file types confusion

[buleetu]

hi all

i have asked a similar question to this before but im wondering if there is a catch all file type eg jpeg is for web stuff and email, raw for archiving and jepeg and tiff for printing

but every time i go to save a picture i transfered from raw i find my self wondering what is the best one to do, i have a nikon camera so my raws are nef, when i transfered a file a few minutes ago into what i first thought would be jpeg because its gonna go onto photobucket,i discovered png files and psd files, i know that a png is a portable network graphics file and a psd is a photoshop file but when i saved one of each to look at there was no differance but when i save the png one in elements it asked me is i wanted to interlace or simply none

can anyone relate to what im going through here with all these files types i would love to just stick to 2 types nef raws and one other for looking at on the net, which would be best out of all the ones i have mentioned,

thanks guys

 

[scubadiver888]

Keep RAW because it will retain the most information. Use JPEG for something you can use everywhere. JPEG was designed to compress digital photographic images. There are different compression algorithms for JPEG. Some are lossy, lossless and interlaced. The lossy compression is the most widely recognized so I'd go with that. This is usually the default for software converting RAW to JPEG.

The other popular file format for digital images is PNG but the quality of a PNG will be only slightly better or not better at all compared to a JPEG plus the file size for a PNG will be notably larger than a JPEG when dealing with large photographic images. For images with line art or text, the compression algorithm for PNG is better than JPEG.

Darrell

 

[alcina]

This is what I do - ymmv.

Import my RAW files as DNG via Lightroom. I don't keep my CR2 (canon RAW) files.

Save as psds all edited files as it is non-destructive and allows you to keep all of your layers should you ever want to go back.

Save as jpegs for web viewing and for printing. I choose the size of the jpeg to save as depending on the final destination - something that will be printed gets saved much higher than something for the web. My standard defaults for web jpegs: quality 65%, long side 650 pixels, sRGB.

This is the last step after working with a file. I do not resave jpeg formats as every time you do, you lose some quality.

You will most likely not notice file degradation on your computer - but eventually you will in printing.

 

[Charlie99]

If you are looking at the very long term, then you have to ask yourself whether the .nef files will be supported by whatever system you are using 10, 15 or 20 years from now.

It wouldn't hurt to archive in BOTH the native RAW format (.nef in your case) and in a more universal format such as lossless .tiff.

Then all you will have to worry about is making sure that you transfer files to new media types as the old stuff becomes obsolete. Because movies are on DVDs, that media is likely to be around for quite a while, but it is something that you have to watch if you are keeping stuff for decades.

Although not pictures, a parallel example are some old files I have in the Wordstar format on 8" floppies. Both that format and media are pretty hard to use nowdays.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I save raw files of the important images, especially special images I am not happy with the final processing. There may be some new raw conversion program down the road that does a better job. I save tif files of the important images. I save web/email jpg images at 6 out of 12 (50%) in PSE4 with 500 or 600 pixels on the long side. I save print jpg files at 10 or 12 out of 12, 300 dpi - 180 dpi, for 4"x6" to 12"x18".

I have many images saved as raw, tif, web jpg and print jpg's at 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, 8x12, 11x14 and 12x18. Organization and backing up the back ups is key

 

[buleetu]

thanks guys

im gonna convert to tiff and stick with that because i have noticed theres a differance in how the thumbnails of jpegs and tiffs so there must be a differance in the real size too that perhaps i cant see, i guess most of my pictures are gonna be viewed from the internet on my tv or other peoples computers i dont really print images yet because its not as if im selling them or something

lets say if i wanted to print out an a4 size picture for my parents to put on there wall or something what would be the best then jpeg just in that size yes??

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

For the web/email a jpg is the norm, 72 dpi with 50-65% "quality" and 500 to 700 pixels on the long side.

For print, some of us print from jpg, some print tif and some may print psd (flattened, IDK?). 300 dpi is for 4x6" or 5x7", 240 dpi-ish for 8x10" 8x12", 220 dpi is enough for 11x14", 180 dpi is probably right for 12x18" (multiples of 3? 300, 240, 180) but I still use 200 or 220.

For whatever size chose the dpi first, then chose the dimensions as you intend the print to be. Before that, you should crop to the proper ratio; 2x3 for 4x6, 8x12, 12x18.

Others may do it differently, that's how I do it and people buy my prints