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Mark30Croton
Known Participant
January 19, 2024
Answered

Using Photoshop with Apple Photos

  • January 19, 2024
  • 3 replies
  • 4892 views

When I use the edit with feature in Apple Photos for Mac to bring a photo into Photoshop for editing I start with an apple RAW format photo and in Photoshop it reduces it to a JPG

Is there a setting so it will go over as a TIFF or a DNG?

 

thanks

    Correct answer Conrad_C

    I found an iPhone 14 Apple Raw sample file on the web, and it can open into Photoshop as Apple Raw, TIFF, or JPEG…depending on how you have Apple Photos send it to Photoshop.

    Which method did you use?

     

    This is what happened in my tests:

    • The only way to have Apple Photos send out a raw file is to choose File > Export > Unmodified Original, which exports a copy of the raw file to a folder or the desktop. Then you have Photoshop open that file, which first opens it in Adobe Camera Raw. 
    • In Apple Photos, choosing the command Image > Edit With > Adobe Photoshop sends the Apple Raw image to Photoshop as TIFF. This command also opened as TIFF when I sent the same raw file from Apple Photos to a different photo editor that competes with Photoshop. 
    • If you use direct drag-and-drop (drag Apple Raw image from Apple Photos, drop in photo editor), or copy/paste, Apple Photos sends it to the photo editor as JPEG. 
    • If you drag the Apple Raw image from Photos to the Mac desktop, it exports as JPEG. 
    • I could not find a setting in Apple Photos that controls the format it exports using any method. 

     

    The results of those tests lead to these conclusions:

    • The format that arrives in the photo editor depends on how you sent the image from Apple Photos.  
    • It works the same way in more than one photo editor, so it looks like the transfer format is set by Apple Photos, not the photo editor. The photo editor is simply taking whatever format Apple Photos handed it. 
    • You get a copy of the original raw file if you choose File > Export > Unmodified Original, but you need to manually open that raw file in Photoshop yourself, like dragging it and dropping it on Photoshop. Export Unmodified Original seems to be the only way to get a raw file out of Apple Photos. 
    • You get a TIFF if you use the command Image > Edit With > [application name]. 
    • You get a JPEG if you use any other method to get the image out of Apple Photos, such as File > Export > Photo or direct drag-and-drop.  

    3 replies

    Conrad_C
    Community Expert
    Conrad_CCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    January 20, 2024

    I found an iPhone 14 Apple Raw sample file on the web, and it can open into Photoshop as Apple Raw, TIFF, or JPEG…depending on how you have Apple Photos send it to Photoshop.

    Which method did you use?

     

    This is what happened in my tests:

    • The only way to have Apple Photos send out a raw file is to choose File > Export > Unmodified Original, which exports a copy of the raw file to a folder or the desktop. Then you have Photoshop open that file, which first opens it in Adobe Camera Raw. 
    • In Apple Photos, choosing the command Image > Edit With > Adobe Photoshop sends the Apple Raw image to Photoshop as TIFF. This command also opened as TIFF when I sent the same raw file from Apple Photos to a different photo editor that competes with Photoshop. 
    • If you use direct drag-and-drop (drag Apple Raw image from Apple Photos, drop in photo editor), or copy/paste, Apple Photos sends it to the photo editor as JPEG. 
    • If you drag the Apple Raw image from Photos to the Mac desktop, it exports as JPEG. 
    • I could not find a setting in Apple Photos that controls the format it exports using any method. 

     

    The results of those tests lead to these conclusions:

    • The format that arrives in the photo editor depends on how you sent the image from Apple Photos.  
    • It works the same way in more than one photo editor, so it looks like the transfer format is set by Apple Photos, not the photo editor. The photo editor is simply taking whatever format Apple Photos handed it. 
    • You get a copy of the original raw file if you choose File > Export > Unmodified Original, but you need to manually open that raw file in Photoshop yourself, like dragging it and dropping it on Photoshop. Export Unmodified Original seems to be the only way to get a raw file out of Apple Photos. 
    • You get a TIFF if you use the command Image > Edit With > [application name]. 
    • You get a JPEG if you use any other method to get the image out of Apple Photos, such as File > Export > Photo or direct drag-and-drop.  
      M
      Mark30CrotonAuthor
      Known Participant
      January 20, 2024

      Thanks for the testing 

      for some reason when I use Edit With --->Photoshop it sends a JPEG over even tho I started with Apple ProRAW. Let me keep trying now that there isn't a missing setting. 
      thanks 

      W
      WGWJ
      Participating Frequently
      October 1, 2024

      I'd suggest that you ignore Apple Photos and use Lightroom Desktop if you like a catalogue/database, or use Adobe Bridge to browse drive locations independently from a catalogue/database..


      So if I take a picture with my iPhone 14 Promax at 48 megapixels and transfer it into an Apple computer folder directly and then open the folder in Photoshop/Bridge it should be in the ProRaw Max format and can be processed?

      Stephen Marsh
      Community Expert
      Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      January 20, 2024

      Apple Photos uses a proprietary database, the original and derivative images are stored in various locations inside the Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary package.

       

      What is the original file format? What exactly do you mean by an Apple raw photo?

       

      The file that is sent to Photoshop is a JPEG?

       

      It sounds like this is all outside of Photoshop and is controlled by Apple Photos to fit its internal database requirements.

       

      EDIT:

      I just checked on my version and the images open as TIFF when using the "edit with" command, they were either shot as HEIC or JPEG on an iPhone.

      M
      Mark30CrotonAuthor
      Known Participant
      January 20, 2024

      Apple ProRAW is a file format. That is what I shoot in. 

      M
      Mark30CrotonAuthor
      Known Participant
      January 20, 2024

      Any help?

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