Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
TIP
You can adjust 16-bit images with microscopic precision, but your home printer prints
only in 8-bit color. If you want to do all your editing (or at least 90 percent of it) in 16-bit
color, then consider upgrading to Photoshop.
WORKAROUND WORKSHOP: NON-RAW FILES IN THE RAW CONVERTER
If your camera shoots JPEGs and you've always been curious what this raw business is all about,
you can find out for yourself—sort of. You can open and process JPEG, PSD, and TIFF files with
the Raw Converter. (If you want to try another kind of file, save it as a TIFF and
then
open it with
the Raw Converter. That way you can take advantage of the Converter's special tools, like
Vibrance and Clarity, for any photo.)
To do this, in the Editor, just go to File→“Open in Camera Raw” or press Alt+Ctrl+O/Option-
⌘
-
O. (Unfortunately, you have to do this from within the Editor—there's no similar option in the Or-
ganizer.)
The image opens in the Converter, and you can work on it just like a real raw file—well, almost.
Here's the thing about using other formats in the Converter: When your camera processed the
JPEG file that it wrote to its memory card, it tossed out the info it didn't need for the JPEG, so
Elements doesn't have the same amount of data to work with as it does for a
true
raw file. The
Converter lets you create a DNG—digital negative—file (
Converting to DNG
)
from a JPEG, but
it can't put back the info that wasn't included in the JPEG, so this feature isn't very useful for
most people.
Because non-raw files don't have as much info as raw files, working with them in the Raw Con-
verter can lead to some iffy results. You may find that the Converter does a bang-up job on your
photo, or you may decide you liked it better before you started messing with it. There are so many
variables involved that it's really hard to predict the results you'll get, but it's definitely worth a
try.
Once you open a non-raw file in the Raw Converter this way, from then on it will
automatically
open in the Converter. If you want it to open in the regular Editor, just hold down the Shift key as
you open the file to bypass the Raw Converter.
If you find you like using the Raw Converter for JPEGs, then you may want to experiment with
reducing your camera's saturation, contrast, and sharpening settings, if possible. That's because
you're more likely to get good results from the Raw Converter if your image is fairly neutral to
start with.
