How to Open a DNG File

How to open a .DNG file

A .DNG file is a digital RAW negative file developed by Adobe and released in 2004.

While not everyone might not be familiar with it, your computer should have no problem opening up its contents. Obviously any product in the Adobe imaging family should be able to open a .DNG file such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom.

If you are running Windows 7 or Apple IOS, Adobe has a codec to handle that chore. A codec is a small software program that helps your operating system translate and open files.

Let’s start with Windows 7. Go out to Adobe’s website and download the Adobe DNG Codec 2.0. The Adobe DNG Converter is a free utility that can convert RAW files from 350 camera models!

 Double click on the DNGCodecInstaller.exe and follow the prompts to install it. Once finished, you will be able to browse and file .DNG files and metadata information within Windows Explorer and open .DNG files in Windows Photo viewer. The codec is compatible in either Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit operating systems.

 For MAC users, search on Adobe.com for Adobe DNG Converter 8.4. Download the DNGConverter_8_4.dmg file. Double click the file and follow the on-screen prompts. The .DNG converter is now available in your Applications directory. The converter is compatible for Mac OS X 10.7-10.9.

There are a number of programs that can open .DNG files besides Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Photoshop Elements. Google Picasa and ACDSee can handle this type of RAW file on both Windows and MAC operating systems.

If you are an Adobe Lightroom user, it could not be any easier to convert your files to the .DNG format. Open up Lightroom. In the Library module, select File>Import Photos and Videos. One of your choices will be Copy as DNG. Click Import and Adobe does all the heavy lifting for you – importing and converting while you sit back and watch the thumbnails drop in one by one.

The .DNG file format is Adobe’s attempt to standardize the multitude of RAW camera formats. Every camera manufacturer has its own proprietary file format. And, as we all know in today’s world, companies can come and go. What happens years from now if your one-of-kind file format and your manufacturer no longer exist? Who supports it? What do you do? How can you open it? Enter Adobe and the .DNG file. Adobe has pledged that it will support the .DNG well into the future. And since there are no license restrictions, manufacturers are able to use the .DNG file format as their default format instead of their own proprietary format which makes life so much easier for the photographer no matter if you are a professional or an enthused novice!