Guide

Photo File Formats: What to Send Your Editor

Send the RAW file straight off the card if you have one, DNG if your camera or phone saves it, and JPEG only if that is what you shot. Ask for the finished photo back as JPEG for the web, TIFF for print, or PSD if you want the layers.

The reason is what each file still holds. A RAW or DNG file keeps everything the sensor recorded, so an editor can pull back a bright window or correct a colour cast cleanly. A JPEG has already been processed by the camera and compressed, so some of that information is gone before the edit starts.

Key takeaways

Send RAW (or DNG) for editing: it keeps the full sensor data, so exposure and colour can be changed without damage.
DNG is Adobe’s open raw format; Apple ProRAW files are DNGs.
JPEG is processed and compressed in the camera. It is the right format to deliver, and fine to send when it is all you have.
TIFF is the format for scans of old prints and for files going to print.
PNG is for cut-outs with a transparent background; PSD keeps the layers of an edit.

Last reviewed 9 August 2026 by the Pinnacle Edits editing team.

The Formats, Side by Side

Format	What the file holds	Best for
RAWCR3, CR2, NEF, ARW, RAF, ORF, RW2	The unprocessed data from the camera sensor, in each camera maker’s own format. White balance and exposure are not fixed yet.	Sending to an editor. It gives the most room to recover highlights and shadows and to change colour.
DNG.dng	Adobe’s openly documented raw format. Some cameras, drones and phones save it directly; Apple ProRAW is a DNG.	The same editing room as RAW, in one format every raw editor can open.
TIFF.tif, .tiff	A processed image saved without lossy compression, in 8 or 16 bits per channel. It can hold layers.	Scans of old prints, and finished files going to print or for further editing.
JPEG.jpg, .jpeg	A processed 8-bit image with lossy compression. White balance and contrast are already applied.	Final delivery for web, social media, listings and galleries. Fine to send if it is all you shot.
PNG.png	Lossless compression with support for transparency.	Cut-outs on a transparent background, logos and graphics. Not a format cameras shoot.
PSD.psd, .psb	Photoshop’s own file, with layers, masks and adjustment layers kept separate. Files over 2 GB or 30,000 pixels wide use PSB.	Getting the edit back with its layers, so you can change one step later.
HEIC.heic	The space-saving format iPhones use by default.	Phone storage. Not every editing app opens it, so export JPEG if in doubt.

What to Send, Job by Job

Wedding, event and portrait galleries. The RAW files. If you want us to start from your own look, export your Lightroom preset, or send a few finished images as a reference.
Real estate brackets. Every frame of every bracket, RAW or JPEG, in the order they were shot. A missing frame is a missing exposure in the blend.
Product and ecommerce photos. RAW if you have it, otherwise the largest JPEG the camera makes. Tell us the marketplace so the file comes back to its size rules.
Drone photos. The DNG straight off the card, or JPEG if that is what you shot.
Old prints for restoration. A scan at the highest optical resolution your scanner offers, saved as TIFF. A phone photo of the print works too, taken flat, in daylight and without flash.
iPhone photos. Export them as JPEG, or set Settings > Camera > Formats to Most Compatible so the phone saves JPEG from the start.

We accept RAW files from all major cameras (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW and others), DNG, JPEG, TIFF, PNG and PSD. Upload the files as they are: there is no need to convert them first.

What to Ask For Back

JPEG for websites, listings, social media and online galleries. Ask for sRGB.
TIFF for print, albums and anything that will be edited again.
PSD when you want the layers, for example to adjust a sky or a retouch yourself later.
PNG for cut-outs that need a transparent background.

Photo File Formats

Common Questions

Is RAW better than JPEG for editing?

Yes. A RAW file keeps the full data from the sensor, so exposure, white balance and highlights can be adjusted much further before the image breaks up. A JPEG has been processed and compressed in the camera, so large changes show banding and noise sooner. For delivery, JPEG is the better format.

What is the difference between RAW and DNG?

Both hold unprocessed sensor data. RAW is a family of formats, one per camera maker (CR3 for Canon, NEF for Nikon, ARW for Sony and so on). DNG is a single raw format published by Adobe, which some cameras, drones and phones save directly and which Adobe’s free DNG Converter can make from most RAW files.

Should I convert my RAW files to DNG before sending them?

Not usually. Send the original files. Converting is useful when the software at the other end does not support a new camera model yet, because a DNG opens in any raw editor.

Is TIFF better than JPEG?

For print and further editing, yes: TIFF is saved without lossy compression and can be 16-bit. For the web it is far larger than it needs to be, and JPEG is the standard.

Does saving a JPEG again lose quality?

Yes, each time it is edited and saved as JPEG it is compressed again. Keep the RAW or a TIFF as your master and export a new JPEG from it rather than editing the same JPEG repeatedly.

Can you edit my photos if I only shot JPEG?

Yes. Colour correction, retouching, background removal and HDR blending all work on JPEG files. There is simply less room to recover a badly blown sky or a very dark room than with RAW.

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