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You can use Camera Raw .cr2 files directly in Publisher!


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Did you know this? I thought about it, tried it, and to my surprise it worked! Publisher opened and handled .CR2 files just like any other files. I wanted to share this with everybody because it is a great feature that is missing from Adobe InDesign. Now I no longer have to convert raw files to jpeg in order to use them for design. Thank you.

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Directly importing RAW files, unless you're wanting to demonstrate the difference between a RAW and an processed file isn't going to provide you with a decent image though. RAWs aren't even image files but interpreted binary representations of what hits the sensor at the moment you hit the shutter button on your camera and as such will always need at least some post processing.

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Raw files generally include metadata that indicate what the camera was set to at the time the image was captured.  If a program uses that metadata to develop the raw file it will wind up with something that shouldn't be too different from an in-camera JPEG.  It may not be as optimal as something that is carefully optimized during development as is possible with an appropriate program, but not really unusable either if the camera handled it well.

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On 10/25/2018 at 2:12 AM, Mandu said:

great feature that is missing from Adobe InDesign. Now I no longer have to convert raw files to jpeg in order to use them for design

That's because photograhers either import directly into photoshop as .psd file and all raw infirmation is retained, or, adobe offer the free download 'convert to DNG' which converts practically all camera native formats to the DNG format which is recognised across most software editing platforms.  One should never ever convert from RAW to JPEG, this wipes out up to 80% of the information and completely and utterly negates the whole point in shooting images in RAW in the first place, you might as well shoot in JPEG.  Just convert to DNG, edit or, if you do not have photo editing software, convert to DNG, then convert to TIFF and edit the TIFF and stay in TIFF, no need to touch JPEG at all.  JPEG discards information and compresses, TIFF retains all information and does not compress, unless you want to and there are options for this, but the compression is a very good one not the same as JPEG. Publisher supports TIFF by the way, forgot to say this.

Microsoft - Like entering your home and opening the stainless steel kitchen door, with a Popup: 'Do you really want to open this door'? Then looking for the dishwasher and finding it stored in the living room where you have to download a water supply from the app store, then you have to buy microsoft compliant soap, remove the carpet only to be told that it is glued to the floor.. Don't forget to make multiple copies of your front door key and post them to all who demand access to all the doors inside your home including the windows and outside shed.

Apple - Like entering your home and opening the oak framed Kitchen door and finding the dishwasher right in front you ready to be switched on, soap supplied, and water that comes through a water softener.  Ah the front door key is yours and it only needs to open the front door.

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RAW files hold sensor data, which is not in RGB format for most cameras.

TIFF files (or PNG, which are compressed but lossless and thus may be preferable to TIFF in some cases to save on space without losing data), stores RGB images.

The "development" of a RAW file into TIFF/PNG/JPEG/whatever usually results in some data being lost or at least irreversibly modified (not easily reversed from the RGB copy), so converting to TIFF (or other format) from RAW effectively "bakes in" some of the processing that has not yet been performed on the RAW file.

Also, most modern RAW formats hold at least 12-bit color depth; many programs that take TIFF or PNG files are still limited to 8-bit depth (or in any case default to it), so depending on the settings you export with, you may be throwing away dynamic range as well.

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28 minutes ago, fde101 said:

TIFF files (or PNG, which are compressed but lossless and thus may be preferable to TIFF in some cases to save on space without losing data), stores RGB images

TIFF also supports lossless compression. It's JPEG that's lossy.

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
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16 bits gets converted to 8 by PDF,  TIFF  can be in 16 bits, there is absolutely hardly any visible difference between 8 and 16 bit when printing. Also most outsourced printers don't print in 16 bits.  Also I do not know of many home printers that print in 16 bits.  The most noticeable differences between 16 bit and 8 bit are found in the grey scale range not in the colour range.  The only advantage to 16 bits is during the editing stage, and it is always adviseable to save all your master edited images in 16 bit, this is because editing in 8 bit can lead to image degradation if the editing is more than just a few subtle adjustments.  16 bit editing is always preferred, but then when you need to convert the image to 8 bit for printing the visual differences are hardly ever to be seen.

Oh and a final note, unless you need transparency or save for web, never ever save images as PNG, then you have lost everything.  PNG does not support layers, certainly no good for re-editing an image and no photographere would ever dream of saving his precious images as PNG's unless for a very specific purpose as mentioned earlier.  Nothing is lost when going from RAW to TIFF, edit the raw gently, RAW editing is for GLOBAL alterations,, then a photo editing tool to make precision adjustments.  Raw is excellent for any sort of global alterations since no data is ever lost, and the import into a photo editing software makes for more targeted alterations.

Microsoft - Like entering your home and opening the stainless steel kitchen door, with a Popup: 'Do you really want to open this door'? Then looking for the dishwasher and finding it stored in the living room where you have to download a water supply from the app store, then you have to buy microsoft compliant soap, remove the carpet only to be told that it is glued to the floor.. Don't forget to make multiple copies of your front door key and post them to all who demand access to all the doors inside your home including the windows and outside shed.

Apple - Like entering your home and opening the oak framed Kitchen door and finding the dishwasher right in front you ready to be switched on, soap supplied, and water that comes through a water softener.  Ah the front door key is yours and it only needs to open the front door.

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13 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

TIFF also supports lossless compression

Supports it yes, and supports lossy compression also, but that doesn't mean software actually uses it.

 

4 minutes ago, Chris26 said:

there is absolutely hardly any visible difference between 8 and 16 bit when printing

True, but most of this conversation was looking at earlier steps in the process.

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2 minutes ago, fde101 said:

True, but most of this conversation was looking at earlier steps in the process

Ok agreed, so to summarize, don't ever convert to JPEG due to a heavy loss of information and that JPEG is only 8 bit.  Stay with TIFF that supports 16 BIT, or PSD.

Microsoft - Like entering your home and opening the stainless steel kitchen door, with a Popup: 'Do you really want to open this door'? Then looking for the dishwasher and finding it stored in the living room where you have to download a water supply from the app store, then you have to buy microsoft compliant soap, remove the carpet only to be told that it is glued to the floor.. Don't forget to make multiple copies of your front door key and post them to all who demand access to all the doors inside your home including the windows and outside shed.

Apple - Like entering your home and opening the oak framed Kitchen door and finding the dishwasher right in front you ready to be switched on, soap supplied, and water that comes through a water softener.  Ah the front door key is yours and it only needs to open the front door.

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PNG also supports 16-bit and is lossless so that can be fine too if the software supports it.

Also, this is only early in the process.  JPEG is better for web sites and email when the image is in its final form because of the savings in size - all of these formats have their place, but good to understand which ones to use when.

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39 minutes ago, fde101 said:

all of these formats have their place, but good to understand which ones to use when.

Excellent advice.

Now to address the original poster's observation that CR2 raw files can be placed in Publisher documents; "Just because you can does not mean you should". I see no reason to do so.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.0 | Affinity Photo 2.4.0 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.0 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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