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Permissions & Downloads

Overview

Permissions let you fine-tune exactly what clients can and cannot do when viewing your gallery. You can enable or disable:

  • Selecting images (marking favorites)
  • Leaving comments
  • Drawing annotations on images
  • Downloading images
  • Sharing the gallery with others
  • Downloading contact sheets (PDF contact sheets)

Contact Permissions

Allow Selects

Lets clients star or mark images as favorites. Useful for collaborative reviews where you want to see which images they prefer. Disabled when Store mode is enabled.

Allow Comments

Clients can leave feedback as text comments on individual images. Great for collaborative feedback during reviews. Disabled when Store mode is enabled.

Allow Annotations

Clients can draw, markup, or highlight on images to point out edits or approvals. Useful for art direction and approval workflows. Disabled when Store mode is enabled.

Allow Downloads

Master switch for downloads. Enable this to allow clients to download images. Further download options (sizes, PIN, etc.) are only available when this is enabled. Disabled when Store mode is enabled.

Allow Sharing

Clients see a button to forward or share the gallery link with others.

Allow Contact Sheets

Clients can download a PDF contact sheet showing thumbnails of all images in the gallery. Useful for reference and approval documents.

Download Settings

When Allow Downloads is enabled, several additional options become available:

Download Sizes

You can restrict which file sizes clients are allowed to download. This is useful if you want to prevent full-resolution downloads for specific clients, or if you only want to provide print-ready or web-optimized versions.

Good news: StudioLedger automatically creates the 4K and HD versions from your original file on upload—even if that original was a TIFF. You don't need to manually export or upload multiple file sizes. Upload once, and StudioLedger handles the rest.

Full-Size (Original)

The original image resolution and format, exactly as uploaded. Clients download in the exact file type and size they were uploaded in (i.e. JPG, TIFF, etc.), preserving the original quality.

4K (3840px)

High-resolution image optimized for large screens and printing. Good for professional use.

HD (1920px)

Standard web resolution, smaller file size. Good for web use, email, and screen viewing.

💡 Pro Tip

If you want clients to have access to images but not full resolution, enable downloads and select only HD (1920px) or 4K (3840px). Hide full-size downloads while still allowing high-quality files.

Download PIN

Optionally require clients to enter a numeric PIN before they can download any images. This adds a layer of protection and ensures only intended recipients access full files.

Use Cases:

  • Protect proofs so only invited reviewers can download
  • Use simple shared PIN (e.g., 1234) for a group of clients
  • Combine with email tracking (below) for more control

Email Tracking for Downloads

When enabled, clients must enter their email address before downloading images. This allows you to:

  • Track who is downloading from your gallery
  • Build a list of interested clients
  • See download activity in your engagement reports

Default: Email tracking is enabled by default. Clients see a simple form asking for their email, then can proceed with downloads.

Per-Set Downloads

Instead of allowing all images to be downloaded, you can enable downloads only for specific Sets. This is useful when you want to restrict which image collections clients can access.

How It Works

  1. Enable Allow Downloads on the gallery
  2. Go to your Sets tab and enable Allow Downloads on specific sets (e.g., only "Final Selects")
  3. Your gallery enters "Set Download Mode"
  4. Clients see only the enabled sets in a download menu—not a generic "Download All" button
  5. Unassigned images cannot be downloaded in this mode

📋 Example Scenario

You upload 500 product photos. You create two Sets:

  • All Proofs — 500 images, downloads disabled
  • Agency Approved — 50 images, downloads enabled

Clients see the gallery and can browse both sets, but only the "Agency Approved" set's images appear in the download menu. This lets them preview everything but download only what you've explicitly approved.

Store Mode

When you enable Store mode (selling licenses from your gallery), StudioLedger automatically disables most collaborative permissions to create a clean purchasing experience:

  • ❌ Selections disabled (no favoriting)
  • ❌ Comments disabled
  • ❌ Annotations disabled
  • ❌ Free downloads disabled (clients must purchase)
  • ❌ Password protection disabled
  • ❌ Download PIN disabled
  • ✅ Sharing still available
  • ✅ Contact sheets still available

This ensures a frictionless purchasing experience—clients browse, select images, and buy licenses without distractions.

Delivery Sets & Client Permissions

Beyond gallery-level permissions, you can grant specific clients access to Delivery Sets—private, curated packages of images with their own download links.

Learn more in the Sets & Delivery Sets guide .

Next Steps

Allow Compare

Allow Compare lets visitors place two images side by side so they can evaluate details, expressions, or composition differences before making a decision. Clients add images to the compare tray and open the compare view once two photos are selected.

Compare is disabled while Store mode is enabled. That keeps the public gallery focused on purchasing instead of proofing interactions.

Contact Sheet Download Flow

Contact sheet downloads now adapt to the gallery state. If only one option is available, StudioLedger starts the PDF download directly. If both options are valid, the client is asked whether they want a contact sheet for All Images or for their Selects.

Selects only appears when selects are enabled and the viewer has actually selected images. If no selects exist, the gallery skips that option automatically.

Download sizes

If your gallery download settings allow it, public download flows can now surface higher-resolution renditions such as HD and 4K. Review your download settings if you want clients to receive presentation-ready files instead of originals only.

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