Specifying file format in the Process Recipe tool

RAW files are not intended as final files for output. They must be converted and processed into recognized image file formats such as JPEG, TIFF, and PSD. You can specify the new file format to create as part of the recipe. Capture One never alters the source files during processing, it creates copies and saves them as a new file format instead.

Selecting DNG creates a new RAW file based on the DNG specification. You can not convert and process previously processed files such as JPEGs and TIFFs into DNGs. Note that Capture One does not officially support the inclusion of adjustments and metadata with RAW files selected for conversion and processing into DNGs.

Although it may be possible in some cases to output an existing DNG as a new DNG file, it is not a workflow that is supported in Capture One. For example, processing to DNG is possible for native DNG files from several Leica models including the Leica M240, however, it is not supported for DNGs from the Leica M Monochrom, M246, and M262.

When there is a need to share RAW files and associated settings and metadata, we recommend exporting the original in a package as an EIP file (choose File -> Export Images -> Originals -> Options -> Pack as EIP). All the necessary files are contained in the package.

1. Highlight the recipe (or create a new recipe) to edit from the list in the Process Recipes dialog.
2. In Process Recipe tool, choose the Basic tab and then choose from one of the following options in the Format drop-down menu:
   
   • JPEG - Creates a new 8-bit file with lossy compression to attain a smaller sized file (e.g., compared to a TIFF) for convenience. The Quality setting determines the amount of compression applied and the file size. The lower the quality is, the smaller the file and the greater the loss of information are. JPEG compression also adds some noise to an image.
   • JPEG QuickProof - This setting creates images for evaluation purposes. Capture One creates the image file from the settings files without additional calculations or filters. JPEG QuickProof should not be considered as a final file for distribution: it is ideal for ultra-quick evaluation purposes only.
   • JPEG XR (extended range) - This format supports higher compression ratios with equivalent quality to the original JPEG format. It is fully compatible with Capture One 7 and later versions and certain Microsoft products.
   • JPEG 2000 - Offers superior compression and handling of color space profiles. It is available in either 8-or 16-bit color depth.
   • TIFF - Preserves maximum quality. TIFF is a lossless format. Selecting TIFF enables the option of 16-bit output for higher color accuracy and optimum quality.
     • Options:
       • TIFF files can additionally be compressed - both LZW and ZIP compression options are lossless. 
       • No Thumbnail - Enable to remove system level thumbnail and further reduce file size.
       • Tile Dimensions - Not Tiled (default). Tiles allow efficient compression and decompression of large high-resolution images (typically, in excess of 60MP). As only the image data required for display is decompressed, tiling can improve the browsing experience once processed to a full-size TIFF file.
   • DNG - Creates a new lossless RAW file based on the Digital Negative specification. There are no options available to modify the format. Adjustments and metadata added to the image are typically not retained.
   • PNG - This option supports lossless data compression and is suitable for distribution, however, while PNG offers good compatibility with web-browsers, file sizes are usually larger than JPEG.
   • PSD - Ensures optimum quality and compatibility with Adobe Photoshop and is ideally suited for working with layers. Available with 8-or 16-bit depth color option.

NOTE: Capture One 21 (14.1.0) is the last version to support JPEG 2000 and JPEG XR. It means that newer versions of Capture One will no longer allow users to view, edit, or export to these formats. Any images in these formats need to be converted to another supported format. Existing Process Recipes using these formats will automatically change to using uncompressed 16-bit TIFF instead.

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