avirupmukherjee7642]

I have a question, can someone please help me by answering this? If I have the setting Optimise Mac Storage selected. Then if i directly try to export the photos, will it download the full version from the cloud and then send that or will it just export the optimised small size image currently in the mac?

[@macmost]

It will download the full version.

[@tarynbrent1]

Can I send to an as card or usb? Want to export some short videos from sons flag football team to give to the coach and parents? I tried sending to the SD card but the videos aren’t showing up on the as card though the iMac says they were exported. Now and card isn’t working in camera. Says it’s damaged. Oof:)

[@machdaddy6451]

Could you please do a tutorial on how to upload photos from a MacBook laptop to Shutterfly.

[@macmost]

I don't use that website, but I assume it is the same as uploading from any computer. Or do they have some sort of special app or Photos extension?

[@machdaddy6451]

@@macmost I find navigating photos on a mac very confusing. On a PC there in a folder. You go to the folder and they are there..not some link to somewhere else.

[@macmost]

@@machdaddy6451 You can do that if you want. You can just put your photos as files and access them that way. You miss out on a lot of the features of using a photo manager like Photos though (albums, maps, faces, adjustments and edits, cropping, etc). If you like to organizing and work with your photos, take the time to learn how to use the Photos app.

[@mils232]

Hello do you know how to stop the export from creating a folder for each date when selecting subfilder and moments. I wanty album ot be created but not each date asking a ton of extra folders and layers.

[@macmost]

When exporting, choose Subfolder: None.

[@mils232]

@@macmost will it at least create a folder or just dump all the photos into 1 big pile

[@macmost]

@@mils232 You would create the folder first and put them in there. Experiment and see.

[@healthyweightloss4461]

having this trbl with video any suggestions?

[@macmost]

What do you mean?

[@srcull]

Hey Gary, I am trying to export a HEIC to JPEG from my library and it does not appear to keep my retouching, ant ideas?

[@macmost]

Definitely does for me. Have you saved the changes to the photo before exporting? Which method are you using for exporting, exactly?

[@srcull]

@@macmost Definitely saved and file export

[@macmost]

@@srcull make sure you use the right export option. One exports the original and the other the changes too.

[@AbstractMan23]

I recently upgraded my OS from OSX to Monterey. And also from Photoshop CS3 to CC. In the past one could drag a photo directly from Photos into Photoshop and it would open at its actual size. But I noticed that now it only opens in a much reduced size (886x886), and with a different file name from the original. Why is this? How can I get it to open in actual size (3024x3024) when I drag and drop from Photos into Photoshop?

[@macmost]

Try using Image, Edit With instead.

[@AbstractMan23]

@@macmost thank you, yes I was aware of that. But for quick edits I like to drag and drop onto the Photoshop icon. But since upgrading, this method does not open the image at full size anymore. It used to when I was on OSX and CS3, but now with Monterey and CC it only opens images which are stored in the "Derivatives" folder, and not the Master images. Is there any way to change this behaviour? Thank you!

[@macmost]

@@AbstractMan23 There's no setting or anything you can change.

[@AbstractMan23]

@@macmost ok many thanks for letting me know. People on both the Apple and Adobe forums were clueless about this behaviour…

[@sebastiantrejo9903]

Please help me. I am trying to export the photos and I am having a lot of errors after I exported the photos. Please help me. Thank you

[@macmost]

What are the error messages?

[@brianandtarryn]

Thanks Gary. I need to copy my photo library of more than 50 K photos of people from an old mac to a new mac. All of those photos have faces named. When I air drop, the face names do not transfer. When I use time machine, the face names do not transfer. When I export to an external drive, the face names do not transfer. I have tried using both “export unmodified” and the “modified”. What am I doing wrong? Thanks Brian.

[@macmost]

When you AirDrop, you are exporting the photo. That "Faces" data is part of the library, not part of the photo. Transfer the ENTIRE library, not just the photos in it. Assuming you aren't using iCloud Photos Library, you just drag and drop the library itself to copy it like any other file.

[@brianandtarryn]

Thank you sir.@@macmost

[@cheesecakevanila5624]

how do I od the opposite. like take images from files and put them in photos

[@macmost]

Just drag and drop into your Library in Photos. Or File, Import.

[@cheesecakevanila5624]

thx @@macmost

[@TheScooterBobby]

How can I export IPhoto’s to Shutterfly? 🙏🏻

[@macmost]

Check to see if they provide an extension to the Photos app for Mac. If not, then you'll just need to use their website and upload photos to it.

[@TheScooterBobby]

@@macmost no extension anymore and I can’t seem to figure out how to get them uploaded to their site

[@MauriceTaylorbobnose52]

Gm Macmost how can i clean my iPhone 12 cache

[@macmost]

What cache are you looking to clean? Browser? Something else?

[@MauriceTaylorbobnose52]

@@macmost Browser & file you go through on the iPhone

[@angelopetrelli1083]

👍⭐👍⭐👍⭐👍⭐👍⭐👍

[@Lightnin991]

I'm running Mac Ventura and when I try to drag and drop the image to a desktop file, either nothing happens or an empty folder appears with a date on it. Absolutely baffling and infuriating. Any idea what's happening?

[@macmost]

Not sure what could be causing this problem. I'd try calling Apple Support and see what they can figure out.

[@infinityzer054]

“Unknown error (1,005)” How do I fix that?

[@macmost]

Impossible to say just based on the error message. Check and recheck your code, make sure you are using it right, etc.

[@farmingboysYT]

i cant drag and drop them, i dont get the green dot but i want to export all my photos to finder

[@macmost]

What is happening when you try to drag-and-drop? How about if you select the photos you want, and use File, Export?

[@farmingboysYT]

@@macmost i used export and it worked i dunno why i didn’t work on the first place

[@Imaginarycreation]

Looks like the drag and drop decreases the quality of the image.. when I open the info from the preview it shows me different size.. why is that?

[@macmost]

Drag and drop will export a copy, yes. You can have more control over quality if you select and choose File, Export.

[@bonao2516]

hi sir i hope you can help me my mac is loadind the page too slow and also too slow running

[@ridefastcrew2960]

WHAT IF MY VIDEOS ARE EXPORTING BUT ITS ONLY SHOWING AS BLACK AND WHITE?

[@macmost]

Exporting, how, exactly? And where are you viewing them, exactly, that they are only showing as black and white?

[@ridefastcrew2960]

@@macmost im drag and dropping from i photos to a folder on my desktop, and the in any play back and along with the thumbnail shows in black and white. A week earlier the drag and deop method worked fine and i lost no resolution or color, i photos is the fastest way for me to upload vlog footage ive taken with my phone onto my computer cause airdrops take wayyy to long

[@macmost]

@@ridefastcrew2960 I can't think of any way that simply dragging and dropping to export a video from Photos would run a filter on it to make it black and white. I think you'll need to get it in front of an expert to figure out what could be wrong.

[@savanihimanshu8619]

Hi i Himshu How to mac in Numbers app in currency to english word formula?

[@macmost]

You mean 11 to "eleven?" No way to do that.

[@savanihimanshu8619]

@@macmost yesh

[@savanihimanshu8619]

@@macmost yes

[@tonysicily2687]

Depending on how many number you want to convert you could set up,a Match Index

[@yan870126]

I’m having “unknown error 1,009”

[@harrisongould9460]

You never touched on it. When you say "Export" the menu never allows you pick where you want to send it. All it says at the end is export and nothing happens. I have thousands of photos on my iPhone and I want them OFF and stored on my external hard drives. I have done this in the past but with 14.3.1...I can't seem to do it.

[@macmost]

Not sure what you mean. You choose File, Export, Export X photos. Then you make some choices about quality, naming, etc. Then click Export. Then the next dialog is for you to choose where to save them.

[@harrisongould9460]

@@macmost Thanks for getting back. I guess I'm use to those "..." that tell me that there's more to this Export button. I just assume it went nowhere.If you check it out...there are no 'three dots'. FYI...I have been a Mac user since my Mac Plus so I am not new to Mac and its OS.

[@cfnds1]

Why do I get a message that I can't Edit? "Cannot Start Editing, Photos cannot load adjustments for this image."

[@macmost]

A search for that error message comes up with some posts of other people with the same problem and the things they are trying. Look into that. I don't have that error so I'm not able to test myself. I wonder if it has to do with some devices uses newer versions of Photos and thus using adjustments not available to other devices you have.

[@cfnds1]

@@macmost Thanks for giving my problem a thought. I should also have noted that I am only having this problem on my 14" MacBook Pro M1. It also has stopped showing new photos taken by my Iphone 13 pro max and my wife's Iphone 8. Very frustrating... Mike

[@macmost]

@@cfnds1 First take care of the "stopped showing new photos" issue. Call Apple Support.

[@carolbianchi7852]

How do you get rid of the “original” if you don’t want it? I took a photo of a large screen on a stage to use as screensaver. I cropped out the extraneous around the screen and saved. Now when that photo comes up in the rotation, all I see is the original photo. I’ve tried changing the type, importing and exporting. Everything short of .pdf. I’ll bet you know the process. Thanks for your time on this.

[@macmost]

You would have to export it, then import the exported file, then delete the original one.

[@carolbianchi7852]

@@macmost oh, good, thank you. I’ll try that.