Why Format Choice Matters for Photographers
Every photograph passes through a pipeline: capture, editing, archiving, and delivery. The image format you use at each stage significantly impacts quality, flexibility, and file management. Shooting in JPEG when you could shoot RAW costs you editing latitude. Archiving in JPEG when you could archive in TIFF means gradual quality erosion. Delivering for web in TIFF when you could deliver in WebP wastes bandwidth and load time.
Professional photographers use different formats at different stages because no single format is optimal for everything. RAW for capture, TIFF or PSD for editing, TIFF or DNG for archiving, and JPEG or WebP for delivery. Understanding why each format fits its role — and what you lose when you make the wrong choice — is essential for maintaining quality across your entire workflow.
Format Comparison
| Format | Type | Bit Depth | Color Space | Editing Latitude | File Size (24MP) | Best Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAW (CR3/NEF/ARW) | Sensor data | 12-14 bit | Camera-specific | Maximum | 25-80 MB | Capture |
| DNG | Open RAW | 12-16 bit | Camera-specific | Maximum | 20-60 MB | Archive |
| TIFF (uncompressed) | Raster | 8-32 bit | Any (ICC) | Excellent | 70-140 MB | Editing, archive |
| TIFF (LZW) | Raster | 8-32 bit | Any (ICC) | Excellent | 40-80 MB | Archive |
| PSD | Layered raster | 8-32 bit | Any (ICC) | Excellent (with layers) | 100-500 MB | Editing |
| JPEG | Lossy raster | 8 bit | sRGB/AdobeRGB | Limited | 5-15 MB | Delivery |
| HEIF/HEIC | Lossy/lossless | 8-10 bit | Wide gamut | Moderate | 3-8 MB | Delivery (Apple) |
| WebP | Lossy/lossless | 8 bit | sRGB | Limited | 2-8 MB | Web delivery |
| PNG | Lossless raster | 8-16 bit | sRGB | Good (no layers) | 20-50 MB | Graphics, transparency |
Capture: RAW Is Non-Negotiable
Every serious photographer should shoot RAW. The sensor data captured in RAW format contains dramatically more information than any processed format:
Dynamic range recovery. RAW files from modern sensors contain 12-14 stops of dynamic range. A JPEG bakes in ~8 stops. This means RAW files can recover 2-4 stops of detail in highlights and shadows that JPEG permanently discards. Blown highlights and crushed shadows in JPEG are unrecoverable; in RAW, they often contain usable detail.
White balance flexibility. JPEG applies white balance during in-camera processing — it is permanently baked in. RAW records the sensor data before white balance is applied, allowing you to set any white balance in post without quality loss. This is critical for mixed lighting, tungsten, fluorescent, and creative color work.
Non-destructive editing. RAW editors (Lightroom, Capture One, DxO) apply adjustments mathematically to the raw sensor data. You can push exposure, saturation, contrast, and sharpening far further than with JPEG before artifacts appear.
Color depth. RAW provides 12-14 bits per channel (4,096-16,384 levels per color) versus JPEG's 8 bits (256 levels). This extra precision prevents banding in gradients and smooth tones, especially after heavy editing.
The choice between RAW formats (CR3, NEF, ARW, ORF, etc.) is determined by your camera manufacturer. They are all proprietary. For format portability, consider converting to DNG using Adobe's DNG Converter. For RAW conversions to viewable formats, our CR2 to JPG and NEF to JPG converters handle major camera RAW formats.
Editing: TIFF and PSD
After RAW development, your working files should be in a format that preserves maximum quality:
TIFF is the industry standard for high-quality raster images. It supports 8, 16, and 32-bit color depth, ICC color profiles, layers (in some implementations), and multiple compression options (none, LZW lossless, ZIP lossless). For photography, 16-bit TIFF with LZW compression is the standard working format.
PSD (Photoshop Document) preserves layers, masks, adjustment layers, smart objects, and all Photoshop-specific features. If you do complex compositing or retouching in Photoshop, PSD is the natural format. The downside is enormous file sizes and Photoshop dependency.
PSB (Photoshop Big) handles files larger than 2 GB (which is possible with 16-bit multilayer panoramas and composites).
The key rule: never use JPEG as a working format. Every time you open, edit, and resave a JPEG, it is recompressed and quality degrades. Even small edits accumulate visible artifacts over generations.
Archiving: DNG or TIFF
For long-term archival, your format must be:
- Self-contained — No external dependencies
- Well-documented — Readable without proprietary software
- Bit-depth preserving — No quality reduction
- Widely supported — Readable by future software
DNG (Digital Negative) is Adobe's open RAW format. It embeds the original sensor data in a documented, patent-licensed format. Converting your camera-specific RAW files to DNG ensures they remain readable even if your camera manufacturer stops supporting the format. DNG can also embed the original proprietary RAW file as an option.
TIFF (16-bit, LZW) is the safe choice for edited files. TIFF is an ISO standard, universally supported, and will remain readable indefinitely. LZW compression reduces size by 30-50% without any quality loss.
Delivery: JPEG, WebP, and HEIF
For final delivery to clients, social media, websites, and print, you need a format that balances quality with practical file sizes:
JPEG remains the universal delivery format. Quality 85-92 (on a 0-100 scale) produces visually excellent results at manageable file sizes. For web delivery, quality 80-85 is the sweet spot — files are 50-60% smaller than quality 95 with differences invisible at typical viewing sizes.
WebP offers 25-34% better compression than JPEG at equivalent quality. For website galleries and portfolio sites, WebP produces noticeably smaller files that load faster. Browser support is now universal. See our guide on best image formats for web and SEO.
HEIF/HEIC delivers even better compression than WebP and supports 10-bit color depth. iPhones shoot in HEIF by default. However, browser and software support outside Apple's ecosystem is still inconsistent, making it less practical for general delivery.
For printing, deliver TIFF or high-quality JPEG (quality 95+) in the printer's requested color space (usually AdobeRGB or CMYK for offset printing, sRGB for consumer photo printing).
Quality and Settings Tips
Shoot RAW+JPEG for the best of both worlds. Most cameras offer this dual-write mode. RAW gives you maximum editing flexibility; the JPEG provides an instant-share version and a quick preview. The storage cost is minimal compared to the flexibility gained.
Color space selection matters. sRGB is correct for web delivery and consumer printing. AdobeRGB covers a wider gamut and is preferred for professional printing and archival. ProPhoto RGB covers the widest gamut but requires 16-bit files to avoid banding. Never convert from a narrow space to a wide space — only narrow down.
JPEG quality settings are not linear. The difference between JPEG quality 80 and 90 is much larger than between 90 and 100. Quality 92 is the commonly cited "visually lossless" threshold for most photographic content. Going above 95 produces diminishing returns with rapidly increasing file size.
Metadata preservation is format-dependent. EXIF data (camera settings, GPS, date) transfers reliably in JPEG, TIFF, and DNG. Some web-optimized formats (WebP, AVIF) may strip EXIF during conversion. Verify metadata preservation if it matters for your workflow. For a guide on image transparency handling, see our best format for transparency post.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
Colors look different on screen vs. print. This is a color management issue, not a format issue. Ensure your monitor is calibrated, use the correct color profile for your output (sRGB for screen, CMYK for offset print), and soft-proof in Lightroom/Photoshop before printing.
HEIF/HEIC files won't open on Windows. Install the HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store (free for HEIF, paid for HEVC-based HEIF). Alternatively, convert to JPEG or PNG using our HEIC to JPG converter.
Banding in sky gradients. This indicates 8-bit color depth limitation. Work in 16-bit TIFF during editing to prevent banding, then convert to 8-bit JPEG for delivery. The banding is introduced during editing operations on 8-bit files, not by the final JPEG compression.
RAW files look flat and dull. RAW files are unprocessed sensor data — they are supposed to look flat. The vibrant, contrasty look you see on the camera LCD is a JPEG preview. Apply your desired tone curve, saturation, and contrast in your RAW editor.
File sizes are too large for client delivery. TIFF files are impractical for email or web delivery. Convert to JPEG at quality 85-90 for client proofs, or use a cloud delivery service. For print-ready delivery, ask the printer what format and specifications they require.
Conclusion
Use RAW for capture, TIFF/PSD for editing, DNG/TIFF for archiving, and JPEG/WebP for delivery. This four-stage pipeline preserves maximum quality where it matters (capture and editing) while producing practical files for end use (delivery and archival). The format you shoot in determines the ceiling for everything that follows — always shoot RAW.
Ready to convert? Try our free TIFF to JPG converter or CR2 to JPG converter — no registration required.
