How to convert RAW in camera raw to jpeg

[GadgetNeil]

I may be missing something really basic!

When I open a RAW photo from a folder in my hard drive, elements automatically opens it in the camera raw window. So far, so good: I edit the raw photo, and then I'm not sure of a couple of things. If I click Done, it just disappears, but did it save my edits - ie will it apply them next time I open the same photo? Also, if I click "Save as", it only allows me to save as a .dng file, so how do I convert to a jpeg (eg if I want to upload it to my smugmug site), and how do I do further editing in the main elements editing window? (when I go to File-Open and open the .cr2 file, or the .dng, it just goes back to the camera raw window.

thanks for any help!

[JulieM]

After you've made your edits in ACR, select 'open image'. (Clicking done just closes the image with changes) The image will now open in the PSE Editor. You will be able to save it as a jpeg if you first convert it to 8 bits from 16 bits, Image>Mode>8bits/channel.

And welcome to the Village from another Ontarian...

[GadgetNeil]

Thanks! I thought I was missing something obvious!

Now another question comes up:
I clicked open image, and it comes up in the main elements edit screen. It is still naming it with a .cr2 extension, but when I click file info, it says it is a tiff file. Is that the way elements generally works with raw files imported to the editor in elements?

Also, if I want to save as a regular jpg file, do I have to click "save to web"? when I click "save as" there is no regular jpeg option, only "jpeg 2000" - if I save in that format, can the file be opened with any jpeg reader?

[TonyW]

You have to change it from 16 bit to 8 bit (Look under Image>Mode and click on the 8 bit) JPEG files are 8 bit only so it doesn't become an option until you change it to an 8 bit file.

Tony

[GadgetNeil]

Aha!

Thank you - these replies saved me a lot of time!

[Not4wood]

Well, I would suggest that you edit the image or just save it as a tiff or psd till you can come back and work on it till you think its done. I would then save this version as is and after your finished working on it with all the steps then and only then do you want to save as and make this your last copy as a JPG file.

Opening and closing an image in JPG will have the file compression working the image so much that you might actually loose details in these versions. So its always a warning on the Photo sites as to not save as a JPG till its your last step in editing.

So now, you have roughly 4 versions or more of the same image.

The original Raw.
The original psd without edits.
The finished at that moment psd or last update.
Then finally the last version which is converted to a jpg.

This way in case you either get more experienced or improve on your editing you have a good copy waiting for you to be worked on and your last version the JPG can always be replaced to show the latest editing.