I have noticed most of you shoot in RAW or TIFF mode. In post-processing software, do you then convert to jpeg for posting? Also, if you want to print a large file to maybe 11x15 or larger, do you use the tiff or raw file, or does it matter if you use JPEG. I understand you don't lose much of anything shooting Raw or TIFF, unlike other formats like JPG.. My camera only has jpeg and tiff, and I notice when I record tiff's, another jpeg is also recorded. Any thoughts please!!!
JPG is a compressed format, meaning you throw away information. Ideally you will want to perform all your work in a non-compressed format (e.g. TIFF or PSD) and only use JPG for small web images where file size is a concern.
TIFF and Photoshop PSD are the most common formats for storing images and for producing prints.
RAW is not really any one format - it is different from one camera to another. All it is the data captured by the sensor. You need special software (i.e. raw converter) to produce a usable image file from it. Normally you will convert from raw to TIFF or PSD for processing and storage (though you may want to keep the raw file in case you want to covert it differently in the future).
Keep as much of the original data as possible in the file you save forever (RAW or TIFF).
**I believe that, in the future, software and my own skill will help me make a better image from an original
Keep as much as you value through the processing (probably a layered PSD or TIFF)
**It is work to translate the original to something presentable. Save that work just in case.
Reduce it to a shambles (sRGB at the accepted file size) for posting
** this is a disposable file. I suppose it will live on forever, but next year you skills will transform it into something much better and you won't care about last year's jpg.
That's a simple yet complicated question Joe! As I'm just learning raw workflow I've got some interest in this. If you don't mind I have a question to add:
For those converting from raw to tiff, what size are you making the file? To the largest size you think you'll need then down sample from that to smaller images? So say I take my 5D raw file, make wb and exposure adjustments then convert to tiff file. I have the option of changing the image size and printing resolution, in DPP. Should I be uprezing to a 20"x30" image at 300 dpi and make that my working master to which smaller derivitives are made? Or do I just leave it at its naitive size and resize as needed in PS? I hope I'm making sense?
Cory, save the file at its native resolution - you want to preserve everything that the camera captured - nothing more and nothing less. Uprezing, then resizing down is not a lossless process - you will lose image data that way. Only resize for a specific output after you're done editing (and saving) your "master" file at its native resolution. The printer dpi doesn't matter for this process, you can set it wherever you want - you will likely need to change it depending on the output anyway.
Guy
Posted by Cory Freeman on June 7, 2006 at 12:01 PM
So I should do any resizing from the master tiff file in PS, if I'm understanding you correctly. I thought I had read some where that uprezing to larger file sizes should be done in the raw converter. Thanks for your help.
Discussion
5 repliesTIFF and Photoshop PSD are the most common formats for storing images and for producing prints.
RAW is not really any one format - it is different from one camera to another. All it is the data captured by the sensor. You need special software (i.e. raw converter) to produce a usable image file from it. Normally you will convert from raw to TIFF or PSD for processing and storage (though you may want to keep the raw file in case you want to covert it differently in the future).
Guy
**I believe that, in the future, software and my own skill will help me make a better image from an original
Keep as much as you value through the processing (probably a layered PSD or TIFF)
**It is work to translate the original to something presentable. Save that work just in case.
Reduce it to a shambles (sRGB at the accepted file size) for posting
** this is a disposable file. I suppose it will live on forever, but next year you skills will transform it into something much better and you won't care about last year's jpg.
Pete D.
For those converting from raw to tiff, what size are you making the file? To the largest size you think you'll need then down sample from that to smaller images? So say I take my 5D raw file, make wb and exposure adjustments then convert to tiff file. I have the option of changing the image size and printing resolution, in DPP. Should I be uprezing to a 20"x30" image at 300 dpi and make that my working master to which smaller derivitives are made? Or do I just leave it at its naitive size and resize as needed in PS? I hope I'm making sense?
Guy