Are Digital Photos Susceptable To Degradation When Copied?

[Scott Reppert]

Just wondering if digital photos "degrade in quality" with each successive copy made. Also, do they lose quality when converted from, let's say, .psd to .jpg formats?

Let me know, folks, let me know...

[Hoosier Daddy]

I've noticed some degradation when converting from a high density format like .png to a more web friendly format like .jpg. If the original is a very sharp photo, you have to look closely to see the changes but they are there. If your original graphic or photo is of moderate or poor quality, reducing the file size by converting it to another format just amplifies the poor quality. I have never noticed any changes when simply copying a photo and re-using it as is.

[Lester]

For the most part, yes.

Copying the file itself, (As in moving img_0001.jpg from one place to another) will not degrade the quality.

Any conversion to a lossy format (GIF, JPG, PNG) will degrade the picture with each subsequent conversion. Even loading a JPG, modifying it, and resaving as a JPG will degrade the image.

PSD's, BMP, and RAW format files are lossless formats, and that's why they are HUGE. They will not degrade if converted from one to the other, and should be the prefered method of modifying most of your images. The last thing you do is convert it to a lossy format before emailing (due to size).

[cgarison]

For the most part, yes.

Copying the file itself, (As in moving img_0001.jpg from one place to another) will not degrade the quality.

Any conversion to a lossy format (GIF, JPG, PNG) will degrade the picture with each subsequent conversion. Even loading a JPG, modifying it, and resaving as a JPG will degrade the image.

PSD's, BMP, and RAW format files are lossless formats, and that's why they are HUGE. They will not degrade if converted from one to the other, and should be the prefered method of modifying most of your images. The last thing you do is convert it to a lossy format before emailing (due to size).

Yep. Could not have said it batter myself.

Also, DNG is the adobe open standard lossless format that camera makers are refusing to accept.