Saved CR2 image increased in size

[jamesroy]

I did a save as of a CR2 image that originally was 29MB and the AFFINITY saved file is now 182 MB

[Lee D]

Hi jamesroy,

 

The large file sizes happen because our file format is optimised for loading speed rather than size. Some things that can have an effect on the file size are saved history, resampled image data.

[James Ritson]

Hi James,

 

This is typically because developed raw images are processed to 16-bit images - it offers more precision but increases file size exponentially. Before you save your .afphoto file, you might try the following:

 

1. Go to Document>Colour Format>RGB (8 bit) to convert the image to 8-bit and save file space.
2. Go to View>Studio>Snapshots to bring up the snapshots panel. You should see an initial "Background" snapshot. Delete this as it's essentially a backup copy of your image that takes up file size space.

 

Hope that helps! And just to re-iterate, you should either do this before initially saving, or use Save As to ensure the document is saved cleanly.

[Kodiak]

I did a save as of a CR2 image that originally was 29MB and the AFFINITY saved file is now 182 MB

 

 •

The critical point here is that the RAW file contains all the

recorded data from the sensor… but it is not an image! 

Since a RAW file has no colour space, no channels nor

layers, all the info is data in a rather compact form. Once

saved, the conversion implies creating a picture, an image,

including colour space, bit depth, and the necessary chan-

nels to reflect the chosen output colour space… thus justi

fying, explaining, the dramatic increase in file size.

 

The cool thing is that, in the RAW converter, the original take

is not altered in anyway. All rendition tweaks are recorded

in some kind of xmp (sidecar) files that the converter always

read to render an "on screen" jpg illustration of your work. 

As long as you stay in your converter, the original size of your

file remains unchanged (but for the small sidecar xmp files).

 

The chosen "save as" format of the final version will be

bigger if saving the image rendition in 3 or 4 channels,

adding to that the resulting effect of a higher bit depth

and lower or lossless no compression.

 

The chosen "save as" format of the final version will be

smaller if the image is saved as a "flatten" image, with

lower bit depth, and lossy compression.

 

So I stay as long as possible in the converter and publish for

pixel editing as last step in the post production. 

 

*** I am a photographer, not a programmer… I expressed this

the way I understand it. Please correct the terminology or any

mistake (s) I could have done!