The image processing and output options are identical in all versions of DxO PureRAW, whether you use the standalone version or the plug-in, and regardless of the chosen processing mode (direct or with preview).
- Selecting the RAW processing and the denoising technology.
- Choosing optical corrections.
- Choosing the output format.
- Selecting the destination folder.
- Renaming of the output images.
- Export the processed images to the software of your choice.
The options are arranged as follows:
- Instant mode: Corrections section and Output section, with a summary of the options, editable by clicking on the Edit button that appears when hovering over each section with the mouse.
- In preview mode: the options are grouped in the right-hand column.
Selecting the RAW processing and the denoising technology.
In this section, you choose how DxO PureRAW will process and denoise your RAW files, using one of 4 options:
- HQ*: High-quality denoising method, preferred for combining speed and quality.
- PRIME*: method using a deep analysis of the image for optimal preservation of details and colors. The computational demand is more intensive, so processing will take longer than for standard High Quality denoising.
- DeepPRIME: This method is based on artificial intelligence and produces higher-quality results than the other two methods.
- DeepPRIME XD2/XD**: an advanced version of DeepPRIME that offers finer detail extraction. DeepPRIME XD2 goes even further with more details and no artifacts.
*HQ and PRIME methods are only visible if you have opted to display them in Preferences.
**Note that DeepPRIME XD will be applied on Fujifilm RAW files (a tooltip about this is displayed when you hover the DeepPRIME XD2 button with the mouse).
Clicking on Advanced Settings reveals adjustment sliders, the number and function of which depend on the chosen denoising mode:
- Luminance: lets you smooth-out the grain (default setting: 40) to find a balance between granularity and conservation of detail.
- Chrominance: adjusts the processing of colored parasitic pixels (default setting: 100).
- Low freq.: slider attenuates low frequency noise, which appears in the form of grain clusters (default: 100).
- Dead Pixels: reduces the effect of dead pixels on the camera sensor, visible as bright spots on the image (default setting: 24).
- Maze: reduces the effects of “crosstalk” (default setting: 30), a phenomenon related to the way adjacent pixels capture light under certain conditions (small pixel size, flare, short distance between the sensor and the lens). Amplified by demosaicing, the phenomenon manifests itself as a 1 pixel wide structure resembling a maze.
- Force details (DeepPRIME and DeepPRIME XD2 modes only): determines the threshold of detail by altering the noise mode used. Set to 0 by default, the slider will extract more details when moved to the right, towards a less natural rendering, when slid to the left the rendering will be softer, with fewer details.
Choosing optical corrections
DxO PureRAW lets you define the optical corrections you want to apply to your images. Choose all of them to take full advantage of DxO Labs’ technologies, or just some of them if you want to entrust these corrections to your usual software. Each correction can be activated or deactivated by clicking on the corresponding switch:
- Lens softness*: Defaults to Standard (which is equivalent to the DxO PhotoLab Lens Sharpness setting, with the Global slider set at +1), you can also opt for Soft, Strong or Hard intensity (respectively 0, +2 and +3 in DxO PhotoLab). Optical sharpness improves image detail and overall image sharpness from the center to the edge of the frame.
- Vignetting: compensates for a darker edge to the frame.
- Chromatic Aberration: removes color fringing found on high contrast contours.
- Lens Distortion: Corrects distorted lines. This involves choosing a preferred level of cropping; there are 3 options:
- Image cropped to original ratio: the image is cropped with the width and height proportions of the original. The bleeding edge of the corrected distortion is no longer visible.
- Maximum Rectangle: the image is cropped so that just the bleed is eliminated, regardless of the proportions of the original.
- Complete image area: the image is not cropped at all, retaining the bleed, visible as black zones around the edge. This option lets you leave the task of cropping to your usual image processing program.
*From version 4 (March 2024), DxO PureRAW uses refined, improved lens softness algorithms.
Choosing the output format
The best output format for your processed images will depend on how you want to use them. There are 3 options, though you can select all of them to create different format versions of your image all at once:
- DNG: Generates a Linear DNG file that retains the characteristics and reversibility of the original RAW file, allowing it to be further edited in a third-party program such as Lightroom Classic, or Camera Raw.
- JPG: generates a JPEG file for immediate use or distribution. If you select this format, 2 sliders are available :
- The top slider lets you adjust the compression, and therefore the quality, of the output file; the default setting is 90, on a scale of 10 to 100.
- In order to obtain immediate and ready-to-publish pictures, you can toggle Smart Lighting on and off: DxO Smart Lighting analyzes the image content, taking into account the bright and dark areas plus the contrast of the scene, and applies a balanced exposure. The slider controls the intensity of the corrections, and is set to 25 by default, which is a slight adjustment (50 is medium, and 75 is strong). Smart Lighting comes from DxO PhotoLab.
- TIFF: generate a high quality TIFF file for retouching work in another application such as Photoshop. When you select this format, you can choose from one of the following options:
- 8-bit, for a lighter weight TIFF file.
- 8-bit compressed – the TIFF file is compressed to save on storage space.
- 16-bit, for a maximum quality file that can be corrected and retouch further, although without the flexibility and reversibility of DNG.
When you select one or multiple output formats, DxO PureRAW calculates the required storage space and displays it immediately below the format options. This information is particularly important if you are dealing with several image batches.
Selecting the destination folder
In the Destination section, you have two options:
- Original image(s) folder: processed images are sent to the original images folder. You can also toggle a subfolder on and off, and type its name (default name is DxO).
- Custom folder: Lets you choose and/or create a destination folder after clicking on the Browse button, which opens a file browser window. By default, DxO PureRAW proposes the operating system’s Images folder. If you click on the double-arrow to the left of the Browse button, a floating window pops up with a list of favorite paths and recently used folders. You can mark a folder as a favorite by clicking on the star to the left of the folder path.
Renaming the output files
The File renaming is turned off by default and you need to toggle the File renaming button to activate it. In that case, you can select one of the 4 ready-to-use presets in the menu. Below, depending on your choice, you will see a preview of the file rename. The presets offer you different mixes of original file name, processing method, date and sequence number.
If you click on Edit, you will be able to create your own file names and save them as presets:
- Select one of the tokens:
- Filename: set of different tokens, including suffix and folder name.
- Date and counter: different date and time formats (HH, YYYY, DD, YYYYMMDD, etc.).
- Metadata: you can add metadata information in your file name, such as creator name, copyright, location, etc.
- Choose a token in the relevant menus and click on Insert. The tokens will show up in the Composition field. You can add as many tokens as you wish, and mix the different categories.
- You can also type in free text, after clicking before, after or between tokens to add an insertion point.
- Whatever your choices, the window will show the filename preview in the lower left corner.
- To save your renaming preset, click on the Mange preset button:
- Save current settings preset: type the name of your preset in the pop-up and click on Create. The preset will show up in the Preset menu and will be directly available in the File Renaming section menu.
- Restore default preset settings: reverts your customized preset back to the preset where you started.
- Update content: save the changes when you modify an existing preset.
- Delete preset: removes the selected preset.
Export the processed images to the software of your choice.
DxO PureRAW lets you open the processed images in the program of your choice. In the Export section, you will find the following options:
- Don’t export after processing: no processed image transfer is launched. Use this option if you want to check the processed images directly in DxO PureRAW or if you want to postpone reviewing or using of the processed images in your preferred software until another time.
- Adobe Lightroom Classic/Adobe Photoshop: these options only appear if they are installed on your computer. In the case of Lightroom Classic, images will be opened via the Import option, and in the case of Photoshop, the images will be opened directly. DNG will be opened in Camera Raw, as well as JPEG and/or TIFF if Photoshop and Camera Raw are set to open them.
- Select software: this option opens the program’s folder of your operating system. You can choose whichever program you like, and it will appear in the drop-down menu, even after you quit DxO PureRAW. You can add as many programs as you like.
The Export with original RAW file(s) toggle lets you attach the original images to the processed images and open them in the destination program too, where applicable.