(On the subject of 16 v 8bit jpegs and what to keep etc)
(from tempuras lightbulb) I’m wondering, is there any use in keeping the files in 16 bits afeter curves and levels (if any) adjustments are done?
(From MichaelJay) Well… I think at least it doesn’t harm (except for the time if you have a slow computer) to keep the image in 16bit and just convert to JPG/8-bit as the very last step before uploading, right?
Also, I do all PS work in 16-bit and keep a 16-bit version (TIF or PSD) of all images I upload to iStock. So if I miss something and get a rejection, I can go back and re-do only the thing I need to change and not restart from the RAW image again.
(From Angelika) I always work with 16 bit. Only when I convert to jpg as a last step, I change to 8 bit.
(From CaroleGomez) Yes, I only work on files at 16 bit in Photoshop. I keep the tiff at 16 bit in case I need to come back to it for more work at some point. It only gets converted to 8 bit as a last stage when I save as jpeg to upload here.
(From espimaging) I’m often working in 8 bit now, and sometimes shooting as jpeg.
(From susandaniels) I also recently started to work in 8 bit instead of 16 bit, and it has not affected my acceptance rate either
(From Carole Gomez) . A quick look at the difference in an 8 Vs 16 bit image after a levels/curves adjustment shows me all I need to know.
(From northlightimages) I shoot RAW always, and do all my processing/photoshop work in 16 bit then convert to 8 bit tiffs afterwards to save (then jpegs for uploading). Like Ryerson, the number of times I have to return to an image is minimal and it isn’t usually too much work to re-do so I’ve opted to save images in 8 bit for smaller file sizes. If an image has required a lot of work I will save a 16 bit version. I also save the original RAW files in a couple of locations.
(From Reeceimages) I do most of my adjustments in Lightroom 2 in 16 bit RAW format. Then if it doesn’t need a lot of work, I just send it as an 8 bit tiff or jpg to photoshop for tuning and cleaning