Understanding Image Derivatives

Summary

A derivative is a variation of an original image asset, for example, a smaller size, a different crop, a different file format, or a watermarked copy. Creating derivatives helps users maximize efficiency: instead of manually resizing or re-exporting files, all variations and image modifications are made automatically in your Bynder portal during upload.

• Default derivatives are created automatically for every image asset.
• Custom derivatives are configured in the portal by a Bynder Admin.
• Dynamic Asset Transformations (DAT) give you more flexibility than predefined derivatives. Instead of setting up a derivative in advance, you can generate a transformation on the fly.
• Automatic derivative generation for existing assets is available as a time-saving feature; contact Bynder Customer Support to enable it.

File size limitation: Custom and default image derivatives cannot be created for files that exceed 25,000 pixels in a single dimension (width or height). Support for 50,000-pixel images has been temporarily reduced to 25,000 pixels to improve functionality; this page will be updated when 50k pixel support returns. For files exceeding 25,000 pixels, preview generation is also currently subject to processing limitations and may not be available for all file types or sizes.

Default Image Derivative Dimensions

The resolution of your default derivatives may deviate slightly from these dimensions depending on the aspect ratio of your original images.

Why?

• Efficiency: Variations are generated automatically at upload, so there's no need to download, edit, and re-upload files.
• Consistency: Predefined dimensions and aspect ratios are ready for specific use cases, including webshop presentation.
• Flexibility: DAT lets you apply transformations on demand rather than pre-configuring every possible size.
• Precision: Regex-based automation (see the related article below) ensures derivatives are only generated for the files that need them, keeping processing and storage efficient.
• Distribution-ready: Derivatives can be made publicly available through the Bynder API, and each derivative, standard or custom, has a Unique URL, a permanent CDN link you can embed directly on external platforms.

How?

Configure a custom derivative

When setting up a custom derivative in your portal, an Admin can define:

1. Prefix (Derivative Name)
   • Avoid special characters such as - or /; underscores and spaces are acceptable (spaces convert to underscores when used in a URL).
   • Avoid generic names already used by default derivatives: original, web, webimage, thul, thumbnail.
   • Avoid duplicate prefix names. For example, two "Low_res" derivatives that only differ by output file extension should each have a unique prefix.
2. Custom DPI: for example, generating a 300 DPI derivative from a 600 DPI original.
3. Crop behavior:
   • Automatic crop: generates the derivative based on the image's focal point; the crop adjusts dynamically so one of the longer sides of the target aspect ratio reaches the image border while still outputting the required size.
   • Default dimensions with preserved aspect ratio: for use in a webshop; Bynder resizes to the longer side and fills the remaining canvas with blank space to meet the fixed dimensions.
4. Custom resolution: Bynder uses the longer side to determine the output resolution (an 800×600 px derivative is resized based on the 800 px side; the 600 px side scales to match the aspect ratio).
5. Regex-based generation rules: restrict when a derivative is created based on the original filename (see the related Regex article).
6. Allowed Types: restrict derivative creation to specific asset types (recommended: PSD, BPM, EPS, JPG, TIF, TIFF, AI, PNG). Note: JPG and JPEG (and TIF/TIFF) are treated as distinct extensions, so add both if you want derivatives created regardless of which extension the original file uses.
7. Output format: JPG, PNG, or TIFF.
8. Color space: RGB, CMYK, or Inherit.
   • Inherit uses the embedded color profile of the uploaded file, which is the best way to match the derivative's colors to the original. This requires the uploaded file to have an embedded color profile.
   • If no embedded profile is present, RGB falls back to sRGB, and CMYK falls back to a custom profile you've configured, or to ISO Coated v2 300% (ECI) by default.
   • PNG derivatives can preserve transparency; JPG quality can be set as desired.
9. Public: makes the derivative available via the Bynder API. Public derivatives are not visible to portal users unless the View and download public media derivatives permission is assigned.

Note: Custom and default derivatives are not available immediately after upload. They become available once processing completes.

Note: Bynder cannot create a derivative with larger dimensions than the original file, as this would cause quality loss. The exception is vector file types (AI, SVG, PDF, EPS).

Recommended sizes if setting up derivatives from scratch: original size, large (JPG – 1024×786 – 300 DPI – RGB), and small (JPG – 640×480 – 72 DPI – RGB).

Retrieve a full list of all derivatives configured in your portal

1. Via the Bynder Media API: Send a GET request to the derivatives endpoint:

  GET https://{your-bynder-domain}/api/v4/account/derivatives

This returns the full set of derivatives configured for your portal, useful for auditing the complete list and count of derivatives without needing a dedicated portal UI page.

2. If it's not visible to you: On some portals, derivatives are configured on the back end and are not exposed as an editable list in the portal UI, even to regular Admins. They may have been set up by Bynder's Implementation or Customer Success team during onboarding. If you need to review or confirm your portal's configured derivatives and don't have API access or don't see them in your settings, ask your Bynder Admin or contact Bynder Customer Support.

File type considerations

• AI and PDF: Bynder supports RGB derivatives for AI and PDF files. CMYK derivatives, or derivatives that inherit the original file's color profile, cannot be created for AI or PDF originals.
• DNG: Derivatives cannot be created for a DNG file if the original does not contain a preview file, since derivatives are based solely on that preview.
• TIFF: Transparency cannot be preserved if the TIFF file includes transparent clipping paths (common when saved from Adobe Photoshop), contains more than one alpha channel or a custom alpha channel, or if the file's ExtraSamples metadata field contains an unsupported value such as "Unspecified." Only Unassociated alpha and Associated alpha are supported.

CMYK fallback color profiles

Used when no embedded color profile is available and no custom fallback has been configured:

FAQs

Related Articles

• Understanding Supported File Types For Conversion And Derivative Creation
• Watermarked Derivatives
• Upload and Download a Manual Derivative 
• Using Regular Expressions (Regex) to Automate Derivative Creation