Printing from RAW of JPEG File

Answered

Richard Wise

• April 13, 2023 22:04

I was wondering if it's better to print an image from a RAW, ON1Photo or JPEG file?

0

• 

  Brian Lawson Community moderator

  • April 13, 2023 22:11

  If you are doing your own printing, it shouldn't makes any difference. If you are sending your photo out to be printed go to the printer's web site and see what file format, color space, resolution, etc. that they prefer then Export your photo accordingly.

  2
• 

  Richard Wise

  • April 13, 2023 22:18

  Thanks

   

  0
• 

  Keith Reeder

  • April 30, 2023 23:17

  You can't print a RAW - it has to be converted to an image format first.

  0
• 

  Richard

  • May 01, 2023 01:36

  If you select an undeveloped Raw file in On1 (or in other software such as OM Workspace or Apple Preview), it can be printed without any intermediate steps to convert to an image format. That said, it may well be that the software is doing the conversion in the background, but this requires no operator input.

  0
• 

  Brian Lawson Community moderator

  • May 01, 2023 01:37

  That is exactly what is happening. The image, whether it is a RAW file, edited or not, gets rendered into an RGB image which can be sent to a printer. The same thing happens so we can see them onscreen.

  0
• 

  Keith Reeder

  • May 01, 2023 02:41
  • Edited

  "If you select an undeveloped Raw file in On1 (or in other software such as OM Workspace or Apple Preview), it can be printed without any intermediate steps to convert to an image format. That said, it may well be that the software is doing the conversion in the background, but this requires no operator input."

  Doesn't matter, Richard - as Brian avers, there has to be a conversion stage, whether there is active user input or not. RAW files cannot be printed as images.

  We're getting into semantics, but I always think of forums as a repository of - hopefully - useful information for people who might happen upon it in the future: that being the case, I have no qualms about reiterating my point, so that anyone who lands on here doesn't run away with the notion that RAW files are printable (as images) in their own right.

  "The same thing happens so we can see them onscreen."

  Not necessarily, Brian. In most cases, if you send a RAW file straight to a printer - or view it on screen - all you get is a print - or sight - of the preview jpeg embedded in the RAW.

  0
• 

  Richard

  • May 03, 2023 13:33

  Edit: Agreed. Raw files cannot be printed without first being converted or rendered into an image usable by the printer. No one is suggesting otherwise. But as this conversion or rendering is done automatically by Photo Raw, either when sending an image to a home printer or exporting it to a printing service, this “under the hood” aspect of the process is not particularly relevant to the Op's question "if it's better to print an image from a RAW, ON1Photo or JPEG file.”  

  0
• 

  Brian Lawson Community moderator

  • May 03, 2023 13:36
  • Edited

  But it is relevant. It means that you can print a RAW file directly from within Photo RAW without having to export it to a pixel format first. Which is the best way to print? That will depend upon your needs. If you are doing your own printing go ahead and print it directly if that works for you. If you are sending the image to a print service then it will have to be exported first according to their needs.

  1
• 

  Peter Pfeiffer

  • May 03, 2023 16:08

  This may be a small detail ... On1 applies changes to a raw file in order to display or print, the closest one can get to viewing a raw file is to choose linear raw profile

  0

Please sign in to leave a comment.