HOW open in camera Raw, Mac without using Bridge - one image from Finder?

[larry45]

To use enhanced super resolution on jpeg, must open in camera raw.  I know easy right click from bridge, and I

Love Bridge, but its often a nuisance to launch bridge, for just  one image.

HOw open in Camera raw 1 image  on a Mac, from desktop, cant figure it out thanks.

[TheDigitalDog]

If you want to open something other than JPEG/TIFFs (questionable why you'd do either) in Adobe Camera Raw with or without the preferences so set the 'trick' is opening them as if they were raw (which they are not of course) is by selecting Format menu as Camera Raw. TIFFs, JPEGs, even PNGs etc, open in ACR.

http://digitaldog.net/files/ACROpenOption.jpg

[larry45]

Thanks, Andrew, where is that preference you posted?

But what Id really like is to keep my preference in Mac finder to open jpegs in preview; and then in rare instances, open in ACR.   I don't see a right click option in Mac finder for that or am I missing it?

[TheDigitalDog]

What you want isn't possible. Adobe Camera Raw is a plugin for Photoshop and or Bridge so both need to be running. 

A JPEG can be opened again with the preferences below. Opened from Bridge/Photoshop.

Your Mac finder preferences for opening in Preview will always override this when you double-click a JPEG as it should. You can open a JPEG from Photoshop/Bridge instead, as shown in my first example forcing Adobe Camera Raw to load/open the JPEG, but you must do this from within Photoshop/Bridge, not the Finder. 

[larry45]

Thanks Andrew. I  do have the dropdown selected as such... 

Ok, I drag a jpeg into PS  and opens up.  Online many say to get that into raw you right click.

But when I right click everything is greyed out:

[Conrad C · Accepted solution]

Ok, I drag a jpeg into PS  and opens up.  Online many say to get that into raw you right click.

But when I right click everything is greyed out:

By @larry45

It is not clear what the online advice means, because Camera Raw never been on the context menu for a layer. If a JPEG is opened into Photoshop, there is no route to raw format from there because it is now a Photoshop document. The Camera Raw method depends on editing it before it opens as a Photoshop document, so if the JPEG is already open as a layer in a Photoshop document, it’s too late.

There is one way to get into Camera Raw editing controls from that point, and that is to use Camera Raw not as a plug-in on a file, but as a filter on a Photoshop layer. To do that, with the image layer selected, choose Filter > Camera Raw Filter.

If you see the online advice again, pay attention to what it says to do after right-clicking. Because right-clicking alone does nothing but pop up the context menu. Any other result is from what you do after that. For example, if you wanted to convert the image layer to a Smart Object, you can’t just right click, you right-click and then choose Convert to Smart Object. So check the online advice and find out what context menu command they say you are supposed to choose after right-clicking.

Also, the reason you cannot get to Camera Raw from the Finder is that the Finder accepts file associations to applications only. So if you want to associate JPEG with Preview or Photoshop, no problem. But…Camera Raw is not a standalone application itself; Camera Raw is a plug-in that only operates from inside another application. That is the problem. Camera Raw is not an application (you can’t find it in the Applications folder), therefore macOS will not list Camera Raw in the file associations menu for JPEG.

Given all of the above, one way to achieve your goal is to let Photoshop open it, then choose Filter > Camera Raw Filter to immediately get into that (or press its keyboard shortcut listed next to the command). Just keep in mind that Camera Raw Filter does not have all the features you get when you use Camera Raw as a plug-in on a file being opened.

[larry45]

Conrad,  ok so jpeg, drag into PS and then filter, acr filter, or Bridge?  thanks.

[Conrad C]

If you drag a JPEG image into Photoshop, it opens as a Photoshop document, so the only option is to choose Filter > Camera Raw Filter.

To open a JPEG image using Camera Raw as an import plug-in, not as a Photoshop filter, use one of the following methods:

Select a JPEG image in Bridge, then you can choose File > Open in Camera Raw, if Camera Raw preferences are set up to open JPEG images.

or

If you are in Photoshop, choose File > Open, select a JPEG image, and also in the Format menu select Camera Raw, and click Open.

[Rob_Cullen]

@larry45  You do not need Bridge IF you do what was suggested by @TheDigitalDog   (From my Windows experience!)

ie.  Set your Photoshop Preferences- in Camera Raw > File Handling-

Set [JPEG and TIFF Handling] to  [Automatically open all supported JPEGs] (And same for TIFFs if so wanted)

After restarting Photoshop you can then, in Finder (or Windows File Explorer), [Open with Adobe Photoshop 2023], and you will see the JPG in ACR before opening in Ps.

This is the ACR interface (and not the 'CR Filter' within a Ps document)- I do not know the technicalities of the Difference for JPGs in ACR, but your request is answered, and Super Resolution is available.

[larry45]

Rob great post thanks!  My bad Rob /Andrew.  The words are so similar and small in that acr file handling dropdown, I did not in fact have the correct one. Now I do. Still an issue!

When right click finder,  I only see PS 2023, I don't see open in ACR.  Stranegly right clicking choosing PS 2023 opens the jpeg in ACR not normal PS.  And even dragging jpeg on dock opens in ACR. But usually I don't want ACR...  maybe 60/40.

I'd like a right click or way to open in aCR or PS.  (unless way to get to PS or dismiss ACR) if that all made sense.

[Conrad C]

When right click finder,  I only see PS 2023, I don't see open in ACR.  Stranegly right clicking choosing PS 2023 opens the jpeg in ACR not normal PS.  And even dragging jpeg on dock opens in ACR. But usually I don't want ACR...  maybe 60/40.

I'd like a right click or way to open in aCR or PS.  (unless way to get to PS or dismiss ACR) if that all made sense.

By @larry45

I already answered this in an earlier reply. You cannot make a JPEG open directly into ACR because ACR is not an application, you don’t see it listed in the macOS Applications folder. macOS shows only full applications in the Open With menu, not plug-ins like ACR. The ACR plug-in needs to open inside another application like Photoshop or Bridge, and there is no way to make those applications use ACR for a JPEG when opening the JPEG from the Finder.

[TheDigitalDog]

When right click finder,  I only see PS 2023, I don't see open in ACR.  Stranegly right clicking choosing PS 2023 opens the jpeg in ACR not normal PS.  And even dragging jpeg on dock opens in ACR. But usually I don't want ACR...  maybe 60/40.

I'd like a right click or way to open in aCR or PS.  (unless way to get to PS or dismiss ACR) if that all made sense.

By @larry45

I already answered this in an earlier reply. You cannot make a JPEG open directly into ACR because ACR is not an application, you don’t see it listed in the macOS

By @Conrad C

We've both tried. 

I'm not sure the OP understands the difference between a plugin and and application. 

[larry45]

Conrad, I right click in finder and get this PS 2023

And then open is ACR

So yes right click PS, opens in ACR..

But now also when drag to dock jpeg also opens in ACR.

So now don't have way to have jpeg open in normal PS.

[Rob_Cullen]

So that is the Photoshop preference at work!

You either set it to open JPGs (and TIFs) in ACR, or you don't.Only the Ps Preferences change that.

When JPGs open through ACR to Ps, it only requires one mouse click on the ACR [Open] button to continue to the Ps UI.