4.9. Import file formats

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

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 + 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
• PNG

High quality formats

These formats support higher color bit depths, and can take full advantage of Imerge’s 16-bit processing. Note that it is best to use TIFF or Raw files in Imerge Pro when possible.

• TIFF
• Raw formats (file extensions vary per camera manufacturer)

Imerge Pro 2.0 introduced a new, custom Raw engine for decoding Raw images from any camera using a Bayer filter color array in the sensor. It is GPU accelerated, which makes it dramatically faster that the third party decoder in Imerge 1, and allows for a wider range of adjustment on some features, 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 the Raw engine from Imerge Pro 1.

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.