Do you always save as TIFF?

[Jill Morgan]

I notice that throughout the forum, most people save their files as TIFF;s, then jpg.

 

I do 95% of my PP in ACR so all changes are made on the RAW file, then save directly to jpg.

 

 

The only time I save as a TIFF is if I make extra changes in PS itself.

 

Are there advantages to saving in TIFF as well as RAW, or is this more for those who shoot in JPG only so need to save as TIFF first to make changes?

 

Jill

[Linda]

After I'm done post processing I save everything as DNG and JPG.

I archive the DNG files on various drives and the jpegs go to my sites online and various agencies I am with.

I don't save the jpegs after my agencies get them and I've archived them to my sites online.

 

L

[Bryan]

Workflow, raw via 16 bit TIFF to JPG. Going from LR4 to CS4 the software saves a TIFF (Grrrr...!)  that I always delete. I never save TIFFs, and always save the end product as a max quality JPG.  TIFFs occupy far too much disc space, and post processing software is improving all the while. I'd go back to the raw file if I wanted a different look.

 

Very occasionally I save the Photoshop PSD file if I need to do further work on it, generally for montage or similar graphic image.

[Martin P Wilson]

I use Capture 1 Pro (and I worked the same when I have used LR) and go from RAW to finished JPEG. I can't remember when I last used PS - it was probably to add some text to an image for a book/article cover or similar.

 

If I were going to use PS (or GIMP) I would go via TIFF (ideally 16bit) but I only save it as a working copy; it gets deleted when I do some disk housekeeping. The master would remain in C1Pro (or LR if I were still using it).

 

Oh edited to add, I do delete jpegs from time to time as part of housekeeping. As my raw conversion skills improve steadily I prefer to rework them (if necessary) when I need them again, usually as a different size for example for web.

[ReeRay]

Capture One Raw develop to CS6 as a 16 bit TIFF. After processing imported into Lightroom as an 8 bit TIFF. Export from Lightroom to desktop folder as quality 11 jpeg and uploaded to whoever. Jpegs then deleted. Retain RAW and TIFF files only. Hard disc space is cheap now. I have a 3Tb H/D and 6Tb backup.

 

Advantage is that I can (and often do) re-work a TIFF file without the loss factor associated with Jpegs.

[Guest]

All stock work is kept either as TIFF or psds or occasional as a psb depending on size.. layers for commercial stock are kept for future use. I also keep the final jpeg for a couple of agencies.

 

Still supply one agency as as TIFFs (technically LZW TIFFS as that's what their script creates) but I keep mine as full fat ones.

 

Client output is usually as jpeg. Working TIFFs (again layered for luminance masking etc) are kept but final output is 95% jpeg. Other than promotional reasons I will, once client has finished with, dump most of those jpegs/raws and intermediate files. One principal reason is catalog space/slow down in DAM/LR.

 

Cost of storage is never an issue for me.

 

Advantages of TIFFs easy answer LAYERS......

 

 

There's no point in me throwing away all the work done in that file (and it's not that many layers compared to some). There's a couple of layers that I can easily see being used again in a future file and I also can change anything (or client can) if needed easily. Going back to the raws and the Blend file would be a lot of work.

[Bill Brooks]

I always save a 16 bit tiff and a raw DNG. Both files contain captioning and keywording. If there is extensive photoshop work, I save a photoshop version as well.

 

Tiff is supposed to be a universal file format that can be opened by any computer either now or in the future. It is not dependent on the the fortunes of software or camera companies, that could abandon the software and the file format.

 

I started in photoshop 22 years ago, so my archive consists of Tiff, photoshop, DNG, and a 3D program file called Bryce.

 

Early photoshop files do not display properly in the Mac finder, but I can still open them in photoshop.

 

Bryce no longer runs on the Mac as the software company abandoned the Mac version, so I cannot open my Bryce files. However I can open the Tiffs I saved from the Bryce render

 

Everything about the old Tiffs works fine.

 

Here is an old image I recently moved over to Alamy that was rendered in Bryce. The original file was processed for print, and looked dull in comparison to todays imagery. I was able to use the old 8 bit Tiff version to change the colour profile from the old Colormatch RGB to Adobe 1998 and adjust contrast and saturation. I would not want to do that on an old 8 bit JPG in Colormatch RGB.

 

Your archive should outlast you, and your old files should be reworkable.

 

[Lynn Palmer]

I save a high quality JPG as final output.  Like Bryan I'll save a  in PSD if I want to save layers for working on it later.  The disadvantage would be if I ever want to move away from using Photoshop, in that case the TIFF file would be a surer bet to open with other programs.  Since I always have the original CR2 file and I don't often care to return to the original layers I don't worry so much about the PSD versus TIFF issue.

[Linda]

The reason I save as a DNG file as my goal is to eventually sell of my celebrity archives.By having the original they can modify the IPTC info without degrading the quality

 

L

[Betty LaRue]

I save an 8 bit tiff only as long as it takes me to keyword the file and put the jpeg in my Alamy folder to upload. I save a 2nd jpeg copy to the folder with the RAW files, and that is the one I use the file extension -AL.  If I ever go back to mine folders for RAWs I didn't work on, I can quickly tell which have been uploaded and which haven't. 

 

I do have all my Alamy folders saved on external hard drives, but it would be very difficult to match those with the RAWs, because one Alamy upload may hold images from different folders shot on different days.

 

I want the Tiff for keywording, because I thought if you saved as jpeg, then keyworded, it would cause a 2nd save, which is bad.  I don't keyword the RAW files. I've often wondered if those photographers who now shoot only jpegs, have trouble keywording, or do they just upload to Alamy and keyword there?

 

Betty

[Linda]

I have over 2 million photos archived in media pro catalog software that is the raw images or DNG files and the jpegs on various DVDs and external drives.. I started in the 1990s when it was iview.

I find images in a minute. Many of that figure are client photos and not stock.

 

L

[dov makabaw]

I convert all from RAW/NEF to 16 bit DNG on download. Only convert to jpeg when an image goes out of the door.

 

 

dov

[Allan Bell]

I keep original RAWs with sidecar files from my various camera makes models. Keep worked TIFFs with them in case I need to rework for other projects. Convert to JPEGs and they are sent to wherever then deleted from my system.

 

Allan

 

PS: In my mind RAWs are absolute proof of ownership of copyright.

[Ed Rooney]

I save an 8 bit tiff only as long as it takes me to keyword the file and put the jpeg in my Alamy folder to upload. I save a 2nd jpeg copy to the folder with the RAW files, and that is the one I use the file extension -AL.  If I ever go back to mine folders for RAWs I didn't work on, I can quickly tell which have been uploaded and which haven't. 

 

I do have all my Alamy folders saved on external hard drives, but it would be very difficult to match those with the RAWs, because one Alamy upload may hold images from different folders shot on different days.

 

I want the Tiff for keywording, because I thought if you saved as jpeg, then keyworded, it would cause a 2nd save, which is bad.  I don't keyword the RAW files. I've often wondered if those photographers who now shoot only jpegs, have trouble keywording, or do they just upload to Alamy and keyword there?

 

Betty

 

Interesting that almost everyone reporting here has a somewhat different "what to save" policy. Now, at this late date, I wish I had done my keywording before submitting images to Alamy . . . but coulda woulda shoulda doesn't count for much. 

 

With regard to the tiff files: I keep the tiff until the agency accepts the jpeg image, then I delete it. So in storage I have the edited RAW file (edited in LR5) and the final edited jpeg, no tiffs. I can go back and make changes in the RAW file, if need be.

 

Oh, and Betty, you can edit RAW, tiffs or jpegs in Lightroom without a fear of damage.

 

I like Betty's idea of saving the jpegs and RAW files in the same folder. 

 

I see some major changes facing me in stock. If Alamy QC continues to fail perfectly good images that I submit, I will not be submitting any more material to Alamy. I simply can't get any more conservative about what I've been submitting lately. I have to rely on my own judgement, and that's being taken away from me. 

[Jill Morgan]

All stock work is kept either as TIFF or psds or occasional as a psb depending on size.. layers for commercial stock are kept for future use. I also keep the final jpeg for a couple of agencies.

 

Still supply one agency as as TIFFs (technically LZW TIFFS as that's what their script creates) but I keep mine as full fat ones.

 

Client output is usually as jpeg. Working TIFFs (again layered for luminance masking etc) are kept but final output is 95% jpeg. Other than promotional reasons I will, once client has finished with, dump most of those jpegs/raws and intermediate files. One principal reason is catalog space/slow down in DAM/LR.

 

Cost of storage is never an issue for me.

 

Advantages of TIFFs easy answer LAYERS......

 

 

There's no point in me throwing away all the work done in that file (and it's not that many layers compared to some). There's a couple of layers that I can easily see being used again in a future file and I also can change anything (or client can) if needed easily. Going back to the raws and the Blend file would be a lot of work.

 

This type of layered file I will always save as tiff or psd. But for those photos where all my adjustments have been made to the RAW file, I simply put in PS, recheck at 100%, do any cropping or size adjustments and then save as jpg. Only when I have any kind of layer do I save as tiff or psd.

 

Jill

[Lynn Palmer]

I always save the jpg, tiff and psd files in the same file with the CR2 file, otherwise it would be impossible for me to readily find files and reprocess images.  I also keep a second copy of the jpgs I upload to Alamy on a separate hard drive and in a separate folder labeled Alamy.  I back up everything to two independent external hard drives.

[Guest]

Not sure of the logic of keeping (archiving) raws and output files in separate folders. LR or any other DAM system can keep tabs on what is where.

 

I don't tag Alamy files but colour code for exclusive agencies. That includes all the major component files and having those across different folders would make life difficult.

[Duncan_Andison]

Capture One Pro - 

 

Simple processing: Raw - Jpg

Complex: Raw - Tiff - Jpg

 

Long term Storage - Raw files (keyworded etc) within a C1 Session plus jpg copies.

 

All jpgs are also stored in a C1 Catalogue on a BluRay. Compared to Raws etc, this is lightweight on storage and means I can easily tag, arrange and search files easily (metadata embeded). Also, if I join a new agency..... select all and upload.

[kimba]

I used to process RAW -> .jpg. I used to use either the Canon software or a very old version of Photoshop, or a combination of the two. I never had problems with file size working this way.

 

But now I've got a new laptop, I can't upload my old software, and am just learning Raw Therapee and Gimp. I've worked on a few test images and my .jpgs are just a little too small.

 

My RawTherapee .tif (saved at 16-bit) files are in the 49mb range and when they are saved as .jpgs they compress to 12 or 13 mb. As far as I can tell I am saving at the .jpgs at the highest quality possible in Gimp.

 

Am I missing a setting?

 

I'm shooting with a 30D/8mp

[spacecadet]

My jpegs from 14MP are 4-6MB so yours are pretty huge.

Not sure why your 8MP tiffs should be over about 24MB.

[Martin P Wilson]

8 bit Tiffs have a Mbyte size that is usually very close to 3 x Mpx (8Mpx = 24Mbyte), unless you are saving as 16bit tiffs. Which is what it looks like.

[Martin P Wilson]

After I'm done post processing I save everything as DNG and JPG.

I archive the DNG files on various drives and the jpegs go to my sites online and various agencies I am with.

I don't save the jpegs after my agencies get them and I've archived them to my sites online.

 

L

 

I do the same but don't go the DNG route, I just save raws in native format instead.

[dov makabaw]

I convert NEF Raw to DNG on upload and retain as DNG RAW 16 bit for archiving. My understanding is that it is that it is best practice to archive RAW files in a universal format that will not change in the future. i.e. NEF could be changed by Nikon at some point. It is open to debate whether TIFF or DNG is going to be the more durable option.

[Betty LaRue]

 

I save an 8 bit tiff only as long as it takes me to keyword the file and put the jpeg in my Alamy folder to upload. I save a 2nd jpeg copy to the folder with the RAW files, and that is the one I use the file extension -AL.  If I ever go back to mine folders for RAWs I didn't work on, I can quickly tell which have been uploaded and which haven't. 

 

I do have all my Alamy folders saved on external hard drives, but it would be very difficult to match those with the RAWs, because one Alamy upload may hold images from different folders shot on different days.

 

I want the Tiff for keywording, because I thought if you saved as jpeg, then keyworded, it would cause a 2nd save, which is bad.  I don't keyword the RAW files. I've often wondered if those photographers who now shoot only jpegs, have trouble keywording, or do they just upload to Alamy and keyword there?

 

Betty

 

Interesting that almost everyone reporting here has a somewhat different "what to save" policy. Now, at this late date, I wish I had done my keywording before submitting images to Alamy . . . but coulda woulda shoulda doesn't count for much. 

 

With regard to the tiff files: I keep the tiff until the agency accepts the jpeg image, then I delete it. So in storage I have the edited RAW file (edited in LR5) and the final edited jpeg, no tiffs. I can go back and make changes in the RAW file, if need be.

 

Oh, and Betty, you can edit RAW, tiffs or jpegs in Lightroom without a fear of damage.

 

I like Betty's idea of saving the jpegs and RAW files in the same folder. 

 

I see some major changes facing me in stock. If Alamy QC continues to fail perfectly good images that I submit, I will not be submitting any more material to Alamy. I simply can't get any more conservative about what I've been submitting lately. I have to rely on my own judgement, and that's being taken away from me. 

 

Ed, I do all my keywording in Bridge.  I just prefer it for keywording, even though I have done the biggest part of developing in LR.   The image goes straight from LR to PS, where if I crop or downsize, it is done there, then keyworded.  Then saved as a jpeg.  

We all have our favorite little ruts, don't we?  

 

As to your last comment, I feel your pain.  I continue to sell images uploaded before QC became so strict, and possibly those images would not pass if uploaded them today. Checking the last 19 images sold, 14 are from images taken at least 2 years ago, many long before that.  Which begs the question, how many of those 14 would pass QC today? 3 or 4???

[John Mitchell]

I've committed heresy and now shoot mainly in JPEG mode (except for low-light shots, in which case I use RAW+JPEG), trying to get things right in-camera before pushing the shutter. I then convert to 16-bit TIFFs for tweaking and then 8-bit TIFFs for archiving. A bit awkward and old fashioned, I suppose, but so far so good. I find the in-camera processing abilities of today's cameras to be much better than mine most of the time.