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daymoon
Participant
May 29, 2017
Answered

why does editing in Lightroom change my TIFFs into JPEGs?

  • May 29, 2017
  • 5 replies
  • 1252 views

Hi there,

I want to create large files in 360 dpi for a printed book project.

This is my workflow so far:

Take photograph with iphone.  Export JPEG as TIFF in Preview.  Change dpi to 360, unresampled, in Preview.  Edit in Lightroom.

I thought TIFF was a lossless format that would survive Lightroom, but after editing, an 11 MB TIFF file reverts to a tiny JPEG file.

What am I doing wrong?

Much thanks!

Sabine

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer robgendreau

    It sounds like you need a tutorial on how Lr works, and there are many online.

    It NEVER changes your original images. If you email, it exports a copy. If you send to a plugin and then you edit, it exports and then re-imports a copy. So if you want a copy to send to the publisher, you use the "export" menu to do so. And there are tons of choices there on the output. Size, sharpening, JPEG compression, DPI, etc.

    But yeah, if you're gonna do CMYK, use Photoshop. You can send an image from Lr right into Ps.

    5 replies

    D
    daymoonAuthor
    Participant
    May 30, 2017

    Okay, Photoshop it is.  Thanks for the help, and see you with more questions at the Photoshop Community Forum

    D
    daymoonAuthor
    Participant
    May 30, 2017

    When I email file, for example, it automatically shows up in email as a jpeg.  I read that exporting a jpeg will always compress...?

    When I export it to a folder, it seems to "become" a JPEG again, too.

    But I understand now how pointless it is to to make it into a TIFF in the first place.

    The publisher wants CYMK, which is another thing altogether.  I'm wondering if I should bypass Lr and just use Photoshop, where I can change the ppi and do the colors... i also am cropping, sharpening, rotating, brightening, etc.

    New to this. 

    robgendreau
    robgendreauCorrect answer
    Inspiring
    May 30, 2017

    It sounds like you need a tutorial on how Lr works, and there are many online.

    It NEVER changes your original images. If you email, it exports a copy. If you send to a plugin and then you edit, it exports and then re-imports a copy. So if you want a copy to send to the publisher, you use the "export" menu to do so. And there are tons of choices there on the output. Size, sharpening, JPEG compression, DPI, etc.

    But yeah, if you're gonna do CMYK, use Photoshop. You can send an image from Lr right into Ps.

    JP Hess
    JP Hess
    Inspiring
    May 30, 2017

    Any file format that will display in Lightroom will "survive" in Lightroom because that file is not going to be modified by Lightroom. I don't think you really understand the process. The TIF file can not automatically revert to a JPEG. If you start with a JPEG file the only way you can create a TIF file is to export it as such and have it added to the catalog. And the only way to have a JPEG copy created of that TIF file would be to export that again as another JPEG.

    robgendreau
    robgendreau
    Inspiring
    May 29, 2017

    I'm not sure why you're using Preview.

    And you're leaving out the details of what you do in Lr. An imported TIFF doesn't "revert" to anything in Lr; are you exporting the TIFF as a JPEG? That's a compressed format, so of course it would be smaller.

    dj_paige
    dj_paige
    Legend
    May 29, 2017

    Are you talking about Lightroom or Lightroom Mobile?

    No matter what, exporting doesn't change the original photo. If the original was a 1 MB JPG, and you export as TIFF, the original is still a 1 MB JPG, and your TIFF (a brand new file that Lightroom has just created) will be found in whatever folder you exported it to.

    If you want 360 pixels per inch (not dpi), then the file size in megaBYTES is irrelevant, you are simply looking at number that has no meaning in your context. So let's stop talking about megaBYTES and let's start talking about megaPIXELS and pixels per inch.

    Unless your book publisher has specified that photos must be submitted as TIFF, there's really going to be no noticeable benefit of converting your images to TIFF in order to publish the book, it will look the same as the JPG except in very rare situations and in the tiniest of details.

    I thought TIFF was a lossless format that would survive Lightroom,

    I don't know what this means, especially in the context of your discussion; but as written it certainly is not correct.

    D
    daymoonAuthor
    Participant
    May 30, 2017

    I am using Lightroom, not Lightroom Mobile

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