Suggestion. Edit photo in raw format
Suggestion for Kate and all at Xara.
The photo tool in Xara Pro is powerful, but it only edits in Jpg format.
Here’s what happens. Upon import of a raw camera file, Xara will automatically convert to a large lossy jpg file.
If upon import the file stays in a raw format, the photo tools become much more powerful because the raw format has much more information to work with with all tool modes.
Many specific Photo imaging software pgms import in raw, the image stays in raw, changes are made, then the image can be imported or saved in jpeg or png format for web use in Xara.
Thanks for reading Kate.
Re: Suggestion. Edit photo in raw format
Excellent suggestion, Bill.
Re: Suggestion. Edit photo in raw format
@Bill, it may be down to the type of XDA you have but I doubt it; it is more likely how you add the image.
I have a*.dng file from my Galaxy S8+ that is 16MB.
I drop this RAW file onto my design page and it becomes a "Standard bitmap", 22MB, 1960 x 4032px (7.9Mpx2), 24-bit, 96dpi.
In Preview, it renders as a JPEG 2,323kB image or a 1,575kB WebP image.
It is only at this point that it takes the unpacked 22MB image and converts it.
I also exported it as PNG Retina and this was 22MB.
If you set the Image to render Lossless and Preview, you get 18.6MB, suggesting some optimisation/compression occurred.
So Xara opens all images from their import format into a 24-bit with Alpha channel, expanded format and converts into JPEG, WebP, PNG on the fly.
My Bitmap Editor opens into Affinity Photo as a PNG.
The only Export format I cannot see is a RAW one but neither does Affinity offer one.
The Help: https://helpandsupport.xara.com/xara...ptimization_on
Quote:
Automatic conversion to JPEG
The JPEG image format is usually the best choice for photo images, because it maintains high quality with smaller file sizes. So when you import non-JPEG photo files, Xara Designer Pro+ will examine the image to see if it would be more appropriate as a JPEG. If so, a prompt is shown giving you the option to convert it to JPEG on import. This reduces the size of your document files and reduces memory usage when editing.
When pasting in images from the clipboard, the same analysis is done and the image is imported as JPEG if that's appropriate. This is done silently with no prompts. This is particularly useful when copying and pasting in images from web browsers because although the images are often JPEGs in the web page, some browsers don't communicate this to the clipboard.
The trick is not to Copy & Paste but Drag & Drop.
The second trick is to drag & drop into a Print/Photo document first to avoid any "conversions".
Acorn
Re: Suggestion. Edit photo in raw format
Yes. I’ve noticed that prompt before @acorn and will try drag and drop. Drag and drop in the past has been a little iffy (well documented). I don’t think this will work with import. But will try drag and drop.
I’d like to end up with a image that preserves some of the information that raw presents. Xara is set up for small files for web, which is a good thing.
The photo tools are so simple and powerful that I’d like to use them on raw files. They’re dummy proof.
Re: Suggestion. Edit photo in raw format
On a side note I've never liked Xara's bitmap gallery. It often holds details of images that aren't particularly helpfull, often stating 'Standard Bitmap' never declaring the image type such as jpg, gif, png, tiff or webp.
Re: Suggestion. Edit photo in raw format
@egg
thing is, technically, if it is held in memory as I understand it to be, then it may not be in any recognised image format at all other than XAR, ie a xara standard bitmap, which would make sense
Quote:
Originally Posted by bwood
They’re dummy proof
I would not put money on this
But I am prepared to accept they are good at what they do... ;)
Re: Suggestion. Edit photo in raw format
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bwood
They’re dummy proof.
We have obviously never met.
Re: Suggestion. Edit photo in raw format
.RAW can have a variety of proprietary flavours and typically required different third party post-processing software packages.
This Adobe article covers why .DNG (Digital Negative) can be better: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/...ng-vs-raw.html
Do note .DNG can lose information.
I do not know if Xara handles the 16, 384 level of brightness .RAW/>DNG holds.
https://helpandsupport.xara.com/xara...port.htm#o4611
Acorn
Re: Suggestion. Edit photo in raw format
Ah! As mentioned @acorns second trick is helpful. I’d think anything in the catalogue is shot in raw, processed, and saved in jpeg fine.
But the second trick is to open a new photo page. Crank the zoom way down, and drag and drop. I’ll have to play with it some more. I also have the Affinity suite but I do like the Xara photo tools a lot. I’ll let you know how things go. Sometimes a do shoot in jpeg fine if it’s for web.
Also depending upon the camera you can shoot in Raw, small format. Granted Xaras not meant to be a high end photo processor, but they offer so many features they may want to take a look at that. Always nice to stay within one program.
@acorn I will mess with the DNG format. Interesting read from Adobe.
Re: Suggestion. Edit photo in raw format
following on from eggs point re 'standard bitmap' - given that a bitmap image is but a pixel matrix with attributes assigned to the pixels in various ways, does making a bitmap copy remove at least some of this info because that is when I usually see 'standard bitmap' in the gallery
I am not a photographer, just a guy who take pics when it is quicker than notes/sketch; it seems to me this could get quite complicated....