Raw Tuesday: the best way to save a raw file

What is non-destructive editing, exactly?

When you save a JPEG or single-layer TIFF image after editing, all the data from the original file is discarded and re-written.

So once you have closed the image all of the original data is lost. When you edit a raw file the new settings are stored alongside the original data.

These settings can be inside the file, or stored in a separate file, which is used by the editing software to remember your last settings.

Some programs, such as Photoshop Lightroom, offer a similar option for JPEG and TIFF files, storing the editing information along with the original file so that you can revert back to the un-edited image at any time.

This is true as long as you don’t overwrite the original file with a new one when you finally develop or export the images from Lightroom.

PAGE 1: The best file format for saving a raw file
PAGE 2: Isn’t a JPEG just a JPEG?
PAGE 3: What is the .xmp file format?
PAGE 4: What is non-destructive editing?

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Posted on Tuesday, August 21st, 2012 at 2:00 am under Photoshop Tutorials, Tutorials.

Tags: photo editing, raw files, raw format, Raw Tuesday, shooting raw