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Image MIME Reference
Kodak-DCR

Kodak Digital Camera Raw

image/x-kodak-dcr
VS

Adobe Photoshop Document

image/vnd.adobe.photoshop
PSD

A complete technical comparison of Kodak Digital Camera Raw and Adobe Photoshop Document — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

Equal browser support

Feature Support

Feature Kodak-DCR PSD
Transparency (Alpha) ✕ No Yes
Animation Support ✕ No Yes
Progressive Loading ✕ No ✕ No
HDR Support Yes Yes
EXIF Metadata Yes Yes
ICC Color Profile Yes Yes
Kodak Digital Camera Raw
image/x-kodak-dcr
Extension
.dcr
Container TIFF/EP
Compression Uncompressed / Lossless JPEG
Algorithm
NoneLossless JPEG (ITU-T81)
Color Depth 12-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by Eastman Kodak Company
Released 1998
Magic Bytes
49 49 2A 00 or 4D 4D 00 2A
Full Kodak-DCR reference →
Adobe Photoshop Document
image/vnd.adobe.photoshop
Extension
.psd.psb.pdd
Container Adobe Photoshop Document (PSD/PSB)
Compression Uncompressed / RLE (Run-Length Encoding) / ZIP
Algorithm
RLEZIP (with or without prediction)None
Color Depth 1-bit (Bitmap), 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit (Float/HDR)
Developed by Adobe Systems
Released 1990
Magic Bytes
38 42 50 53
Full PSD reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser Kodak-DCR PSD
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✕ ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
Kodak-DCR

Kodak-DCR Strengths

  • Preserves the full dynamic range and uncompressed raw sensor data captured by foundational professional digital cameras
  • Utilizes the standard TIFF container structure, ensuring that open-source decoders like LibRaw can easily parse and interpret the files long after official vendor support has ended
Limitations
  • Completely obsolete proprietary format tied to camera hardware that is no longer manufactured
  • Shares the TIFF magic header, leading to widespread misidentification by automated MIME detection libraries
  • Cannot be natively viewed in web browsers or standard operating system image viewers without specialized codecs
PSD

PSD Strengths

  • The undisputed global standard for layered raster graphics and non-destructive image editing
  • Supports incredibly complex compositions combining raster data, vector shapes, live text, and adjustment layers
  • Full support for advanced color spaces (CMYK, Lab, multi-channel) and 32-bit floating-point HDR workflows
Limitations
  • Proprietary format: while the specification is published, complete feature-parity is rarely achieved by third-party software (e.g., smart objects and complex layer styles often break)
  • Files can reach enormous sizes (gigabytes) due to the preservation of unflattened, high-resolution layer data
  • Zero support for native rendering in web browsers or standard mobile image viewers

When to choose which format

Kodak-DCR
Use Kodak-DCR when…
  • Vintage Professional Digital Photography (Kodak DCS series)
  • Non-destructive Image Post-Processing
  • Raw Imaging Archival
PSD
Use PSD when…
  • Professional Photo Retouching
  • Digital Painting and Illustration
  • UI/UX Design Workflows
  • Graphic Design and Print Production

More comparisons

Kodak-DCR vs ACES → PSD vs ACES → Kodak-DCR vs APNG → PSD vs APNG → Kodak-DCR vs AVCI → PSD vs AVCI → Kodak-DCR vs AVCS → PSD vs AVCS → Kodak-DCR vs AVIF → PSD vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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