TIP: RAW development, cropping and filesize

[kopias]

This is a tip for all of You that like me use photoline for RAW (in my case canon cr2) development.

DONT USE CROP TOOL!

Why?
let me explain by example:
I have original cr2 photo with file size of 22.353MB.
When I open it in photoline change some adjustment layer settings and save file size is 22.353MB.
Its great feature of pl that orginal raw cr2 is stored inside pld, so there is almost none change in file size.
Ok so I crop this image a couple of pixels and save. Whops file size is 78MB. What happened?
The problem is that as soon as I crop raw layer, it is converted and original cr2 is no longer maintained.

The solution:
Instead of using crop on raw images just hit "Q" for layer tool and while holding CTRL select what you would like to crop but you will be making new layer.

When you have a new layer just make it background layer by moving it to the bottom of layer stack.

The image is "cropped" and you don't touched the raw layer and you file size is preserved.

I am still learning photoline, so maybe there is a "better" way.
Nevertheless this saved me a huge amount of disk space and I no longer keep original cr2 files.

[bkh]

Alternatively, you can switch to Document Mode in the Document Attributes (View menu-> Panels -> Document Attributes). Once you are in document mode, you can use the crop tool to crop, rotate, unskew as usual, but the raw layer will remain intact.

Cheers

Burkhard.

[sovereign]

Alternatively, you can switch to Document Mode in the Document Attributes (View menu-> Panels -> Document Attributes). Once you are in document mode, you can use the crop tool to crop, rotate, unskew as usual, but the raw layer will remain intact.

Cheers

Burkhard.

.. and when I switch back to picture mode the crop is lost.
How it is suppossed to work exactly the document mode ? tnx

[bkh]

.. and when I switch back to picture mode the crop is lost.
How it is suppossed to work exactly the document mode ? tnx

There's no need to go back to picture mode. Just use "Export" or "Web export" to create JPEG versions while retaining the pld file as the original. (There's also the possibility to set Preferences -> File -> Save Options -> Save a PLD file additionally which will always keep a PLD copy along with a saved JPEG file and will open the PLD instead of the JPEG for editing).

Cheers

Burkhard.

[sovereign]

Ah, then it is just temporary ..
I thought it was possible to store the crop in the pld.

[bkh]

Ah, then it is just temporary ..
I thought it was possible to store the crop in the pld.

Of course the crop (changed document size) is stored in the PLD – and as long as you stay in document mode, the raw layer remains intact, so you can re-crop or un-crop if needed. (You may have to uncheck "View -> Hider border content" and zoom out to see the entire raw layer.)

If you save or export as a JPEG, you'll only get the cropped/rotated part, of course.

Cheers

Burkhard.

[sovereign]

yeah, I meant that it seems not possible to set a crop in document mode and than go back to picture mode, since the crop is lost during the switch.

[bkh]

yeah, I meant that it seems not possible to set a crop in document mode and than go back to picture mode, since the crop is lost during the switch.

Picture mode means that the background image determines the document size, bit depth and colour space. If you absolutely have to go back to picture mode (why?), you need to create a new background layer with the same size, colour space and bit depth as the (cropped) document first.

Cheers

Burkhard.

[sovereign]

because I prefer to set the crop before the final edit ..
I'm going to see if there is a faster workaround.

[Hoogo]

because I prefer to set the crop before the final edit ..

Why does document mode affect that for you?

[sovereign]

because I prefer to set the crop before the final edit ..

Why does document mode affect that for you?

Maybe 'cause I don't really know the difference between the two .. going to read the manual