Quick answer
To send RAW photos to a client, gather the original camera files, include any required editing sidecars and add separate JPEG previews. Upload the delivery to HeftySend and share the completed download link. A free transfer can contain up to 20 GB and stays available for three days.
A client asking for “the photos” might mean finished pictures for their website, or camera originals for a retoucher. Agree that first. A JPEG of your finished edit and a RAW file serve different jobs, even when they show the same photograph.
This guide covers a photographer handing over originals, with a practical folder example and a recipient checklist. Product and software details checked on 27 September 2026.
Does your client need RAW files or finished JPEGs?
- Publishing the finished photographs: send the agreed JPEG or TIFF exports. Identify the approved versions and their intended use.
- Choosing pictures before retouching: send clearly named JPEG previews. Explain how the client should refer to each image when making selections.
- Continuing the edit: send RAW files and relevant sidecars. Specify the editing application, version and any additional dependencies.
- Keeping a complete agreed handover: include originals, final exports and a contents note. Explain where each set belongs and what has been included.
Do not export a JPEG and rename its extension to a RAW format. It does not become a camera original. Likewise, a smaller image saved from a message or browser preview is not a substitute for the file your client requested.
Check the delivery agreement before including originals. Some projects call for finished images only. A transfer service carries the files you choose; it does not decide what the client is entitled to receive.
How should you organise a RAW photo delivery?
Use a project name your client will recognise and keep matching filenames across originals and previews. Here is an illustrative structure for an architectural shoot, not a screenshot or a tested customer delivery.
OakHouse_Delivery/
Originals/
OakHouse_001.CR3
OakHouse_001.xmp
OakHouse_001.acr
Previews/
OakHouse_001.jpg
FinalExports/
OakHouse_001_FINAL.jpg
READ_ME.txtThe CR3 extension is an example. Your camera may produce NEF, ARW, RAF or another format. Include sidecars only when your editing workflow creates and needs them. Put them next to their matching originals and preserve the matching base names.
In the contents note, record the number of originals, which exports are final, the editing software used and any known omissions. For example: “120 camera originals, 120 JPEG previews and 12 approved final exports. Preview numbers match the original filenames.” Replace those example numbers with your actual inventory.
Which Lightroom sidecar files should you include?
In Lightroom Classic, saving metadata writes editing information outside the catalogue where supported. Adobe’s current instructions use Photo > Save Metadata to File. Check the resulting sidecars rather than assuming every edit is already alongside the original.
Lightroom Classic version 15 can also create an ACR sidecar for heavier edits, including some masks and AI settings. An XMP file alone may therefore be an incomplete handover. Keep all relevant generated sidecars with the RAW file and check compatibility with the recipient’s software. See Adobe’s current sidecar guidance.
If you need a finished appearance that the client can view immediately, export a separate JPEG or TIFF. Lightroom Classic’s Original export option preserves the original format; it does not turn the original into a finished JPEG. See Adobe’s export settings for the distinction.
This older video from Nicole S. Young demonstrates the XMP concept in Lightroom. Its interface predates the newer ACR behaviour, so use the current Adobe instructions above for that part.
How do you send the prepared files with HeftySend?
- Check the contents and size. Count the originals, add the previews and notes, and measure the complete delivery. Include any ZIP archive in your size check.
- Open HeftySend. Choose your prepared files. If you have packaged the originals and sidecars into a ZIP, add separate JPEG previews when you want convenient image viewing.
- Finish the upload. Keep the browser open and the device awake until you receive the completed transfer link.
- Inspect the recipient page. Check filenames, open a supported preview and download an original before sending the link to your client.
- Share the link with a clear deadline. Explain where the RAW originals are and ask the client to confirm collection before expiry.
For the general sending process, follow our free file sharing walkthrough and uploading instructions. Your recipient does not need an account to collect the delivery.
Will clients be able to preview RAW photographs?
Do not rely on a browser preview for a camera RAW format. HeftySend’s supported image previews include JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP and SVG. Supply JPEG previews for convenient viewing and tell the recipient to download the RAW originals for editing in compatible software.
Keeping previews separate also prevents confusion: the small JPEG is for identification, while the original is the editing asset. Name both with the same image number so a client can say “Please retouch OakHouse_017” without sending a screenshot back.
Should you ZIP the originals and sidecars?
A normal ZIP archive is useful for keeping a folder and its companion files together. It packages the files without the quality reduction involved in exporting a smaller JPEG. Do not assume it will save much space: compression results depend on the files.
For a simple handover, send one ZIP containing the originals and sidecars, plus a few separate JPEG previews and the contents note. This keeps the editing assets together while giving the client something easy to recognise on the download page. If the archive is large, check that the recipient has space to download and extract it.
Can a RAW photo delivery fit in the free allowance?
Calculate the total rather than counting photographs alone. As a worked example, 120 RAW files averaging 50 MB each total about 6 GB in decimal units. Add 120 JPEG previews averaging 3 MB and the subtotal becomes 6.36 GB, before sidecars, final exports and notes. That example has room within a 20 GB transfer; your actual files may be much larger.
The free three day collection window also needs to suit the client. If they are away for a week, arrange a later send or choose a paid plan with a longer availability period. Do not treat a delivery link as your only backup.
How can you make the handover feel like your photography business?
HeftySend’s paid plans offer custom download pages with templates, colours, backgrounds and text. Use the message to identify the shoot, explain the folders and point out the approved exports. Check current plan inclusions for capacity, expiry and branding removal.
There are no HeftySend bandwidth charges. If you connect your own storage on a paid plan, your provider’s separate storage, request and delivery costs may still apply. Our own storage guide explains that distinction.
What should the client check after downloading?
- Compare the original image count with the contents note.
- Extract the archive and keep companion files beside the matching originals.
- Open representative RAW files in the intended editing software.
- Compare the intended appearance with the supplied finished exports.
- Confirm receipt while the link is still available and keep a local backup.
If a RAW file will not open, check the camera format and software compatibility before assuming it was damaged in transit. If edits are missing, check the sidecars and application version. If a file is absent, compare the delivered inventory with the sender’s prepared folder.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send RAW photos without converting them to JPEG?
Yes. Send the camera originals as files, or package them in a ZIP. Add JPEG previews separately when the recipient needs easy viewing; they do not replace the originals.
Does sending a RAW file also send my Lightroom edits?
Not necessarily. Edits held only in your catalogue do not travel just because you copied the original. Check the required sidecars and agree a compatible editing workflow with the recipient.
Can my client view the photographs on a phone?
Provide JPEG previews for convenient viewing. Opening the RAW originals depends on the phone and installed software. Check available storage before downloading a large archive.
Should I delete the camera files once the upload finishes?
No. Keep your working files and backups according to your agreed retention policy. Wait for the recipient’s confirmation, and do not use a temporary transfer as your sole archive.
Can the recipient download without signing up?
Yes. HeftySend recipients can collect files through the shared link without creating an account. They still need to meet any access conditions you selected.
What if the whole shoot is larger than 20 GB?
Choose a paid allowance that fits the complete delivery, or agree clearly labelled batches if that suits the job. Do not reduce the originals just to make them fit when the client requires RAW files.
Ready to deliver the shoot?
Give your client the originals they need, previews they can recognise and a message that explains both. Start with a free HeftySend transfer and choose a paid plan when the size, collection period or presentation calls for it.