Design exports for a client proposal: what to check

A graphic can look polished in your editor and still cause problems in a client proposal. It may appear soft when enlarged, have a solid background where you expected transparency, or look different after you place it in a slide or document.

Plan the export around how the client will view it. Use the Photo Editor to arrange and refine your image, then check the exported file at its intended size before you send the proposal.

Prepare and check the export

1. Open the Photo Editor and work on a copy of the image. Keep the original unchanged so you can return to it if a client requests edits. Use layers for separate elements such as a logo, photo, and text, so changes to one part do not require rebuilding the whole design.
2. Decide where the image will appear before preparing its final size. For a slide deck, use dimensions suited to the slide layout. For print, check the dimensions requested by the print provider. If you know the print size and resolution, multiply the inches by the pixels per inch. For example, an 8 by 10 inch image at 300 pixels per inch needs 2400 by 3000 pixels.
3. Choose an image format that suits the artwork. Use JPEG for photographs when a smaller file is useful and transparency is not needed. Use PNG for sharp graphics, text, or a transparent background. If you are unsure whether transparency survived, open the exported file and inspect it against both a light and a dark background.
4. Export a separate copy, then open that copy and inspect it at the size the client will see. Look for soft edges, clipped text, an unexpected background, and colors that differ from the editor preview. Also check that the file opens in the application where you plan to present it.
5. If you need a different supported image format, use the Image Converter to make a copy in JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, BMP, ICO, or TIFF. Reopen the converted file and check it again, because format conversion can affect transparency, animation, or appearance.

If the proposal will be a PDF, place the image in the document or presentation and export that document as a PDF using its own software. An image file and a PDF proposal are different deliverables, so check both before sending.

Choose the right size and format

For a slide or screen proposal

Start with the dimensions of the slide or layout, not an arbitrary image size. A small image enlarged to fill a slide can look blurry, while an unnecessarily large image can make the proposal file harder to share. If the image is only a small inset, it does not need to match the full slide dimensions, but it should still have enough pixels for the size at which it will be shown.

For a printed proposal

Ask the printer for its preferred dimensions and resolution when the image is important to the final page. Pixel dimensions determine how much detail is available at a given print size. A resolution number by itself cannot add detail to a small image. Avoid enlarging a low-resolution source and assuming that a larger export will make it sharper.

For a photo or a flat graphic

JPEG is often a practical choice for photographs with no transparent areas. PNG is useful for logos, diagrams, text, and artwork that needs transparent pixels. JPEG does not preserve transparency, so a transparent area will become a solid background or be handled in another way. Check the actual result rather than relying on the file extension alone.

When the client needs an editable design

A flattened image is easy to place in a proposal, but its individual elements cannot be adjusted like separate layers. Confirm whether the client expects a viewing copy or an editable project before delivery. Keep your working version so you can make revisions, and label the final exported image clearly to avoid confusing it with the source files.

Fix common export problems

1. Export looks blurry. Check the original image and the exported pixel dimensions. If the source is small, use a larger source or reduce how much space the image occupies. Exporting at a larger pixel size cannot restore detail that was never in the original.
2. Transparent areas look white or colored. Confirm that the format you chose supports transparency, then inspect the exported file outside the editor. If the final proposal does not need transparency, a deliberate solid background can prevent surprises.
3. Colors look different in the proposal. Compare the exported file in the application that will display or print it, not just in the editor. Screen brightness, display color settings, and the receiving application can all affect how colors appear. For a print job, follow the print provider's color and file requirements rather than guessing at a profile setting.
4. The file is too large to send. For a photograph without transparency, make a JPEG copy and check that its detail still looks acceptable. For multiple images, reduce unnecessary pixel dimensions and convert only the files that need a different format. Do not repeatedly convert the same image, because some formats can lose quality each time.
5. Text or a logo is cut off. Inspect the edges of the exported image and leave a margin around important content. If the artwork is being placed into a slide or page, check that the application has not cropped it to fit a frame.

Make the handoff easy to review

Give each file a clear name that identifies the proposal or version, such as spring-campaign-cover-v2.png. Keep the final exports together and separate from drafts. If you send multiple variations, use names that distinguish what changed, such as the background or crop, instead of relying on vague labels like final-new.

Before sending, open each exported image and the assembled proposal on the device or in the application you expect the client to use. Check the first page or slide, any image that fills a large area, and the last page for missing or misplaced artwork. This catches problems that are not visible while editing individual images.

The Photo Editor works in your browser. Images you open and edit stay on your device.