What is a DNG file?
DNG stands for Digital Negative. It was created by Adobe and first released in 2004. A DNG holds the unprocessed data from a camera sensor, before white balance, sharpening and colour are applied, in an open format Adobe published so raw photos outlive each camera maker's own format. iPhones save ProRAW photos as DNG.
| Type | image |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy or lossless |
| Colour | raw sensor data, usually 12 or 14 bits per pixel |
| Transparency | No |
| Animation | No |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; Lightroom, Photoshop, Apple Photos, Windows Photos and most raw editors open it |
| Common uses | raw photos from Leica, Pentax, Google Pixel and iPhone ProRAW, and archived camera raw files |
| MIME type | image/x-adobe-dng |
Which format should you convert DNG to?
- DNG to JPG for photos that must open everywhere and stay small.
- DNG to PNG for screenshots, logos and anything with transparency.
- DNG to PDF to print, or to attach as a document.
DNG is lossy or lossless depending on how it was saved, so check what a program needs before converting.
How to open a DNG file
A DNG file does not open in a web browser, but most photo apps read it. Here is what works on each device.
| Windows | The Photos app opens it, with Microsoft's free Raw Image Extension if asked; Lightroom and darktable (free) edit it. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Photos and Preview open it; Lightroom, darktable and RawTherapee edit it. |
| iPhone and iPad | The Photos app opens DNG, including ProRAW photos taken on the iPhone. |
| Android | Google Photos and Lightroom Mobile open it, and Snapseed edits it. |
Want the technical details? See what a .dng file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
DNG compared with other image formats
How DNG stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNG | Either | No | 2004 | raw photos from Leica, Pentax, Google Pixel and iPhone ProRAW, and archived camera raw files |
| JPG | Lossy | No | 1992 | camera photos, web images and email attachments |
| PNG | Lossless | Yes | 1996 | screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with transparency |
| WebP | Either | Yes | 2010 | images served by websites to save bandwidth |
| HEIC | Lossy | Yes | 2017 | photos taken on iPhones and iPads since iOS 11 |
How to use the DNG converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your DNG files on the box, or press Choose DNG files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. The file is converted on our server and deleted as soon as the result is sent back.
Tips for converting DNG files without losing quality
DNG can be lossy or lossless depending on how the file was saved. Either way, converting to a lossless format keeps exactly what is there, and converting to a lossy one trades a little detail for a much smaller file.
- Keep the raw file. It holds the full sensor data, with far more room for adjusting exposure and colour than any JPG or PNG made from it.
- Choose JPG to share or upload a photo, and PNG or TIFF when the picture will be edited further, since they add no compression loss.
- The conversion is a neutral development with the white balance the camera recorded. For an edited look, develop the file in Lightroom, darktable or RawTherapee instead.
- The server accepts files up to 25 MB, which fits the raw files of most cameras; very high-resolution cameras can go past it.
Convert DNG files from the command line
LibRaw and ImageMagick do the same on your own computer:
dcraw_emu -w -o 1 -q 3 -T input.dng
magick input.dng.tiff -quality 92 output.jpgConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
DNG converter FAQ
What is a DNG file?
DNG stands for Digital Negative, an image format created by Adobe in 2004. A DNG holds the unprocessed data from a camera sensor, before white balance, sharpening and colour are applied, in an open format Adobe published so raw photos outlive each camera maker's own format. iPhones save ProRAW photos as DNG.
How do I open a DNG file?
DNG does not open in browsers; Lightroom, Photoshop, Apple Photos, Windows Photos and most raw editors open it. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common DNG conversion?
DNG to JPG is the conversion people search for most. The DNG is developed by LibRaw, the open-source camera RAW decoder, on our conversion server: the sensor data is turned into a full-colour picture with the white balance the camera recorded, AHD demosaicing and standard sRGB colour.
Does converting DNG files here upload them?
Yes. DNG conversions need LibRaw and ImageMagick, open-source programs that cannot run in a browser, so they run on our conversion server. The file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept.
Is the DNG converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert DNG files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your DNG files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several DNG files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.