A RAW image (also known as a “digital negative”) is an image file that contains unprocessed or minimally processed data from a digital camera’s sensor. Similar to raw food ingredients that need to be prepared and cooked before consumption, a RAW image also needs to be post-processed in software before it is ready to be printed, shared or shown on a display device. Unlike JPEG files that can be easily opened, viewed and printed by most image-viewing / editing programs, RAW is a proprietary format that is tied to a specific camera model. Therefore, in order for the software to be able to work with a RAW file, it must be compatible with the particular camera the RAW image was captured with. Post-processing RAW images can yield greater dynamic range (with better highlight and shadow recovery options), superior colors and in some cases can even provide more detail when compared to JPEG images.

JPEG is an image format that utilizes lossy compression for storing and displaying digital images. Thanks to its high compression efficiency, it is the most popular and the most adopted image format today, with most display devices and software having built-in capabilities to read and display JPEG images. Different levels of quality (typically in percentage) can be applied to compress JPEG images, which impacts the overall quality and the final size of the image. Lower quality conversion results in higher compression rates, smaller files and compression artifacts, while images saved with a higher quality setting will reduce the potential for compression artifacts at the cost of increased storage needs.