Three Formats, Three Purposes
RAW, TIFF, and JPEG are the three dominant still image formats in professional photography. Each exists for a different purpose. Understanding when to use each format for capture, editing, and delivery is fundamental to an efficient workflow.
RAW: The Capture Format
RAW files store the unprocessed sensor data from your camera. Key characteristics:
- Large file sizes, typically 25 to 80 MB per file for modern cameras
- Non-destructive with all adjustments stored as metadata, never altering originals
- Maximum flexibility for exposure and white balance correction in post
- Require specialised software to open
imagic supports all major RAW formats: CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, ORF, RW2, DNG, and PEF. Install with pip install imagic.
Use RAW when you have time to process in post, need maximum correction latitude, or shoot in challenging or mixed lighting.
TIFF: The Editing and Archive Format
TIFF is a lossless raster format supporting 8-bit and 16-bit colour depth. Key characteristics:
- Very large, 50 to 200 MB for 16-bit full-frame images
- Lossless with no quality degradation from repeated saves
- Universally compatible with any image editor or print service
Use TIFF when delivering files for professional printing, saving intermediate editing stages, or archiving finished work in a universally compatible lossless format.
JPEG: The Delivery Format
JPEG is a lossy compressed format. Key characteristics:
- Small file sizes, typically 3 to 15 MB at high quality settings
- Universally compatible with any device, browser, or print service
- Lossy with quality degrading with each save cycle
- 8-bit only with less editing headroom than 16-bit formats
Use JPEG when delivering final images to clients, publishing to web galleries, or any context where compatibility and file size matter more than maximum quality.
The Standard Workflow Chain
RAW capture, cull with imagic, edit in darktable or RawTherapee, export to JPEG for client delivery and TIFF for print orders or archiving. This chain covers all professional deliverable types without proprietary formats or software lock-in.