Photos Automatically Converting PNG to JPG?

Have you edited the PNG file or are you not exporting it with file > Export but by dragging it from the Photos browser?

When I drag a photo from the Photos window to the desktop, it will save the JPG preview. But with "File > Export > Export unmodified original" I will get the original PNG file. Editing the PNG will result in a JPEG by default without transparency. But you can switch the file format to TIFF in the Export panel. In Photos 2.0 the exported TIFF will still have the alpha channel with the transparency, even after I edited the photo.

léonie:

When I drag a photo from the Photos window to the desktop, it will save the JPG preview.

I'm can't duplicate that any more. I have Photos 2.0 and OS X 10.12.5.

When I just click and drag a 29.4 MB JPEG file to the Desktop I get the the full sized image, a full 29.4 MB:

When I just click and drag a png file with transparency to the Deskopt I get the png fle:

I'm not sure this started with just the last system update as I didn't test it before the latest update.

I also created a new Photos library and ran the same test to make sure it wasn't something unique to my primary library.

As the King of Siam said: "'tis a puzzlement".

NOTE: Neither of these photos have been edited in Photos. When I edited the 24.9 MB jpeg with a filter the dragged version was the edited version at was only 1.2 MB in size. So it seems that if the photo isn't edited the original will be obtained by just click and dragging.

If you export (file menu ==> export) the unmodified original you will export the PNG - if you export any other version you will get a JPEG - Photos never makes any modifications of any sort to the original, it is a bit for bit copy of the original as imported

LN

You are welcome

Do not use Drag and Drop with photos - it gives you a lower resolution version of the preview version of the photo - always use file ==> export so you have control over exactly what you get

LN

AnotherUserNameHere wrote:

Bummer. Days of drag and drop are disappearing 😟

Thanks for the heads up.

Nope - it never has been the proper way to use iPhoto or Photos - there are supported ways to access photos and D&D is not and never has been a good way - export has always been the better way since it allows you to choose exactly what you are getting - not to just take an unknown potluck version of the photo

LN

I can import a png and export the unmodified original and get a png, so Photos is not converting. Are you seeing this in the Photos Window? I wonder if the thumbnail is a jpeg...

Bummer. Days of drag and drop are disappearing

Nope. Been like that since iPhoto v1.