How to create JPGs from DNG/NEF files...

[stayathomedad]

How do I take my raw files and output them as JPGs?

I have PSE6 for the mac... and when I select save as with a raw file, there is no option to save it as a regluar old JPG.

what am I doing wrong?

[dj_paige]

In the PSE Editor, you need to first change the photo to 8bits/channel. In the PSE5 Editor, you do this with Image->Mode->8bits/Channel

[elwoodsusanm]

What are the uses for 8 bit and 16 bit please? I have these choices and don't know which to choose!:eek::o

[dj_paige]

An 8 bit image can contain 16 million colors, while a 16 bit image can hold up to 281 trillion images. (Note: there are not a lot of cameras today that take true 16 bit images, many takes 10 or 12 bit images). In practice, there are very few (no?) printers that can display 16bit images. Monitors also display photos at 8bit resolution.

Most of the editing that can be done by the PSE Editor can only be done on 8bits/channel images. (There might be a few functions that can be done on 16bits/channel images, but off the top of my head, I don't recall which functions these are). In Adobe Camera Raw, you can operate on 16 bit images, and some editing is more powerful if you do it on 16bit images (i.e. better results 16bits versus 8bits), but I don't have an example that illustrates this.

[elwoodsusanm]

Thank you. I have had a go with 16 bit in camera raw. What I have found is that on 'save as' I did not get many choices. If done in 8 bit I get all the coices.:confused:

[Michel B]

Most of the editing that can be done by the PSE Editor can only be done on 8bits/channel images. (There might be a few functions that can be done on 16bits/channel images, but off the top of my head, I don't recall which functions these are). In Adobe Camera Raw, you can operate on 16 bit images, and some editing is more powerful if you do it on 16bit images (i.e. better results 16bits versus 8bits), but I don't have an example that illustrates this.

As a matter of fact, it's easier to tell what can't be edited in 16 bits in PSE5 or PSE6: local editing tools and layers. Practically all general editing (enhance menu including shadow/ highlight, sharpening, USM and adjustment filters including gradient maps) are available in 16 bits.

If you consider you can do all your general adjustments in ACR before openig in Elements, you may not wish to edit in 16 bits afterwards. And what is extremely important is to tell in which situations editing in 8 bits might be a problem. The risk is mainly posterization, which occurs in either dark parts or very light parts of the image especially if you do heavy editing based on curves, blending modes or gradient maps.

When you encounter such situations (should be rare) you might consider doing several edits of the different parts of the image in 16 bits, before converting to 8 bits to blend them in different layers.

I have found that a further edit in 16 bits in Elements may be useful for further adjustments in levels, shadow/highlight and USM for instance.

[dj_paige]

Michel, thanks, that was a helpful explanation

[elwoodsusanm]

Yes, thank you, most informative:)

[JonE]

JPEG files can only be 8 bit so to save as a JPEG you must convert to 8 bit. Sorry, that's the way it is.

[elwoodsusanm]

Does this mean then that you can adjust them as 16 bit then change them to 8 bit all in camera raw before opening in Editor?:confused::)

[dj_paige]

It means that you can work in 16 bit in ACR, go into the PSE Editor, do some stuff 16 bit there, and then convert to 8 bit for other edits or to save as .jpg.

[ljameso1]

Since my screen shows 8 bit images, I can't really evaluate changes done in 16bit, so tend to use 8bit. That being said; I do crop an image in acr at 16 bits, then before opening change to 8bits in acr by using the drop down there.

[dj_paige]

Since my screen shows 8 bit images, I can't really evaluate changes done in 16bit, so tend to use 8bit.

In theory, some 16 bit edits (e.g. sharpening, noise removal) work better than converting to 8 bits and then editing. I suppose there are examples where you would see the difference on an ordinary 8bit monitor, but I don't have an example.

[elwoodsusanm]

I can't find any buttons that allow for cropping in my ACR:confused:

[dj_paige]

This is one of my complaints as well. There are a lot of useful buttons and features that don't appear in ACR with Photoshop Elements (like cropping, or like adjusting just the red color channel), that appear in ACR with Lightroom, and that appear in ACR with Photoshop.

To crop, you have to open the file in the PSE Editor and then save as .psd or .jpg.

[TonyW]

This is one of my complaints as well. There are a lot of useful buttons and features that don't appear in ACR with Photoshop Elements (like cropping, or like adjusting just the red color channel), that appear in ACR with Lightroom, and that appear in ACR with Photoshop.

To crop, you have to open the file in the PSE Editor and then save as .psd or .jpg.

Things are better with PSE6 - that will let you crop in ACR.

Tony