Rendition

Common types of rendition

Rendition	Made from	Used for
Thumbnail	Images, videos, documents, design files	Grid views, search results, previews in emails and links
Web preview	Images, camera RAW files, layered design files	Viewing and zooming in the browser
Resized download	Images	Websites, social posts, slides, partner webshops
Format conversion	TIFF, PSD, RAW, HEIC	JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF files that any application opens
Video stream or proxy	Video masters	Playback in the browser without downloading the master
Poster frame	Video	The still image that represents a video
Document preview	Office files, PDFs	Page images that can be viewed without the application
Crop or aspect-ratio variant	Images	Social formats, banners, product tiles

Generating every size at upload costs processing time and storage, so many systems create the small sizes at upload and the large ones the first time someone requests them.

Rendition vs version vs original

• The original is the file as it was uploaded: the layered PSD, the camera RAW file, the video master.
• A version replaces the original with a revised file, such as a retouched photo or a corrected datasheet. The asset keeps its history. See version control.
• A rendition is derived from the current version and is regenerated when a new version arrives.

A new version produces new renditions; creating a rendition never changes the original. A crop made by hand for a specific campaign sits between the two: it is derived from the original, but it is stored, named and often approved like a file of its own.

Why renditions matter in a DAM

• Every file can be previewed. Most people who need an asset cannot open its source format. A library where a tenth of the files show a generic icon instead of a preview teaches people to stop trusting the browse view, so preview coverage across RAW photos, design files, office documents, video and audio matters as much as search.
• Audiences get the size they need. A reseller downloads a web-ready image while the layered source file stays with the design team. Limiting audiences to certain renditions is also a governance tool.
• Pages load quickly. A 50 MB TIFF on a product page slows it down; a resized WebP or AVIF of the same image does not.
• Sizes stay current. Because renditions are generated from the current version, a corrected image is corrected in every size.

Rendition in Freedam

• Previews are generated at ingestion for standard images, camera RAW files, PSD, AI and EPS files, PDFs, office documents, video, audio (as a waveform), and .fig and .sketch design files.
• Images get WebP renditions at fixed widths from 128 to 5,120 pixels. The three largest sizes are generated the first time someone requests them.
• The download dialog names the file format of every size. PNG, JPG, SVG and WebP images download as the original by default; source formats such as PSD, TIFF and RAW default to a 2,048-pixel rendition.
• Images can be requested at a given width and height, in JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF, through an image URL, both in the app and through the API with signed URLs.
• Videos are encoded as an adaptive stream for playback in the browser, with a poster frame for the thumbnail.
• Access rules and share links set the largest size each audience may download, for example web-sized images for brand portal visitors.
• Studio crops images to preset formats and exports social media sizes. Crops and edits are saved as renderings linked to the asset, and AI edits carry an approval status.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a rendition and a version?

A version replaces the asset's file with a revised one and becomes the new current file. A rendition is a derived copy, such as a thumbnail or a resized image, generated from whichever version is current.

Are renditions stored or generated on demand?

Both approaches are common. Small, frequently used sizes are usually stored at upload; large or rarely used sizes are often generated on the first request and kept afterwards.

Does a rendition keep the original's metadata?

Not always. Resizing and converting create a new file, and embedded metadata such as copyright fields or Content Credentials may not be copied into it. Download the original when the embedded metadata has to travel with the file.