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.

What is SRW?

Samsung Raw (SRW) contains raw sensor data from Samsung NX series cameras.

When Should You Use IIQ vs SRW?

IIQ vs SRW: Key Differences

• •The core technical difference: IIQ relies on lossless compression whereas SRW 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.
• •Transparency: N/A
• •File sizes: IIQ files typically range 50-150MB per image from medium-format backs and SRW files 15-40MB per photo.
• •Primary audience: IIQ is built for professional studio photography, digital back capture scenarios, while SRW focuses on samsung camera raw post-processing — pick the format that matches your output requirement.

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.

Advantages of SRW

• ✓SRW applies lossless compression specifically calibrated for Samsung camera raw post-processing.
• ✓SRW enjoys broad native support across operating systems, browsers, and creative tools alike.
• ✓SRW guarantees every bit of the original data survives — no approximations, no shortcuts.
• ✓You will find SRW support built into virtually every tool that handles Samsung camera raw post-processing — no plugins or converters needed.

Common Use Cases for IIQ to SRW Conversion

• Graphic design projects
• E-commerce product images
• Email marketing campaigns
• Presentation graphics
• Blog and article illustrations
• Mobile app UI assets

Industry Applications

Best Practices for IIQ to SRW Conversion

• →Before converting IIQ to SRW, 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 SRW — you cannot recover detail lost during lossy compression
• →Check the color profile: IIQ images may use a wider gamut than SRW 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

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Troubleshooting IIQ to SRW Conversion

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

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