Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
like a photo book (see
Chapter 15
for details). You can't create and work with multipage
files in the Editor anymore.
▪
JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg, .jpe)
. Almost everyone who uses a computer has run into JPEGs, and
most digital cameras offer this format as an option. Generally, when you bring a JPEG
into Elements, you want to use another format when you save it to avoid losing data.
Keep reading this chapter for more about why that is.
▪
Photoshop PDF (.pdf, .pdp)
. Adobe invented PDF (Portable Document Format), which
lets you send files to people with Adobe Reader (a free program formerly called Acrobat
Reader) so they can easily open and view the files. (People with Macs can also use OS
X's Preview to view PDFs.) Elements uses PDF files to create presentations like
slideshows.
▪
Pixar (.pxr)
. Yup,
that
Pixar. This is the special format for the movie studio's high-end
workstations, although if you're working on one of those, it's extremely unlikely that
you're reading this topic.
▪
PNG (.png, .pns)
. Here's another web-graphic format, created to overcome some of the
disadvantages of JPEGs and GIFs. It has its own disadvantages, though; see
Previewing
Images
for details. PNG has become a lot more important recently, since it's the pre-
ferred graphics format for Apple's iOS (the operating system for iPhones and iPads).
▪
TIFF (.tif, .tiff)
. This is another format that, like PSD, preserves virtually all your
photo's info and lets you save layers. Also like PSD files, TIFFs can be really big. This
format is used extensively in print production, and some cameras let you choose it as a
shooting option.
▪
Digital Negative (.dng)
. This format isn't listed in the Save As dialog box's format
menu; it's available only in the Raw Converter (
Converting to DNG
). This format was
developed by Adobe as an attempt to create a more universal way to store all the differ-
ent raw file formats (
The Raw Converter
)
. You can download a special free DNG Con-
verter from Adobe's website (
www.adobe.com/downloads
) that lets you convert your
camera's raw-format photos into DNG files. DNG files aren't ready to use the way JPEG
or TIFF files are—you have to run them through the Raw Converter before you can use
them in projects.
Converting to DNG
has more info.
