Discover how to email files directly from Lightroom in this detailed tutorial, breaking down the process with both desktop and online email clients.
This exercise is excerpted from Noble Desktop’s past Lightroom training materials and is compatible with Lightroom updates through 2020. To learn current skills in Lightroom, check out our Photo Retouching Certificate and graphic design classes in NYC and live online.
Topics covered in this Lightroom tutorial:
Using a desktop email client, Using an online email client
Exercise Preview
Exercise Overview
In this exercise you’ll learn how to quickly email a few files from Lightroom.
Emailing Photos
Make sure you are in the Library module.
In the Catalog panel on the left, click All Photographs.
Select the first Yellowstone photo (20110827_YourName_032).
Shift–click the Yellowstone photo next to it (20110827_YourName_033) to select both photos.
Go to File > Export (or at the bottom of the panels on the left side of the Lightroom window, click the Export button).
At the top of the window that opens, from the Export To menu, select Email.
Expand the Lightroom Presets folder on the left if it’s not already open.
Click For Email. You’ll notice that all of the settings to the right automatically change to what is needed for email.
Click the Export button.
-
If you have an email client (like Apple Mail or Windows Mail) set up, or if you’ve used Lightroom’s email feature in the past, a window with the usual email fields (To, From, Subject, Message, etc.) will appear.
If this is the first time emailing from Lightroom and you don’t have an email client (like Apple Mail or Windows Mail) set up on your computer, a New Account dialog will appear. Click Cancel for now. We’ll show you how to set up an account shortly.
Using a Desktop Email Client
Lightroom can work with most desktop email clients that you may have installed on your computer (like Apple Mail or Windows Mail). Using the installed email client allows you to access your address book. If you have a desktop email client set up on your computer and you’d like to use that to send out your email, complete the steps in this section.
You may also choose to send photos via an external email provider like Yahoo! or Gmail. If instead you would like to set up Lightroom to work with your online email account (Google, AOL, Yahoo, etc.) you can skip this section and continue with the next section Using an Online Email Client.
From the menu below From, choose the Desktop Email Client you use (Apple Mail, Windows Mail, etc.) if it isn’t already selected.
In the To field, type in the address you’d like to send the photos to.
In the Subject field, type in Favorite Yellowstone Photos.
Click Send.
It takes a minute for Lightroom to process. When it’s finished a window will open with a composed email created in your email program.
Make sure the To and Subject fields are correctly filled.
To add a message, click before the first photo and type your message.
Hit Send and your pictures are on the way to your recipient.
Using an Online Email Client
Lightroom can also work with most online email clients to send your message.
From the From menu, choose Go to Email Account Manager.
Click the Add button in the bottom-left corner.
In the New Account window, type any name for the Account Name.
From the Service Provider menu, choose your service provider.
Click OK.
-
If you selected Yahoo!, Gmail, AOL, or Hotmail as your service provider the Outgoing Server Settings will automatically populate with the required information for the selected provider.
If you select Other as your service provider you will need to fill in the Outgoing Server Settings. This information should be provided by your service provider.
In the Credential Settings section, type your Email Address and Password in the appropriate fields.
Click the Validate button. It should validate. If it doesn’t make sure you typed everything correctly.
Once it validates, click the Done button.
You should now be back in a window with the usual email fields (To, From, Subject, Message, etc.).
Notice that in the menu below From, the email account name for the email you just added is selected.
In the To field, type in the address you’d like to send the photos to.
In the Subject field, type in Favorite Yellowstone Photos.
In the Message text box, type a message if you’d like.
Notice the thumbnails of the attached photos are shown in the Attached Files box.
Hit Send and your pictures are on the way to your recipient. Awesome!
