File Formats in Photoshop

Every time an image is clicked by the camera or any scanning device, the output is saved in the ‘file format’. If binary information can be referred as communication, then the file format is the language for the communication acting as its vehicle. Reading and understanding of the information depends on its recognition by the software. Numerous forms of formats are there in which images can be saved.

Commonly used formats are:
1. Raw or .dng: Camera Raw and digital negative
2. JPEG or .jpg, .jpx or .jpf : Joint Photographic Experts Group
3. TIFF or .tiff : Tagged Image File Format
4. Photoshop or .psd : Photoshop Document

Camera Raw or Digital Negatives: Raw is generally not preferred for better quality in images. Camera gives better clarity if TIFF or JPG formats are used and replacing both with the preference for RAW can stop processing of color data in the camera, collected from sensor. RAW data is basically the something that the sensor ‘saw’ even before the processing of the image by camera which is referred as ‘digital negative’ by many photographers. RAW, unprocessed, is required to be converted in the form of usable image file format through image editing software provided by the camera manufacturer or in Adobe Photoshop. It can be compressed as ‘Digital Negative’.

Joint Photographic Experts Group or JPEG: This is the standard format for images ideal for compressing them according to WWW, World Wide Web and for its storage in case of limited space. Lossy compression is used by JPEG compression where image quality and data are lost for small sized files during the closing of image. Compression amount is under the command of the user. Compression with high level results in formation of low quality images that are small in file size. High quality image results from low level compression but with larger file size. JPG file format is recommended after the image editing is done and a master Photoshop document too should be kept for the archival purposes.

JPEG 2000: JPEG 2000 is the supporter of alpha channels and 16 bits/channel. It uses complex saving options other than the standard JPEG format and produces lesser artifacts in image. Photoshop CS3 also supports this file version though it is sometimes not available in the Save for Web options.

Tagged Image File Format or TIFF: For images being published, either in books or magazines, TIFF is ideal used in those cases. LZW or lossless compression is used by TIFF (No loss of quality or data takes place in image).

Photoshop Document or PSD: This format is the default one in Adobe’s software for image editing. It is actually a master file through which any other files can be produced in accordance with the requirements of the output. PSD’s another version format is PSB which is designed for the purpose of creating large sized documents specifically that are above 2GB.