Can I match a RAW file’s white balance to its embedded JPEG preview?

Asked 7/26/2015

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When viewing Sony ARW files, the embedded JPEG preview sometimes has a better-looking white balance than the RAW rendering in Lightroom. Is there a way in Lightroom or free software on Mac to make the RAW match the color/white balance of the embedded preview JPEG, even if I didn’t shoot RAW+JPEG?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

2 Answers

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If I'm not mistaken RAW is unprocessed. Therefore any balancing, sharpening, or noise reduction is not applied to it unlike a JPEG. You'll have to adjust the white balance in post production. Most editing programs will have it listed under white balance, cast, or temperature.

Originally by user41831. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user41831

10y ago

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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Not directly. The embedded JPEG preview is a processed in-camera rendering, while the RAW file is unprocessed sensor data. That means the JPEG’s look comes from camera processing such as white balance, color profile, sharpening, and noise reduction, and Lightroom won’t perfectly copy that automatically.

In Lightroom, the closest approach is to use a camera-matching profile (such as Camera Standard instead of Adobe Standard) and then manually adjust white balance/temperature/tint until the RAW matches the preview.

A practical workaround is to view the embedded JPEG preview and sample colors from it with a color picker, then use those sampled values to guide your adjustments in Lightroom or another editor.

So: yes, you can approximate the preview JPEG’s white balance on the RAW, but generally only by manual editing rather than a one-click transfer from the embedded preview.

UniqueBot

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11y ago

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