Exports

"Can you send me the approved photos from last night's premiere?"

That request sounds simple. In practice, it means: find the right images across your library, figure out which ones are actually approved, package them up, upload them somewhere the recipient can access, send a link, and then hope they download it before the link expires. If they lose it, you do the whole thing again.

Exports in ReelStorage turn that into a repeatable, trackable process. Select images, create an export, share a link, and know exactly who downloaded what.

Creating an export

Start from any view in your project. Select images from the grid, or filter by tags and collections to build your selection.

Click "Create Export" to package the selection. The export is prepared on our end, so you're not waiting for your browser to process thousands of high-res images. When the export is ready, it shows up on your Exports page.

For large exports (hundreds or thousands of images), processing happens in the background. You get a notification when the package is complete and ready for sharing.

Sharing exports

Every export can be shared via a secure link. Generate the link from the export details page and send it however you normally communicate: email, Slack, text.

You control access with several options:

• Password protection: require a password to download the export
• Expiration dates: set the link to expire after a specific date
• Named recipients: add email addresses and send notifications directly from ReelStorage
• Download limits: restrict how many times the link can be used

Recipients don't need a ReelStorage account to download. They click the link, enter the password (if set), and download the ZIP.

Delivery tracking

This is where exports differ from emailing a WeTransfer link and crossing your fingers.

Every export has a tracking dashboard that shows:

• Who accessed the link and when
• Download history with timestamps
• Recipient status (sent, viewed, downloaded)
• IP and access details for security auditing

When your editor asks "did the AP bureau download the premiere photos?" you have the answer. When your studio's legal team needs to know who accessed embargoed images, the records exist.

Watermark control

Exports let you control whether images include watermarks:

• Include watermarks for preview deliveries where the images aren't final or where protection matters
• Exclude watermarks for final deliveries to trusted press contacts or internal teams

This gives you one system for both preview and final delivery, instead of maintaining separate sets of watermarked and unwatermarked files.

EPK preparation

Electronic Press Kits are a standard delivery format in entertainment publicity. An EPK typically includes approved stills, key art, behind-the-scenes photos, and sometimes video assets.

The export workflow maps directly to EPK preparation:

1. Filter your project by the "approved" and "press-ready" tags
2. Select the images you want in the EPK
3. Create an export with the correct watermark settings
4. Share the link with your press distribution list
5. Track which outlets downloaded the kit

No more assembling EPKs in Dropbox folders, renaming files to match a naming convention, or losing track of which version went to which outlet.

Managing exports over time

The Exports page in your project shows every export you've created:

• Export name and creation date
• Number of images included
• Sharing status (private, shared, expired)
• Download count and last accessed date

You can revisit old exports, reshare them with new recipients, regenerate credentials if needed, or disable sharing when access should be revoked. Exports are a permanent record of what was delivered, to whom, and when.

Revoking access

Sometimes you need to pull back access. A link was sent to the wrong person. An embargo date changed. A talent approval was reversed.

Disable sharing on any export with one click. The share link immediately stops working. Anyone who tries to access it gets an error. You can also regenerate share credentials, which creates a new link and invalidates the old one.

This isn't possible with WeTransfer, Dropbox links, or email attachments. Once those files are sent, they're sent. ReelStorage exports give you a revocation mechanism.

Works with the rest of your workflow

Exports connect to how you organize and approve images:

• Tags let you filter to exactly the right images before creating an export
• Collections serve as pre-built export sources for recurring deliveries
• Talent approvals feed into your "approved" status, so exports only include cleared images
• Activity log records export creation and sharing alongside other project activity

Same-day delivery for events

Press events and premieres demand fast turnaround. The export workflow is designed for speed:

1. Photographer uploads images from the event
2. Team applies ratings and tags during a quick review pass
3. Publicist filters to top-rated, approved images
4. Export created and shared within hours of the event

No file conversion steps, no manual ZIP creation, no uploading to third-party services. The images go from camera to journalist inbox through a single tracked pipeline.

Perfect for

Publicists delivering press kits and event photos under deadline, PR managers who need to track which media outlets accessed which images, and production coordinators managing the delivery pipeline from set to publication.