Digital BW, The Print

> From: Frank Jay
> 
>   I was under the 
> impression that RAW files can't be printed as a RAW file, but 
> must be translated to another type of file. I admit I have 
> tons of holes in my digital and PS knowledge and I must have 
> heard or read this and believed it.  Ques is.............. 
> How does one enlarge directly from a RAW file?....OR, am I 
> confusing, enlarging with printing.

They don't necessarily have to be translated to another type of file. A raw
file is just another file format like JPEG. When you open a file in some
editor program like Photoshop, whether it's a JPEG, TIFF, PSD or raw file,
it's converted into a plain array of uncompressed pixels, so while it's
sitting in your editor program, it's not really in any file format at all,
because it's sitting in RAM, not in a file.

The only real difference between raw and other formats is that opening a raw
file involves some interpolation, and involves guessing about the proper
white balance intended by the camera, so different programs produce somewhat
different results. Many people prefer the results that they get from a
separate conversion program like CaptureOne, which does indeed convert to
TIFF for subsequent opening in another program like Photoshop. But Photoshop
has its own raw converter that does a good job, and eliminates the need for
an intermediate TIFF.

-- 

Ciao,               Paul D. DeRocco
Paul                mailto:pderocco@...