Exporting from LR4

[Rick M]

I'm trying to export edited shots from LR4, but can't seem to figure out a format which doesn't either shrink it or expand it too much. When I export a 24mb file in jpeg, it reduces it to 50%. . Exporting in TIFF makes it huge at over 100mb. When I select original (thinking raw) it exports the oringinal without the edits.

What I'd like to be able to do is import a raw file and export it as the same size (less of course any loss from edits/cropping).

Any Ideas? Thanks!

 

[AxeMan - Rick S.]

Rick I don't know if this will help my work flow is:

RAW import into Lightroom (I don't shoot JPGs anymore never used them when I did RAW and JPG)
Make adjustments and crop if needed in Lightroom
From Lightroom export to Photoshop as a TIFF
Use healing brush, content aware fill, etc
Save as JPG from Photoshop to file folder

I'm sure there are other ways and I like to hear them, but this works for me.

 

[WhiteLight]

You really can't export it to RAW as Adobe doesn't really like RAW.
That's why they have engineered the DNG, which is Adobe's proprietary image standard - an equivalent of RAW.
Without many changes to the image, the exported DNG would be the same size as the original RAW.
You would have to play around with the compression options in the export dialogue for certain formats & see which outputs a file of the same size am guessing..

If i may ask, why would you want the same sized file when the obvious preference would be a lesser sized same quality image?

 

[Dave_W]

I agree with WhiteLight, DNG is the way to go. In an NEF file, the EXIF data rides along with the file as a "sidecar" and is not part of the file. As a result it can be lost and gone for good. However, this is not the case with DNG files. DNG files incorporate the EXIF data within the file itself and thus can never be lost. Moreover, DNG is not a proprietary system like NEF and is considered a public domain system and thus less likely to be at the whims of a single provider.

You can convert all your existing files to DNG or you can simply choose the option to convert upon import. I typically convert when I'm importing my images, it's a loss-less system and I don't have to worry about losing my EXIF info.

 

[Dave_W]

Btw, a NEF or DNG file is simply everything the camera produced when the image was captured. It's like a time capsule and not something that can be changed or altered, this is why you cannot make changes in LR and expect it to stay on the NEF or DNG file. The NEF file is meant to stay exactly as it was so that later on when newer and better software becomes available, you'll still have all of the data to take advantage of the newer algorithms. So in order to get your changes to stick on any NEF or DNG file, you must export both the LR catalogue as well as the NEF file in order for those changes to follow. The catalogue contains all the instructions for the changes you made, not the actual file itself.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

For those that already work with dng files, you already know this, but if you're using multiple camera systems (Canon, Nikon, etc.), the raw file type/extension can't be searched once you convert raw to dng. You can still find and filter those files by Camera type, serial number or the lens used but not by the file extension.

Not a big deal but something to be aware of when converting file types.

 

[Rick M]

What drives my original question is for enlarging prints. With my raw shot compressed to 12mp at best in jpg, am I not losing quality in, say, a 16x20 print?

 

[Dave_W]

The better printer agencies will request you send them a TIFF file. And yes, any conversion to JPEG will lose up to 2/3rds the data even at the highest level. Whether or not you'll notice it, it's hard to say but you are most certainly losing data.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

With proper color management, a high resolution jpg will give you more than enough information for high quality prints of almost any size.

All the labs I use request jpg's and will give you the proper and optimal resolution for a particular print size. I regularly print 20" x 30" images from 12mp raw files converted to jpg.

The only time I've ever been asked for TIFF's is for publication work.

 

[AxeMan - Rick S.]

I don't want to go off topic here but I like to back up real quick. If I'm going from LR to CS5 you're tell me it's better to save / send my file to CS5 as a DNG instead of a TIF partly so I can save / combine my EXIF data? Correct? or am I confused.

Let me put it another way. We all know what happens to a JPG file on saving so JPG is always the last step. If I want to go from LR with a RAW edited file to CS5 to make adjustments which is the preferred file extension / format to use? and why?

I know in CS5 I can save my finial image in any format I want, and that is always JPG or is that wrong too?

DNG is new to me and just trying to understand.

Thanks

 

[Dave_W]

I don't want to go off topic here but I like to back up real quick. If I'm going from LR to CS5 you're tell me it's better to save / send my file to CS5 as a DNG instead of a TIF partly so I can save / combine my EXIF data? Correct? or am I confused.

Let me put it another way. We all know what happens to a JPG file on saving so JPG is always the last step. If I want to go from LR with a RAW edited file to CS5 to make adjustments which is the preferred file extension / format to use? and why?

I know in CS5 I can save my finial image in any format I want, and that is always JPG or is that wrong too?

DNG is new to me and just trying to understand.

Thanks

A TIFF file contains all your EXIF data, too, only it is a much larger format file due to the nature of its code and the amount of information stored in it. To be sure, LR never alters your DNG/NEF files in any way and hence there are no "save" buttons in LR, your RAW data files exist as a permanent record of all the raw data that was received from the camera. When you do make changes to an image, be it a DNG or NEF file, those changes exist only in the LR catalogue file that is associated with that particular image and not written to the image file itself. But this is not the case with TIFF files, they contain all the PP data and thus produce a much larger file.

Does this make sense?

 

[Dave_W]

This is from Martin Evenings book - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, classroom in a book

About file formats

Camera raw formats Camera raw file formats contain unprocessed data from a digital camera’s
sensor. Most camera manufacturers save image data in a proprietary camera format. Lightroom reads
the data from most cameras and processes it into a full-color photo. You can use the controls in the
Develop module to process and interpret the raw image data for your photo. For a list of supported
cameras and camera raw formats, see Camera raw, DNG | Adobe Photoshop CS6.

Digital Negative format (DNG) The Digital Negative (DNG) file format is a publicly available archival
format for raw files generated by digital cameras. DNG addresses the lack of an open standard for
the raw files created by individual camera models, helping ensure that photographers will be able to
access their files in the future. You can convert proprietary raw files to DNG from within Lightroom. For
more information about the Digital Negative (DNG) file format, visit Camera raw, DNG | Adobe Photoshop CS6.

TIFF format Tagged-Image File Format (TIFF, TIF) is used to exchange files between applications and
computer platforms. TIFF is a flexible bitmap image format supported by virtually all paint, image editing,
and page-layout applications. Also, virtually all desktop scanners can produce TIFF images.
Lightroom supports large documents saved in TIFF format (up to 65,000 pixels per side). However,
most other applications, including older versions of Photoshop (pre-Photoshop CS), do not support
documents with file sizes greater than 2 GB. The TIFF format provides greater compression and industry
compatibility than Photoshop format (PSD), and is the recommended format for exchanging files
between Lightroom and Photoshop. In Lightroom, you can export TIFF image files with a bit depth of
8 bits or 16 bits per channel.

JPEG format Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format is commonly used to display photographs
and other continuous-tone images in web photo galleries, slide shows, presentations, and
other online services. JPEG retains all color information in an RGB image but compresses file size by
selectively discarding data. A JPEG image is automatically decompressed when opened. In most cases,
the Best Quality setting produces a result indistinguishable from the original.

Photoshop format (PSD) Photoshop format (PSD) is the standard Photoshop file format. To import
and work with a multi-layered PSD file in Lightroom, the file must be saved in Photoshop with
the Maximize PSD and PSB File Compatibility preference turned on. You’ll find the option in the
Photoshop file handling preferences. Lightroom saves PSD files with a bit depth or 8 bits or 16 bits per
channel.

CMYK files Lightroom imports CMYK files but adjustments and output are performed in the RGB
color space.

Video files Lightroom 3 will import video files from most digital cameras. You can tag, rate, filter and
include video files in collections, but editing is not supported. Click the camera icon on the thumbnail
of a video file to launch an external viewer such as QuickTime or Windows Media Player.

File format exceptions Lightroom does not support the following types of files: PNG files; Adobe
Illustrator® files; Nikon scanner NEF files; files with dimensions greater than 65,000 pixels per side or
larger than 512 megapixels.

 

[WhiteLight]

Great info there Dave.

@Rick M-
A full-blown JPG export will give you decent billboard sized prints as well.
But it would be preferred to have a TIFF image for printing as opposed to RAW and/or DNG.

 

[WhiteLight]

I agree with WhiteLight, DNG is the way to go. In an NEF file, the EXIF data rides along with the file as a "sidecar" and is not part of the file. As a result it can be lost and gone for good. However, this is not the case with DNG files. DNG files incorporate the EXIF data within the file itself and thus can never be lost. Moreover, DNG is not a proprietary system like NEF and is considered a public domain system and thus less likely to be at the whims of a single provider.

LOL.
Did any of you know WHIMS stands for White balance Highlight clipping warning Iso Mode Shooting selection?????!!!!

 

[Rick M]

Thanks for all the input guys! I am surprised how well an 8mp Jpeg looks at even 20x30 printed. I'm surprized the Jjeg compression is still 50% at 100% quality in LR4.

 

[rocky89]

Amazing stuff.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Absolutely. All my 12mp 20" x 30" prints look amazing, even at close range.

 

[Rick M]

Absolutely. All my 12mp 20" x 30" prints look amazing, even at close range.

Is that 12mp before compression? Thanks!

 

[Robert Mitchell]

It's a 12 mp file from my D700. When I export as jpg to send to the lab for prints I set the 'quality' on 100. I don't think of it in terms of compression. It's the best possible output I can get and as I said, all the labs I use request jpg and not tiff.

I've never seen a problem in any of my images or prints that were made from jpg's.

Also, 99% of my cropping is done in camera. I rarely crop an image after the fact except for a sliver here and there on an edge but that is rare. I compose and do my cropping in camera so as not to throw away pixels.

 

[Rick M]

It's a 12 mp file from my D700. When I export as jpg to send to the lab for prints I set the 'quality' on 100. I don't think of it in terms of compression. It's the best possible output I can get and as I said, all the labs I use request jpg and not tiff.

I've seen a problem is any of my images or prints that were made from jpg's.

Also 99% of my cropping is done in camera. I rarely crop an image after the fact except for a sliver here and there on an edge but that is rare. I compose and do my cropping in camera so as not to throw away pixels.

Thanks, I'm also working to crop at the time of shooting. It is a bit harder with lanscapes, often when I get home I chop out things I thought I liked. Shooting indoor portraits forces me to use every inch of the frame due to my small house and wanting to use the 85 1.8.