How to Process a Camera Raw

Verify that you have software which will allow you to process camera raw files in your camera's format. Adobe Photoshop offers support for many types of camera raw files, and some camera manufacturers also offer programs which will process their camera line's raw files.

Select your color space. Raw processing programs may offer you a choice of several "color spaces" which define the number of colors you will be able to see and work with. Larger color spaces mean more subtle variations of color, but also mean a larger finished file.

Select the channel depth. This affects the size of the output file. While adjustments to a camera raw file are made at 16 bit, outputting at 8 bit can significantly reduce your file size without an appreciable loss of quality.

Adjust the size and resolution of your file. Files which will be used for digital display, such as on the Internet, may be processed at a lower resolution than print files. Digital files should be at least 72 DPI, while print files should be at least 300 DPI or better.

Adjust the exposure and contrast. In many camera raw programs, this is done by setting sliders to an appropriate location. Raw files give the advantage of being able to adjust these settings with less loss of data and artifacting.

Correct the color and white balance. These are also generally corrected by using slider bars in the camera raw viewer. The process will vary based on your camera raw reader program.

Make detail adjustments, such as sharpness and noise reduction. These adjustments should be made to the finished, corrected raw file to limit additional image artifacts.

Save your file. Changes are not applied directly to a camera raw file. Instead, they are saved as a copy and in a file known as a "sidecar" file. The next time the camera raw image is opened in the camera raw program, the adjustments will still be visible but they will be able to be changed, unlike a static jpeg file which has already had the changes applied.