How to Convert JPG to RAW Using Python

Converting a JPG image to RAW format can be useful for photographers and developers who need uncompressed, high-quality image data for editing or processing. While RAW formats vary (e.g., .CR2, .NEF, .DNG), Python provides tools to simulate RAW-like data from JPGs. In this guide, we’ll use the Pillow (PIL) library, the most popular Python module for image processing, to achieve this.

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Why Convert JPG to RAW?

JPG is a compressed, lossy format, while RAW files retain unprocessed sensor data. Converting JPG to RAW won’t recover lost data, but it can help:

• Simulate RAW workflows for testing.
• Process images in software that requires RAW input.
• Extract pixel data without compression artifacts.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Python 3.6+ installed.
• The Pillow library (pip install Pillow).
• A sample JPG image for testing.

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Step-by-Step Conversion Process

1. Install Pillow

Install the Pillow library using pip:

pip install Pillow

2. Load the JPG Image

Use Pillow to open the JPG file:

from PIL import Image

# Open the JPG image
image = Image.open("input.jpg")

3. Convert to RAW-like Data

RAW files store uncompressed pixel data. To simulate this, extract the pixel values and save them in a binary file:

# Convert image to RGB mode (if not already)
rgb_image = image.convert("RGB")

# Get pixel data as bytes
pixel_data = rgb_image.tobytes()

# Save as a RAW-like binary file
with open("output.raw", "wb") as f:
    f.write(pixel_data)

4. Verify the Output

The generated .raw file contains uncompressed RGB values. You can inspect it using a hex editor or process it further with tools like numpy.

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Alternative: Convert to DNG (Digital Negative)

For a more standardized RAW format, use rawpy (for reading) and imageio to simulate DNG conversion. Note: This requires additional libraries:

pip install rawpy imageio

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Limitations

• JPG-to-RAW conversion does not recover lost data from compression.
• RAW formats like .CR2 or .NEF have proprietary headers; this method creates a generic binary file.

Summary: Learn how to convert JPG to RAW-like formats using Python and Pillow. This method extracts uncompressed pixel data for further processing.

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