How to open an image in Camera Raw

How To Open Images Into Camera Raw


Larn how to open images, including raw files, JPEGs and TIFFs, directly into Photoshop'south amazingly powerful paradigm editing plugin known every bit Camera Raw.

So far in this series on getting our images into Photoshop, we've learned how to set Photoshop as our default image editor. We learned how to open images from within Photoshop itself. And we learned how to open images into Photoshop using Adobe Bridge.

Nevertheless fifty-fifty though Photoshop is still the world's most powerful and pop image editor, times have inverse. These days, especially if you're a photographer, you're less likely to open up your images into Photoshop itself (at least initially) and more likely to open them into Photoshop's image editing plugin, Camera Raw.

Camera Raw was originally designed to permit the states process raw files. That is, images that were captured using your camera's raw image file format. But Camera Raw has grown to include support for JPEG and TIFF images every bit well.

Different Photoshop which is used by people in nearly every creative profession, Camera Raw was built with photographers in mind, using a simple layout that matches a normal photo editing workflow from start to finish. This makes editing images in Camera Raw much more natural and intuitive. And, Camera Raw is completely non-destructive, meaning that nothing we do to an paradigm is permanent. Nosotros can make whatever changes we like, whatever time we like, and we can even restore the original, unedited version at any time.

We're going to comprehend Camera Raw is corking item in its own series of tutorials. For now, let's learn how to open our images directly into Photographic camera Raw. We'll start with raw files since they're the easiest to open. Then, nosotros'll learn how to open up JPEG and TIFF images.

The best mode to open up images into Camera Raw is by using Adobe Bridge, so that's what I'll be using here. If you're not yet familiar with Adobe Span, I covered the nuts, including how to install Bridge, in the previous How To Open Images From Adobe Bridge tutorial. Be sure to bank check that ane out earlier you continue.

This lesson is from my Getting Images into Photoshop Complete Guide.

Permit'south get started!

Opening Adobe Span From Photoshop

To open up Adobe Bridge from inside Photoshop, become upwards to the File carte du jour (in Photoshop) in the Bill of fare Bar along the elevation of the screen and choose Browse in Bridge:

Launching Adobe Bridge from within Photoshop.

Going to File > Browse in Span.

This launches Bridge where we meet that I've already navigated to the folder on my Desktop that holds my images. There's three images in the binder, and Bridge displays them as thumbnails in the Content panel in the center:

The Content panel in Adobe Bridge displaying thumbnails of the images.

Bridge displaying thumbnails of the images in the folder.

If nosotros look closer, we see that all three images are of a different file blazon. The first image on the left ("motel_sign.dng") is a raw file. The second image ("beach.jpg") is a JPEG. And the 3rd image ("horses.tif") is a TIFF file:

A raw file, JPEG and TIFF in Adobe Bridge.

Three images, 3 different file types.

How To Open Raw Files Into Camera Raw

Allow'south outset with the raw file ("motel_sign.dng"). Since Camera Raw was originally designed for processing raw files, opening raw files into Camera Raw is easy. All we need to do is double-click on the raw file'southward thumbnail in Span:

Opening the raw file from Adobe Bridge.

Double-clicking on the raw file's thumbnail.

This instantly opens the paradigm into Camera Raw, gear up for editing. Again, since Camera Raw is a big topic, we're going to cover it in item in its own series of tutorials:

The raw file opens in Camera Raw. Image copyright Steve Patterson.

The raw file opens in Camera Raw. Epitome © Steve Patterson.

Moving The Image From Camera Raw Into Photoshop

If I want to move the image from Camera Raw into Photoshop, all I would need to do is click the Open Image push button in the bottom correct of the Camera Raw dialog box. This applies to all three file types, not just raw files:

The Open Image button in Camera Raw.

Click "Open up Prototype" to ship the image from Camera Raw to Photoshop.

Closing Camera Raw And Returning To Bridge

Or, if I'm done editing the image in Photographic camera Raw and simply want to close Camera Raw and render to Adobe Bridge, I would click the Washed button:

The Done button in Camera Raw.

Clicking the "Washed" button in the lower right corner.

This closes the Camera Raw dialog box and returns me to Span. And that's really all there is to opening raw files into Camera Raw:

Back to Adobe Bridge after closing Camera Raw.

Back to Adobe Bridge.

How To Open JPEG Files Into Camera Raw

Opening a JPEG file into Camera Raw is a bit less intuitive. Camera Raw fully supports JPEG images. Just by default, Adobe Span opens JPEGs not into Camera Raw simply into Photoshop. I'll double-click on my JPEG file'southward thumbnail ("beach.jpg") in the Content panel in Bridge:

Double-clicking the JPEG file thumbnail in Adobe Bridge.

Double-clicking on the JPEG file'south thumbnail.

And here we see that certain enough, Bridge skipped the Camera Raw dialog box and sent my JPEG image straight into Photoshop:

The JPEG image opens in Photoshop. Image copyright Steve Patterson.

The JPEG paradigm opens in Photoshop, not in Camera Raw. Image © Steve Patterson.

That's not what I wanted, then to close the epitome in Photoshop and render to Bridge, I'll go upward to the File menu and cull Close and Go to Span:

Choosing the Close and Go to Bridge command in Photoshop.

Going to File > Close and Go to Bridge.

Double-clicking on the JPEG file'southward thumbnail didn't work, but it's still easy to open JPEGs into Camera Raw from Bridge. All we need to do is click on the JPEG file's thumbnail to select it. And so, go up to the File card (in Bridge) at the top of the screen and choose Open in Camera Raw. Notice that there'southward also a handy keyboard shortcut we can utilize, Ctrl+R (Win) / Command+R (Mac):

Choosing the Open in Camera Raw command in Adobe Bridge.

Going to File > Open in Camera Raw.

Nosotros tin as well right-click (Win) / Control-click (Mac) on the JPEG file'south thumbnail in Bridge and cull the same Open up in Camera Raw command from the bill of fare:

Choosing the Open in Camera Raw command from the thumbnail menu in Bridge.

Choosing "Open up in Camera Raw" from the thumbnail's menu.

Either style opens the JPEG file in Camera Raw:

The JPEG image opens in Camera Raw from Adobe Bridge.

The JPEG image at present opens in Photographic camera Raw.

Editing The JPEG Image In Camera Raw

While I'm in the Camera Raw dialog box, I'll make a simple edit to my image. I'll boost the color saturation by dragging the Vibrance slider to the right, to a value of around +40. I know we haven't covered anything about Photographic camera Raw withal, but the reason I'chiliad doing this will become articulate in a moment:

Using the Vibrance slider to boost color saturation in Camera Raw.

Dragging the Vibrance slider in Camera Raw to increase color saturation.

Here we see that the colors are now looking a bit more vibrant:

The result after increasing the Vibrance setting in Camera Raw.

The result after increasing the Vibrance setting in Camera Raw.

Closing The JPEG Image And Returning To Bridge

Now that I've made that i uncomplicated change, I'll close the Camera Raw dialog box and render to Bridge by clicking the Done button:

Clicking Done to accept the edit to the JPEG file.

Clicking Done to have the edit and return to Span.

The Camera Raw Settings Icon

This returns me to Bridge. But notice that something is different. If we look in the upper right of the JPEG file'southward thumbnail, we encounter an icon that wasn't at that place before.

This icon tells me that I now have ane or more Camera Raw settings practical to the epitome. In this case, it'due south the adjustment I made with the Vibrance slider:

Bridge displays a Camera Raw settings icon in the JPEG file thumbnail.

A Camera Raw settings icon appears in the upper right of the JPEG thumbnail.

Opening JPEG Files With Photographic camera Raw Settings Applied

Earlier, we saw that when we double-click on a JPEG file'south thumbnail, Adobe Bridge opens the paradigm in Photoshop, not in Camera Raw. But, whenever we already have Camera Raw settings applied to a JPEG file, Adobe Bridge will automatically re-open up the image in Camera Raw just by double-clicking on it.

I'll double-click on the thumbnail, simply as I did earlier:

Double-clicking the JPEG file thumbnail in Bridge, with Camera Raw settings already applied.

Double-clicking the JPEG file thumbnail, this fourth dimension with Camera Raw settings applied.

And this fourth dimension, because I had already made at least 1 adjustment to the image in Camera Raw, Span re-opens the epitome in Photographic camera Raw for farther editing:

The JPEG file re-opens, this time in Camera Raw.

Adobe Bridge automatically sends the image back to Camera Raw.

To close the image and return to Bridge, I'll once once again click the Done push:

Clicking the Done button in Bridge.

Clicking the Done button to render to Bridge.

How To Open up TIFF Files Into Photographic camera Raw

The same rules for opening JPEG files into Camera Raw from Bridge besides employ to TIFF files. Photographic camera Raw fully supports TIFF images. But by default, double-clicking on a TIFF file'southward thumbnail in Bridge will open the image in Photoshop, not in Camera Raw.

To open up a TIFF file into Camera Raw, click on its thumbnail to select information technology. Here, I've selected my "horses.tif" prototype:

Selecting the TIFF file in Adobe Bridge.

Clicking on the TIFF file in the Content console.

Then, just as we did with the JPEG epitome, go up to the File bill of fare and choose Open in Photographic camera Raw. Or, right-click (Win) / Control-click (Mac) on the thumbnail itself and cull Open in Camera Raw from the bill of fare.

Or, another fashion to open images into Camera Raw, and this applies to all three file types (raw, JPEG and TIFF) is by clicking the Open in Camera Raw icon at the elevation of the Bridge interface:

Clicking the Open in Camera Raw icon in Adobe Bridge.

Clicking the "Open up in Camera Raw" icon.

Whatsoever manner you cull opens the TIFF file into Camera Raw:

The TIFF file opens in Camera Raw.

Adobe Bridge opens the TIFF file in Camera Raw. Image © Steve Patterson.

Editing The TIFF Paradigm In Camera Raw

Only as I did with my JPEG image, I'll make a quick edit to my TIFF file. This time, I'll utilize Camera Raw to catechumen the photograph to black and white.

Along the correct of the Camera Raw dialog box is the console area. The Basic console is the ane that'due south open up by default (which is where I made my Vibrance adjustment earlier), but there are other panels available likewise. We can switch between panels by clicking on the tabs only above the current panel's name.

To convert my image to black and white, I'll open the HSL / Grayscale console by clicking on its tab (4th from the left). So, I'll choose the Convert to Grayscale option by clicking inside the checkbox. Finally, I'll click the Auto selection to allow Camera Raw convert the image to blackness and white on its own:

Converting the photo to black and white in the HSL / Grayscale panel.

Converting the epitome to black and white using the HSL / Grayscale console.

Here'southward what Photographic camera Raw came up with. Information technology'south non the most impressive black and white conversion, but for our purposes here, it will practice just fine:

The image in Camera Raw after converting it to black and white.

The Auto black and white conversion in Photographic camera Raw.

Endmost The TIFF File And Returning To Bridge

To close the TIFF file in Camera Raw and return to Bridge, I'll click the Done button:

Clicking the Done button to return to Bridge.

Clicking "Done" to render to Adobe Bridge.

Opening TIFF Files With Camera Raw Settings Applied

Dorsum in Bridge, we see that I now have that same icon that we saw with the JPEG file, this time in the upper correct of the TIFF file's thumbnail. The icon is telling me that I take one or more Camera Raw settings applied to the image.

Notice also that Bridge has updated the thumbnail to reflect the changes I fabricated in Camera Raw. In this example, the thumbnail has changed from colour to black and white. Bridge likewise updated my JPEG file'due south thumbnail later on I increased the Vibrance in Camera Raw, but because the change was subtle, it wasn't as easy to see:

The Camera Raw settings icon appears in the upper right of the TIFF file thumbnail.

The Photographic camera Raw settings icon appears in the upper correct of the TIFF thumbnail.

Only as with JPEG files, TIFF files that already have one or more Photographic camera Raw settings practical to them will automatically re-open in Camera Raw when we double-click on their thumbnail.

I'll double-click on my "horses.tif" thumbnail, and here we see that the epitome re-opens for me in Photographic camera Raw, with my previous black and white conversion already applied:

The TIFF file re-opens in Camera Raw.

The TIFF file re-opens in Camera Raw.

Where to go adjacent...

And at that place we accept it! While Adobe Span is great for opening files into Camera Raw, many photographers starting time their image editing workflow non in Camera Raw but in Adobe Lightroom. Yet while Lightroom is extremely powerful, it nonetheless has limits on what it can do. For more than advanced editing work, nosotros however demand to open our images into Photoshop. In the next lesson, nosotros acquire how to move raw files from Lightroom into Photoshop, and how to return the image back to Lightroom when we're done!

You tin as well skip to one of the other lessons in this Complete Guide to Getting Images into Photoshop. Or visit my Photoshop Basics department for more tutorials!