Processing camera raw image files

In digital photography, a picture is captured by a camera's image sensor in an image file. An image file is generally processed and compressed, before being stored on your camera's memory card. However, cameras can also store a picture without processing or compressing it - as a raw file. Think of camera raw files as photo negatives. You can open a raw file in Photoshop Elements, process it, and save it, rather than relying on the camera to process the file. Working with camera raw files lets you set the proper white balance, tonal range, contrast, color saturation, and sharpness.

To use raw files, set your camera to save files in its own raw file format. When you download the files from the camera, they have filename extensions like NEF, CR2, CRW, or other raw formats. Photoshop Elements can open raw files only from supported cameras. Visit the Adobe website to view a list of supported cameras.

Photoshop Elements does not save your changes to the original raw file (non-destructive editing). After processing the raw image file using the features of the Camera Raw dialog box, You can choose to open a processed raw file in Photoshop Elements. You can then edit the file and save it in a Photoshop Elements supported format. The original raw file remains unaltered.

A Process Version is a method of deciphering the raw file format. The default version used in Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 is Process Version 2012. This method of deciphering the raw file format provides you with ways to work with the most recent and improved features in the raw file format. Photoshop Elements 11 contains three Process Versions (one current, and two legacy versions). The complete list of versions is:

• Process Version 2012 (default, used in Adobe Photoshop Elements 11)
• Process Version 2010 (used in Adobe Photoshop Elements 10)
• Process Version 2003 (used in Adobe Photoshop Elements 9, or earlier)

What Process Version is applied to my raw image?

When you open a raw file that has not been opened in an earlier edition of Photoshop Elements, the default Process Version 2012 is used. However, if you open a raw file opened in an earlier version of Photoshop Elements, an older Process Version is used.

To check the Process Version applied to your raw image, in the Camera Raw 7.1 dialog box, click the Camera Calibration tab. The Process field displays the current Process Version being used.

Note: If not using Process Version 2012, an icon displayed below the raw image indicates that an older version is being used.

Can I switch between Process Versions?

Yes. In the Camera Raw 7.1 dialog box, click the Camera Calibration tab, and select the Process Version you want to use from the Process drop-down list.

Which version is best for you?

Process Version 2012 enables you to work with the latest enhancements in the raw format. However, if you have many raw images that were opened with previous editions of Photoshop Elements (and hence using older Process Versions), you may choose to apply an older Process Version to your newer raw images. This helps with consistency while processing past and present images, and helps maintain your older workflow.

What are the differences in the Process Versions?

• Basic tab. In Process Version 2012, the Highlights, Shadows, and Whites sliders replace the Recovery, Fill light, and Brightness sliders.
• Detail tab:
  • In Process Version 2012, the Color Detail slider has been introduced. This slider remains disabled until the Color slider is modified.
  • In Process Version 2012, Luminance Detail and Luminance Contrast have been added. These sliders remain disabled until the Luminance is modified.

Note: When switching to an older Process Version, the newer sliders compatible with the latest Process Versions are disabled.

The Sharpness slider adjusts the image sharpness to provide the edge definition you want. The Sharpness adjustment is a variation of the Adobe Photoshop Unsharp Mask filter. This adjustment locates pixels that differ from surrounding pixels based on the threshold you specify, and increases the pixels’ contrast by the amount you specify. When opening a camera raw file, the Camera Raw plug‑in calculates the threshold to use based on the camera model, ISO, and exposure compensation. You can choose whether sharpening is applied to all images or to previews.

The Detail tab in the Camera Raw dialog box contains controls for reducing image noise—the extraneous visible artifacts that degrade image quality. Image noise includes luminance (grayscale) noise, which makes an image look grainy, and chroma (color) noise, which is visible as colored artifacts in the image. Photos taken at high ISO speeds or with less sophisticated digital cameras can have noticeable noise.

Moving the Luminance Smoothing slider to the right reduces grayscale noise, and moving the Color Noise Reduction slider to the right reduces chroma noise.

When making Luminance Smoothing or Color Noise Reduction adjustments, it’s a good idea to preview images at 100% for a better view.

You can save changes you’ve made to a camera raw file. The Camera Raw dialog box saves the camera raw image with your changes in a .dng file. Saving the file does not automatically open it in Photoshop Elements. (To open a camera raw file, use the Open command, like you would with any other file. Then you can edit and save the file like any other image.)

After you process a camera raw image in the Camera Raw dialog box, you can open the image and edit it in the Edit workspace.

When you open a camera raw file, Photoshop Elements reads information in the file to see which model of camera created it, and then applies the appropriate camera settings to the image. If you are always making similar adjustments, you can change the default settings of your camera. You can also change settings for each model of camera you own, but not for multiple cameras of the same model.