What is CUR?

Windows Cursor (CUR) is the mouse cursor format for Windows, supporting static and animated pointers with hotspot definitions.

What is IIQ?

Phase One IIQ is a professional medium-format raw format used by Phase One digital backs, delivering exceptional image quality for commercial photography.

When Should You Use CUR vs IIQ?

CUR vs IIQ: Key Differences

• •The core technical difference: CUR relies on lossless compression whereas IIQ uses lossless compression.
• •Neither format changes compression philosophy — both are lossless compression — so any size differences are due to encoding efficiency, not a shift in quality approach.
• •How transparency is handled: IIQ supports transparency, so alpha information is preserved during conversion.
• •Storage footprint: Very small, typically under 50KB for CUR vs 50-150MB per image from medium-format backs for IIQ.
• •Primary audience: CUR is built for windows ui cursors, mouse pointer graphics scenarios, while IIQ focuses on professional studio photography, digital back capture — pick the format that matches your output requirement.

Advantages of CUR

• ✓CUR applies lossless compression specifically calibrated for Windows UI cursors, mouse pointer graphics.
• ✓CUR enjoys broad native support across operating systems, browsers, and creative tools alike.
• ✓CUR guarantees every bit of the original data survives — no approximations, no shortcuts.
• ✓You will find CUR support built into virtually every tool that handles Windows UI cursors, mouse pointer graphics — no plugins or converters needed.

Advantages of IIQ

• ✓IIQ applies lossless compression specifically calibrated for Professional studio photography, digital back capture.
• ✓IIQ enjoys broad native support across operating systems, browsers, and creative tools alike.
• ✓IIQ guarantees every bit of the original data survives — no approximations, no shortcuts.
• ✓You will find IIQ support built into virtually every tool that handles Professional studio photography, digital back capture — no plugins or converters needed.

Common Use Cases for CUR to IIQ Conversion

• Brochure and flyer design
• Newsletter graphics
• Video thumbnail creation
• Certificate and badge design
• Websites and online content
• Print materials and publications

Industry Applications

Best Practices for CUR to IIQ Conversion

• →Before converting CUR to IIQ, decide whether you need maximum quality or smallest file size — this determines which format truly fits
• →Save a master copy in a lossless format before converting to IIQ — you cannot recover detail lost during lossy compression
• →Check the color profile: CUR images may use a wider gamut than IIQ supports, causing a visible shift after conversion
• →Resize images to the final display dimensions before converting — this avoids unnecessary processing of oversized files
• →Run a single test conversion first to verify quality meets your standards
• →Strip unnecessary metadata to reduce file size after conversion

Related Article

Troubleshooting CUR to IIQ Conversion

• !Converting CUR to IIQ gives blurry output → increase the quality setting before conversion
• !Colors look different in IIQ than CUR → check color profile mismatch (sRGB vs Adobe RGB)
• !File size changed more than expected → IIQ uses different compression, file size differences of 2-5x are normal
• !Transparent areas in CUR turned white in IIQ → IIQ may not support transparency

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