4.3.1. Import file formats

Imerge Pro fully supports common file formats, so most images can be imported without requiring any conversion or modification.

Imerge Pro supports importing the following image formats:

• JPEG, JPG
• BMP
• PNG
• TGA
• TIF, TIFF
• Raw formats: NEF, NRW, CRW, CR2, CR3, ARW, RAF, RW2, ORF, SRW, DNG
• EXR
• HDR
• PSD, PSB
  

You can import images using the following methods:

• Open the Project menu, and select Import to project.
• Press the keyboard shortcut CTRL+I (CMD+I on Mac).
• In the Content controls for any image layer, press the plus icon to add a new image.
• Drag and drop image files onto the canvas or the layer list.

Standard formats

Standard formats are the most commonly used, and support color at up to 8 bits per channel. Color data from these images will be converted up to 16-bits per channel by Imerge, for the best possible quality retention while processing. However, up-converting the color does not add additional color data or quality to the source images.

• JPEG, JPG
• BMP
• TGA

High quality formats

These formats support higher color bit depths and alpha transparency, and can take full advantage of Imerge’s 16-bit processing. Using TIFF or Raw source files in Imerge Pro ensures the best possible quality.

• PNG
• TIF, TIFF
• RAW formats (file extensions vary per camera manufacturer)
  • NEF, NRW, CRW, CR2, CR3, ARW, RAF, RW2, ORF, SRW, DNG

Imerge Pro offers several RAW engines for decoding your images. RAW engine 3.0 is GPU accelerated, and brings additional improvements to highlight recovery handling dead pixel management. Raw engine 2.0 allows for a wider range of adjustment on some features than RAW engine 1.0, particularly highlight recovery. When you import a RAW image, you can choose which engine is used to decode it.

If you have one of the few cameras out there that do not use a Bayer filter, your RAW images will be processed with RAW engine 1.0. For Fujifilm cameras which use the X-Trans sensor, the XT engine will be used.

Specialist formats

These formats are not commonly used for delivery of final images, but are capable of storing extended color data, for the widest color range possible.

• EXR (single layer)
• HDR
• PSD

Note that while it is possible to import .psd files that contain multiple layers, they will import into Imerge as a flattened image. The contents of all visible layers will be included, but the separate .psd layers cannot be accessed or edited in Imerge.

For details on what formats you can save to, see Exporting.