Best fòrmat to save Cr2 files

[P0lum2]

Hi Damien, Congrats on the good move!                                                                                                    My second question ever! I have Cr2 files on my hard drive direct from my Canon 70d. I use Lr5 and Adobe PS12 , but mostly Lr5. I have done my first sweep of basic editing. What I would like to know is what is the best format to save them in. I have options for Tiff, DNG, JPEG etc. I want to keep as much of the original info in the files as possible, is DNG a good option. I am aware that I would use JPEG for internet general use.

I need idiot instructions please? 
Much appreciated

[Christina Keddie]

Here's some good basic reading on this question: http://www.damiensymonds.net/2012/02/to-dng-or-not-to-dng.html

Also, make sure MAKE SURE that you've got this setting changed in LR, so your XMP files are being written separately from your raw files!  http://photographyconcentrate.com/lightroom-tip-turn-automatically-write-changes-xmp/

[Samantha LaRue]

What do you intend to do with these files? If you've only edited them in LR, then you don't need to "save" them in any other format until you are ready to either print them, post them online, or deliver to a client.

[P0lum2]

Thank you both. 

Yes Christine, i have now read up on that article. Much learnt in a few shòrt paragraphs! Lol

Samantha, 

My laptop whilst a 1tb hard drive would clutter up quickly with all the travel photos I have from across some 18 countries. So i have them all on an extrnal hd and yes rule of 123! I need to workflow them,  then work through them for some online projects and some picture sales i have in the pipeline. Some will need revisiting for creative art purposes, some for info guide sheets and some for fine Art printing. FB pages etc.  Some no doubt will pass through adobe 12 for further editingDoes this help? 

 

Edited May 5, 2016 by P0lum2

[Christina Keddie]

You would keep them in raw format (either the native raw format that comes out of your camera, or DNG if you want to convert them), and just leave them like that on your hard drive (internal or external, and backed up).  When you bring them into PS to edit them further, you'd save the layered PSD file that you created in editing.  Then when you're producing output files, you'd save those outputs as JPGs.

More on this workflow, and on disposable JPGs: http://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/02/trash-those-jpegs.html

And note: when I say you keep them in raw format, I mean you keep the actual raw file and the XMP sidecar file that contains all of your raw processing steps.  As you now know, having read the first article I linked.

[Samantha LaRue]

9 minutes ago, P0lum2 said:

My laptop whilst a 1tb hard drive would clutter up quickly with all the travel photos I have from across some 18 countries. So i have them all on an extrnal hd and yes rule of 123! I need to workflow them,  then work through them for some online projects and some picture sales i have in the pipeline. Some will need revisiting for creative art purposes, some for info guide sheets and some for fine Art printing. FB pages etc.  Some no doubt will pass through adobe 12 for further editingDoes this help? 

Yep, like Christina said, you just move the raw files (NEF, CR2, DNG etc) to your hard drive with your XMP file (if you aren't using DNG). Whenever you open one of those images in LR again, it will remember what edits you've done. Then you use the "Edit In" option to send it into PS.

And by Adobe PS 12 I'm assuming you mean Photoshop Elements 12? 

[P0lum2]

Thank you Christine,

You have been so helpful. I am looking forward to getting started on this tomorrow .

Annette

[P0lum2]

Hi Samantha, 

Thank you for your replies. Yes i mean Photoshop Elements 12. I think i am going to go with the original file with the xmp. Files. I wish i had learnt this a long time ago. I think it really helps when experienced people help us understand what the programmes do and how the elements in them work. A whole lot more than i realised.

Thanks again

Annette