Skip to main content
P
PG in LA
Inspiring
January 10, 2020
Answered

RAW image processed as 8-bit; can final psd be saved as 16-bit?

  • January 10, 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 2448 views

I foolishly wasn't paying attention, and processed a bunch of RAW images in ACR as 8-bit.

I did a bunch of work on them and saved them in Photoshop  (they were not imported as smart objects). If I change the mode to 16 bit on the saved files in Photoshop, can I reclaim the bit depth? Or is that info gone? Do I need to start over with the original RAW images? Thanks.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer JJMack

If you convert  from 8bit color to 16bit color you will not recover lost color or gain color.  You will be able to edit in 16bit color gradient will work better less banding and you can place and copy in 16bit color image without loosing color information.

 

If you convert from 16bit color to 8bit color you loose color information.   Most devices only support 8bit color. 16bit colors will be rendered as 8bit color.

 

You can of course reprocess your RAW file and convert the raw mosaic image into a 16bit RGB image in any color space you like ProphotoRGB AdobeRGB and sRGB.

 

If you had opened your RAW file as a smart Object you most likely can use image mode to convert the document to 16Bit color then Open the RAW Smart Object in ACR and change the workflow option to 16bit color to recover the color information lost in the first conversion when you click OK in ACR. The Photoshop document needs to be in 16bit color

3 replies

PECourtejoie
Community Expert
PECourtejoieCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 10, 2020

Hello, all the work you did in ACR is not lost, You can re-export the files in 16 bits, by changing the workflow options.

If the files were opened as smart objects, you should be able to re-open them and change the setting.

P
PG in LAAuthor
Inspiring
January 10, 2020

Thanks. I figured that was the case. Dumb mistake.

I appreciate your help.

PECourtejoie
Community Expert
PECourtejoieCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 10, 2020

If you learned what you did wrong, the mistake is not dumb, au contraire, it made you smarter!

 

Do not hesitate to stick around; help others along the way, learn from their mistakes ;-)... (btw, that's why you should explain what you did wrong, how you fixed it, etc, to help the entire community)

P
PG in LAAuthor
Inspiring
January 10, 2020

Thanks, PECourtejoie. So dear community: Don't take your ACR workflow settings for granted! Import as smart objects when possible (if you have bad camera sensor dust problems, as I had, just do the corrections on a transparent layer, not a duplicate layer). Good luck!

JJMack
Community Expert
JJMackCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
January 10, 2020

If you convert  from 8bit color to 16bit color you will not recover lost color or gain color.  You will be able to edit in 16bit color gradient will work better less banding and you can place and copy in 16bit color image without loosing color information.

 

If you convert from 16bit color to 8bit color you loose color information.   Most devices only support 8bit color. 16bit colors will be rendered as 8bit color.

 

You can of course reprocess your RAW file and convert the raw mosaic image into a 16bit RGB image in any color space you like ProphotoRGB AdobeRGB and sRGB.

 

If you had opened your RAW file as a smart Object you most likely can use image mode to convert the document to 16Bit color then Open the RAW Smart Object in ACR and change the workflow option to 16bit color to recover the color information lost in the first conversion when you click OK in ACR. The Photoshop document needs to be in 16bit color

JJMack
Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices