What is RAW?

Camera RAW is a file format containing unprocessed sensor data captured directly from a digital camera sensor, providing maximum flexibility for professional photo editing.

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 RAW vs IIQ?

RAW vs IIQ: Key Differences

• •RAW uses lossless compression while IIQ uses lossless compression — both take the same approach to file size management.
• •Since both RAW and IIQ use lossless compression, the quality characteristics are comparable — differences in file size come down to how efficiently each format implements compression.
• •Transparency: N/A
• •RAW files are typically 20-50MB per photo depending on camera while IIQ files range 50-150MB per image from medium-format backs
• •Primary audience: RAW is built for professional photography, post-processing, editing scenarios, while IIQ focuses on professional studio photography, digital back capture — pick the format that matches your output requirement.

Advantages of RAW

• ✓The lossless nature of RAW means file sizes stay reasonable while handling Professional photography, post-processing, editing efficiently.
• ✓From mobile devices to enterprise servers, RAW is recognized and supported everywhere.
• ✓The trade-off for RAW's perfection is larger files — but for archival work, it is worth every megabyte.
• ✓RAW is a first-class citizen in all major software ecosystems, from creative suites to development environments.

Advantages of IIQ

• ✓IIQ compresses data using lossless methods, keeping file sizes manageable for Professional studio photography, digital back capture.
• ✓Industry-wide support means IIQ files open anywhere — from legacy systems to the latest devices.
• ✓Lossless quality makes IIQ the gold standard for archival and master copies.
• ✓From Adobe Photoshop to open-source alternatives, IIQ works out of the box.

Common Use Cases for RAW to IIQ 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 RAW to IIQ Conversion

• →Before converting RAW 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: RAW 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

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Troubleshooting RAW to IIQ Conversion

• !Converting RAW to IIQ gives blurry output → increase the quality setting before conversion
• !Colors look different in IIQ than RAW → 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 RAW turned white in IIQ → IIQ may not support transparency

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