File Conversion Guide for Photographers

The Photographer's Format Pipeline

Every professional photograph passes through multiple stages, and each stage has different format requirements. A wedding photographer captures in RAW, culls and edits in Lightroom, delivers proofs as JPEG, uploads to a web gallery in WebP, sends print-ready files as TIFF, and archives everything in DNG. A product photographer shoots RAW, retouches in Photoshop (PSD), delivers e-commerce images as JPEG and PNG (with transparency for white-background removal), and archives PSD files with layers intact.

Getting these conversions wrong introduces real business consequences: banding in prints from 8-bit editing, color shifts from incorrect profile conversions, bloated web galleries from unoptimized images, and lost editing flexibility from premature JPEG conversion.

RAW to Editable: The First Conversion

Camera RAW Formats

Every camera manufacturer uses a proprietary RAW format:

For quick conversions to viewable formats, our CR2 to JPG, NEF to JPG, and other RAW converters handle the major camera formats. However, for professional editing, always use a dedicated RAW processor (Lightroom, Capture One, DxO PhotoLab) that provides non-destructive editing with full RAW data access.

DNG as Universal RAW

Adobe's DNG (Digital Negative) format is an open-standard RAW format. Converting your proprietary RAW files to DNG provides:

• Format longevity — DNG is publicly documented; proprietary formats may lose support
• Smaller files — DNG with lossy compression (still far better than JPEG) reduces RAW archive size by 40-60%
• Embedded previews — DNG can include full-resolution JPEG previews for fast browsing
• Metadata integration — XMP metadata is stored inside the DNG rather than in sidecar files

The tradeoff: some camera-specific features (Canon Dual Pixel RAW, Nikon's small RAW compression) may not transfer perfectly to DNG.

Editing Stage Formats

TIFF for Quality-Critical Editing

When your Lightroom/Capture One editing is done and you need to move to Photoshop for retouching, compositing, or advanced manipulation:

• Export as 16-bit TIFF with no compression (or LZW lossless compression for smaller files)
• Preserve the editing color space (AdobeRGB or ProPhoto RGB)
• Include the ICC color profile

16-bit TIFF provides 65,536 levels per channel versus JPEG's 256. This prevents banding during heavy edits (dodging, burning, curves adjustments, gradient work). The visual difference between 8-bit and 16-bit editing is invisible in the final output — the difference is in how much you can push the image before artifacts appear.

PSD for Layered Work

Photoshop's native PSD format preserves:

• All layers, masks, and adjustment layers
• Smart objects (linked or embedded)
• Layer styles and blending modes
• Full editing history via adjustment layers

PSD files are large (100-500 MB for a layered 24MP image), but they represent your complete editing state. Archive PSD files alongside your final output for future re-editing.

For files exceeding 2 GB, use PSB (Photoshop Big Document) format.

Client Delivery Formats

Proofing and Selection

For client proofing galleries (online or in-person):

• JPEG at quality 80-85, sRGB color space
• Long edge 2048-3000px (sufficient for screen viewing, insufficient for unauthorized printing)
• Watermarked if desired
• Lightroom's Export dialog handles all of this in batch

Final Delivery — Digital

For final high-resolution digital delivery:

Final Delivery — Print

For print labs and professional printing:

• TIFF 8-bit (16-bit if the lab accepts it), sRGB or AdobeRGB depending on lab requirements
• Full resolution — never downscale for print
• 300 DPI at the intended print size embedded in the file metadata
• Correct color profile — sRGB for consumer labs, AdobeRGB for professional labs, custom ICC profiles for fine art printing

For a comprehensive guide to photography formats, see our best image formats for photography guide.

Web and Social Media Optimization

Gallery and Portfolio Sites

For web galleries (Squarespace, SmugMug, Pixieset, custom sites):

• JPEG at quality 80 for photographs (best quality-to-size ratio)
• WebP at quality 80 for modern browsers (25-35% smaller than equivalent JPEG)
• Long edge 2400px is sufficient for retina displays at typical web viewing sizes
• sRGB color space — web browsers assume sRGB; AdobeRGB images look desaturated without color management

Our JPG to WebP converter and PNG to WebP converter handle batch conversion for web gallery preparation.

Social Media Specifics

Product Photography with Transparency

E-commerce platforms often require white-background product images or transparent-background cutouts:

• PNG for images with transparency (background removed)
• JPEG for images on white backgrounds (smaller file, no transparency needed)
• Platform requirements vary: Amazon requires pure white background (#FFFFFF), minimum 1000px on longest side

Our PNG to JPG converter handles the transparency-to-white-background conversion when platforms require JPEG.

Quality and Settings Tips

Export from RAW, not from JPEG. If a client requests different sizes or formats, always re-export from the original RAW/TIFF, not from a previously exported JPEG. Each JPEG export is a lossy compression step. Re-exporting from lossless source avoids quality stacking.

Color space conversion order matters. Convert color space (AdobeRGB to sRGB) before resizing. Color space conversion in a larger image produces more accurate results than converting after downscaling.

Sharpening should be output-specific. Sharpen differently for screen versus print delivery. Screen images need less sharpening at lower resolution; print images need more sharpening to compensate for dot gain and viewing distance. Lightroom's Output Sharpening (Screen/Matte/Glossy) handles this.

EXIF data for stock and editorial use. Ensure IPTC metadata (copyright, keywords, description, location) is embedded in delivery files. Stock agencies require it; editorial use requires caption and credit information. For general image format guidance, see our guide on best image formats for web and SEO.

Batch processing is essential. A single wedding produces 500-800 final images. A product shoot produces 50-200 per SKU. Always use Lightroom Export presets or batch processing to convert entire sets with consistent settings.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Colors look different on screen vs. print. Calibrate your monitor (SpyderX, i1Display). Use soft proofing in Lightroom with the lab's ICC profile before printing. If you have not calibrated, your screen is lying to you.

Images look desaturated on the web. The images were exported in AdobeRGB but web browsers assume sRGB. Re-export in sRGB color space. This is the single most common color issue for photographers sharing work online.

Print is blurry. The image resolution is too low for the print size. Check: image pixel dimensions divided by 300 = maximum sharp print size in inches. A 6000x4000 image prints sharply at 20x13.3 inches at 300 DPI.

Client cannot open TIFF files. Not all consumer image viewers handle TIFF, especially 16-bit TIFF. For client delivery, JPEG is safer unless the client specifically needs TIFF for design work. Include a JPEG copy alongside TIFF deliveries.

RAW files from a new camera are not recognized. RAW format support requires software updates. Update Lightroom, Capture One, or your RAW converter to the latest version. Adobe DNG Converter is typically updated within weeks of new camera releases.

Conclusion

The photographer's conversion pipeline flows from RAW (capture) through TIFF/PSD (editing) to JPEG/WebP (delivery), with DNG or TIFF for archival. Never edit in JPEG, always export from lossless sources, match color spaces to your output medium, and batch process with consistent presets. Your RAW files are your negatives — protect them, and you can always re-export in any format.

Ready to convert? Try our free TIFF to JPG converter or CR2 to JPG converter — no registration required.