In the early days, DSLR cameras used to have only one supported image format called JPEG. However, now you can capture a picture in the RAW format. The primary difference between RAW and JPEG file is that you will have more scope while editing an image in various photo editors like Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. On the other hand, an image captured in JPEG format may not offer that many options for post-capture editing.
Nowadays, almost all digital camera manufacturers allow users to shoot in RAW format – which has distinctive extensions. The problem is that Photoshop CS6 or Photoshop CC may not be able to open a RAW file captured using a DSLR camera. Therefore, this tutorial will help you open RAW image in Adobe Photoshop CS6 or CC.
Open RAW image in Adobe Photoshop CS6 or CC
Like I said earlier, different manufacturers have different RAW image formats for their cameras. For instance, Nikon’s format is .NEF whereas Canon has .CRW, .CR2, etc. Unlike other formats such as .PNG or .JPEG, you cannot open RAW image file using Photoshop or Lightroom because it uses different codec and compression. Hence, you have two solutions to open RAW images in Adobe Photoshop.
- Use Adobe Camera RAW
- Use Image Converter
Open RAW file using Adobe Camera Raw
This is the most common method of opening RAW files in Photoshop. However, the drawback is you may not be able to get the Camera Raw tool for Photoshop CC, since it is designed for CS6 only.
Adobe Camera Raw does support a huge number of cameras and file formats. It supports DNG, CRW, CR2, ERF, RAF, GPR, 3FR, FFF, DCR, KDC, MRW, MOS, NEF and more other file formats. The models of the supported cameras have been mentioned on this page.
Camera Raw is a Photoshop CS6 plug-in, which helps users open any RAW file in Photoshop CS6. By default, Adobe Photoshop CS6 comes with this plug-in. If you have this plugin, you should be able to open the files.
But if you are still getting some error – Photoshop cannot open this file, then either you do not have that plug-in, or you have to update the plug-in.
Head over to this page and download the Adobe Camera Raw. Unzip the archived folder and install the file AdobePatchInstaller.exe. Now, you can open RAW images in Adobe Photoshop CS6.
However, the problem is that many people have still failed to open RAW file even after using this method. There may be some internal issues, but it has happened earlier. For those, who have not managed to open RAW image using this method, here is the other solution.
Read: Adobe Photoshop CC tutorial for beginners.
Use Image Converter to convert RAW file to JPEG
When you use this method, you will not get what a RAW file offers. Your image may be compressed, and hence, the quality will be compromised. However, you will be able to open a RAW image in Photoshop.
To use this solution, you need to find the RAW file format that your camera produces. There are plenty of online tools based on your RAW file format. You can use those image converters to convert RAW files to JPEG, and then you can open them in any image editor.
Make sure you convert them to JPEG since PNG may not work as well as JPEG for portraits or landscapes. Even for macro shots, JPEG would work better than PNG.
How do I open raw files in Photoshop CS6?
You need to use the Camera Raw add-in to open the RAW files in Photoshop CS6 or CC. Although Photoshop doesn’t open the RAW image files by default, you can do that with the help of this plug-in. You can open it without any issue, whether it is Nikon, Canon, Sony, or any other company’s RAW file.
Why won’t Photoshop CS6 open raw files?
Photoshop CS6 won’t open RAW image files by default since it lacks the corresponding support. To open RAW image files in Photoshop CS6, you need to download the Camera Raw add-in. It is an official add-in; you can download it from the official repository.
Bonus tips: If you have a Nikon camera, you can also opt for the Capture NX-D, which is a RAW image processing tool available for Windows. You can work with RAW files without losing the quality and color depth.
Now read: How to open PSD files without using Adobe Photoshop.
