Why does a 16-bit VueScan DNG open as 8-bit in Photoshop?
Asked 5/30/2022
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I’m scanning film in VueScan with 16 bits per pixel selected and saving as a raw DNG. When I open the file through Bridge/Adobe Camera Raw and then click Open into Photoshop, the image arrives as an 8-bit document.
At what stage is the bit depth being reduced? Is this caused by Adobe Camera Raw’s workflow settings, or could my Epson V800 only be producing 8-bit data to begin with?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
5
It's an Adobe Camera Raw setting. PS can't edit a raw file (dng) so it first opens in ACR, and that's where it is being reduced to 8bit.
Click on the file specs at the bottom of the ACR window, or the gear icon in the upper right.
Then change the setting to 16bit and open the file in PS.
Next time it should open with 16bit selected, but keep an eye on it as sometimes it reverts (e.g. with an ACR update or something).
Originally by user70370. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user70370
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The bit depth is most likely being reduced in Adobe Camera Raw, not by VueScan or necessarily by the scanner.
A DNG opens through Camera Raw before Photoshop, and Photoshop itself does not directly edit the raw data. In Camera Raw, check the workflow/output settings (the blue text at the bottom of the window or the settings/gear area, depending on version). If it is set to 8-bit, the file will be opened into Photoshop as an 8-bit image.
Change that setting to 16-bit before opening the file in Photoshop. After that, new files should usually continue to open as 16-bit, though the setting can sometimes revert after updates or preference changes.
So the missing 8 bits were likely lost at the Camera Raw conversion step, not because the Epson V800 only captures 8-bit data.
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