How do you guys handle the RAW files after you're done tweaking? I mostly produce images that are used on the web so haven't done any that have needed ultra quality for print until now. I have a couple portraits, promo, and a vow renewal set up and want to make sure I have all my ducks all lined up for when I need to print. What I do now is tweak, nip, tuck, and crop the RAW files and save them as .tif. From there, I go into PSP and do the final steps to fix, resize, and WM before I do a final copied save as .png. I know you all will say to use PS for the final steps but I navigate and know PSP better because it was the first graphics proggie I ever used years ago. I saw in an earlier thread where everyone was converting to .DNG and I have never done that. I have always converted to .tif. For the print, should I resize to a specific size and save it as a .tif or what? Printing is truly foreign to me. One of these shoots is for someone who may need pix for sports mags when they do stories on them. That is where I truly am an idiot. I do remember Dan or Walter saying that no sharpening should be done to the image because the mag sharpens it, right? :(
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Re: From RAW to print
I use DNG as my master file. To make prints, I open the DNG file in Photoshop, perform any required touch-up and finish work, resize to dimensions of the desired print, sharpen (always do this last), and print. I save this version in PSD (Photoshop) format in a "Derivatives > Prints > <print size>" folder so I don't have to reproduce the work later if the client wants reprints.
I have an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer and make all my own prints up to 12x18. Larger prints are outsourced, but I do all of the prep work before sending to the print lab.
Walter Rowe - Rowe Images
Professional Photographer
Columbia, Maryland - USA
You don't save your original
You don't save your original RAW files?
I'm still new to the DNG format and I guess I'm leery of giving up what I know so well.
(This from a guy who didn't make the jump to digital until four years ago)
Jamie Taylor
Photojournalist Extraordinaire &
Grumpy Old Man in Training
"How about you come back to my place and I'll show you my man-size manicotti?" -- Grampa Gustafson, "Grumpier Old Men"
http://www.myspace.com/tailwindimaging
http://tradewindima
don't save my originals
Nope, I don't save my original camera native raw files. I have close to 15,000 DNG files. It is a more widely supported format than the original NEF files, and I don't have to track the sidecar XMP files. No remorse from me.
Walter Rowe - Rowe Images
Professional Photographer
Columbia, Maryland - USA
So I could save some space
By converting three years worth of RAW files into DNG? Always wondered about those pesky XMP files, anyway.
Heck, I'm an old darkroom dinosaur. This digital stuff is all kinda new to me.
Jamie "Shooter" Taylor
"How about you come back to my place and I'll show you my man-size manicotti?" -- Grampa Gustafson, "Grumpier Old Men"
http://www.myspace.com/tailwindimaging
http://tradewindima
Save space and simplify with DNG
Yes, the DNG format embeds all of the data from your NEF files and the XMP sidecar files into a single file. You never lose your metadata, raw conversion parameters, etc. I read Peter Krogh's book "The DAM Book" and it completely changed my digital workflow. I had saved all my original NEF files for years. After reading his book, I spent the next 18 months plugging away at my NEF archives slowly getting all of them converted to DNG and applying all the appropriate metadata to them. I know have a complete iView Media Pro database of all my images, complete with who is in every photograph. It took a long time, but now I can find every photograph of Jon Bonjovi or Jason Wade or even myself with a single mouse click. The return is well worth the investment.
Walter Rowe - Rowe Images
Professional Photographer
Columbia, Maryland - USA
Rats ...
Sounds like I may be forced to follow suit even though I don't think of DNG as a "standard" at this point. Heck, I'm even thinking of adding a MacBook Pro to my stable of PC towers and laptops, sigh ... going to the dark side I guess.
The DNG Workflow
DNG adds a step with the "convert to DNG" process, but it mitigates some risks and unclutters your storage. The DNG format is supported as the camera native raw format by several camera makers including Hasselblad, Leica, Ricoh, Pentax, Samsung, Seitz, Sea&Sea and Casio.
Barry Pearson's DNG site is the quintessential warehouse of information on the DNG format. I will see if I can find a place to link to it from our site.
Walter Rowe - Rowe Images
Professional Photographer
Columbia, Maryland - USA
Uh printing. Loads of fun
Uh printing. Loads of fun :-)
First off, about the sharpening. Any Adjustment made to the image prior to the submission can not be undone.
When I submit I talk to the image departement (in my case newspapers and mags) and ask what they want. Most tell me to send in the original file (jpg not raw). Coulor and sharpening is done in house as I don't want to or can't adjust my monitor for each clients printing facility.
Doing prints myself.
I have a monitor set up in the same coulor space as my cameras (adobe RGB 1998) and the monitor is calibrated as is the printer. So I am pretty sure what will come out the printer.
A lot of times I can't shoot RAW due to time restrictions (show starts at 22:00, deadline is 22:30) . The DNG format is an interesting new format that allowes your RAW data to be stored safely and not system dependant. Meaning you will (or should) be able to look at your pictures forever.
As far as I know you will not be able to print from a DNG as it is an information storage format more than a true image format. Also means you can not print from RAW either. You will always need to convert into a format like tiff or jpg......
I Save RAW Files After Culling
After I have decided which images I am going to keep, I throw away all the RAW files I don't want. The remaining are then preserved permanently. DNG is not yet a standard (dons Kevlar vest.) I import, "in place", to LightRoom so the .xmp sidecar files are in the same folder with the RAW files. I preserve these folders permanently.
Images I wish to print I export from LR in .TIF format and let Qimage decide how to best sharpen for the target media.