Free and easy photo editing application for RAW images

RawTherapee

RawTherapee

  -  41.52 MB  -  Open Source
  • Latest Version

    RawTherapee 5.11 LATEST

  • Review by

    Sophia Jones

  • Operating System

    Windows Vista64 / Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 64

  • User Rating

    Click to vote
  • Author / Product

    Gabor Horvath / External Link

  • Filename

    RawTherapee_5.11_win64_release.exe

  • MD5 Checksum

    11e42c110da2aef92d595931a1fadace

RawTherapee is a powerful and open-source raw image processing software for PC designed for photographers and digital image enthusiasts. It offers a wide range of tools and features to help you develop your raw photos into stunning, high-quality images. RawTherapee is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a broad user base.

Main Features

Non-destructive Editing: It works on the principle of non-destructive editing, meaning your original raw files remain untouched while you make adjustments.

Advanced Color Correction: The software offers advanced color correction tools, including support for ICC color profiles, white balance adjustments, and precise color management.

High-Quality Demosaicing: It uses advanced algorithms for demosaicing, resulting in sharp and detailed images.

Noise Reduction: It provides powerful noise reduction tools to enhance image quality, especially in low-light conditions.

Lens Correction: It includes lens correction profiles to remove distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration.

Exposure Control: You have control over exposure, contrast, brightness, and tonality through various adjustment sliders.

Batch Processing: Automate your workflow by processing multiple images at once, saving you valuable time.

Customizable Interface: The interface is highly customizable, allowing you to arrange and access tools according to your preferences.

Support for Various File Formats: It supports a wide range of raw image file formats, including popular ones like CR2, NEF, and DNG.

Presets: It comes with a selection of built-in presets to quickly apply different styles and looks to your images.

User Interface

It has a clean and functional user interface. The layout is customizable, allowing you to arrange panels, tabs, and tools according to your workflow. While it may not have the flashy aesthetics of some commercial alternatives, it excels in functionality and usability. The interface is well-organized, making it easy for both beginners and experienced users to navigate and access the extensive toolset.

Installation and Setup

Installing the app is straightforward on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. You can download the installer from the official website or FileHorse and follow the on-screen instructions. The software is regularly updated, ensuring you have access to the latest features and improvements.

How to Use

Import Images: Start by importing your raw images into RawTherapee's file browser.

Adjust Settings: Use the various adjustment tools and sliders to enhance your photos. You can adjust exposure, white balance, sharpness, and more.

Apply Presets: Experiment with built-in presets or create your own to achieve specific looks.

Export Images: Once you're satisfied with your edits, export the images in your preferred format and quality settings.

FAQ

Is RawTherapee FREE to use?
Yes, RawTherapee is open-source software and is available for FREE.

What file formats does RawTherapee support?
It supports a wide range of raw image file formats, including CR2, NEF, DNG, and more.

Can I use RawTherapee for basic photo editing, or is it only for raw images?
You can use the software for basic photo editing tasks, even if your images are not in raw format.

Is there a user community or forum for RawTherapee support?
Yes, it has an active user community and an official forum where you can seek help and share your work.

Does RawTherapee have batch processing capabilities?
Yes, it supports batch processing, allowing you to apply edits to multiple images simultaneously.

Alternatives

Luminar Neo: A user-friendly, AI-powered photo editing tool that offers both basic and advanced features.

Adobe Lightroom: A commercial option with a user-friendly interface and strong integration with Adobe's ecosystem. It's well-suited for photographers who use Adobe's other software.

Darktable: Another open-source alternative that focuses on non-destructive editing and is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Capture One: A professional-grade raw processing software with a reputation for exceptional color grading and tethered shooting capabilities.

Pricing

The software is FREE and open-source software, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious photographers and hobbyists who want access to powerful image processing tools without any cost.

System Requirements
  • Windows 11, 10, 8 or 7
  • 2GB RAM (4GB or more recommended)
  • Dual-core processor (Quad-core recommended)
  • 5GB of free hard drive space
PROS
  • Powerful raw image processing capabilities
  • Extensive adjustment tools and features
  • Non-destructive editing
  • Customizable interface
  • Free and open-source
CONS
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Not as polished as some commercial alternatives
Conclusion

RawTherapee is a formidable contender in the world of raw image processing software. Its extensive set of features, non-destructive editing approach, and open-source nature make it an attractive choice for photographers looking to take control of their image editing process.

While it may have a learning curve for beginners, the results you can achieve with the program are well worth the investment of time and effort. Whether you're a professional photographer or an enthusiast, RawTherapee is a powerful tool that deserves a place in your post-processing workflow. Give it a try and unlock the potential of your raw photos today.

Also Available: Download RawTherapee for Mac


  • RawTherapee 5.11 Screenshots

    The images below have been resized. Click on them to view the screenshots in full size.

    RawTherapee 5.11 Screenshot 1
  • RawTherapee 5.11 Screenshot 2
  • RawTherapee 5.11 Screenshot 3
  • RawTherapee 5.11 Screenshot 4
  • RawTherapee 5.11 Screenshot 5

What's new in this version:

New Features:
- The path template for queue export supports more format specifiers, including dates and new path types. Additionally, there is a preview to show the path for the selected image.
- The maximum zoom for the editor is now configurable.
- Pseudo HiDPI is replaced by real HiDPI.
- The file browser has an option to show all images within subfolders too.
- The Use embedded option for the Input Profile is available for DNGs that have an embedded DCP.
- The Color appearance sub-tool in Selective Editing (formerly Local Adjustments) received various improvements, including simplification of the basic mode, addition of new tone mappers for Cam16, a black and white mode, and a highlight attenuation feature.
- The White balance Tint range is expanded.
- It is now possible to use Contrast by Detail Levels in Before Black-and-White mode while Color Appearance & Lighting is activated with CAM16.
- Ratings and color labels can be synchronized with XMPs.
- The Selective Editing tool received various improvements, such as a global mode for applying edits to the entire image uniformly, ΔE preview buttons for most sub-tools, and adjustable graduated filter feathering for each sub-tool.
- The EXIF modified date-time is now added to saved images.
- RawTherapee can now read 12-bit Panasonic raw files encoded in the v6 format, such as those from the DC-GH5M2.
- RawTherapee can now read Panasonic raw files encoded in the v8 format, such as those from the DC-GH6, DC-S5M2, and DC-S5M2X.
- RawTherapee can now read Fujifilm lossy-compressed raw files.
- JPEG XL images can now be opened.
- There is a new option to use lens corrections from the file metadata. It works for compatible raw images from Fujifilm, Olympus / OM Digital Solutions (distortion and chromatic aberration corrections only), and Sony. Corrections embedded in DNGs can also be used.
- RawTherapee can leverage LibRaw (enabled by default) to read raw images. It adds the ability to read additional raw formats, such as Sony lossless compression, and improved support for some cameras.

Added or improved support for cameras, raw formats and color profiles (not including LibRaw and color matrices for dcraw):
- FUJIFILM GFX 100 (PDAF lines filter)
- FUJIFILM GFX 100S (DCP, PDAF lines filter)
- FUJIFILM GFX 100 II (PDAF lines filter)
- Fujifilm X-H2S
- Nikon Z 8 (DCP)
- Nikon Z 9 (DCP)
- Nikon Z f (DCP)
- OM Digital Solutions TG-7
- Panasonic DC-G9M2
- Panasonic DC-GH5M2
- Panasonic DC-GH6
- Panasonic DC-S5M2
- Panasonic DC-S5M2X
- Sony ILCE-1 (Pixel shift)
- Sony ILCE-6700
- Sony ILCE-7CR (PDAF lines filter)
- Sony ILCE-7RM4 (PDAF lines filter)
- Sony ILCE-7RM5 (PDAF lines filter)
- SONY ILCE-9M3

Local Adjustments:
- Local Adjustments is now known as “Selective Editing”.

LibRaw:
- News Relevant to Package Maintainers

New since 5.10:
Requires GTK+ >= 3.24.3 (was >= 3.22.24 in Windows, or >= 3.16 in other operating systems).
Requires librsvg-2.0 >= 2.52 (was >= 2.40).
Optional dependency on libjxl.
Optional dependency on LibRaw >= 0.21.

In general:
- To get the source code, either clone from git or use the tarball from https://rawtherapee.com/shared/source/. Do not use the auto-generated GitHub release tarballs.
- Requires GTK+ version >= 3.24.3.
- GTK+ versions 3.24.3 - 3.24.6 have an issue where combobox menu scroll-arrows are missing when the combobox list does not fit vertically on the screen. As a result, users would not be able to scroll in the following comboboxes: Processing Profiles, Film Simulation, and the camera and lens profiles in Profiled Lens Correction.
- JPEG XL read support depends on libjxl. By default, RawTherapee builds with JPEG XL support if and only if libjxl is present. Use -DWITH_JXL="ON" or -DWITH_JXL="OFF" to explicitly enable or disable, respectively, JPEG XL support.
- RawTherapee builds with a custom version of LibRaw by default. To use the system LibRaw, use -DWITH_SYSTEM_LIBRAW="ON". Requires LibRaw >= 0.21.
- RawTherapee 5 requires GCC-4.9 or higher, or Clang.
- Do not use -ffast-math, it will not make RawTherapee faster but will introduce artifacts.
- Use -O3, it will make RawTherapee faster with no known side-effects.
- For stable releases use -DCACHE_NAME_SUFFIX=""
- For development builds and release-candidates use -DCACHE_NAME_SUFFIX="5-dev"