JPEG: a compact sharing copy
JPEG export is 8-bit sRGB with an adjustable quality setting. It is widely usable for sharing and viewing, and typically smaller than a lossless image. It does not support transparent gaps; uncovered directions are black.
Check the seams and export dimensions before creating a large JPEG. For an everyday preview or message attachment, reduce the dimensions inside Export rather than making the viewer smaller. Inspection zoom does not set output size.
PNG: sharing with transparency
PNG8 sRGB is the default sharing choice. PNG also offers an explicit 16-bit option. Both can preserve transparent holes where photographs do not cover the panorama, which is useful when a later editor will handle the boundary.
PNG files can become large at panorama dimensions. Choose the 16-bit option when a later workflow needs the extra stored precision, rather than simply assuming that a larger file is a better sharing copy.
TIFF: the editing master
TIFF16 ProPhoto RGB is the app's editing-master option. It preserves 16-bit integer output and can retain coverage transparency. Open it in a color-managed editor that understands the embedded profile.
The working pipeline uses scene-linear Float32 values, but an integer TIFF has finite storage limits. Values outside the encoding range are clipped when written. If extended-range values are important to your next editing step, consider the Float32 output rather than assuming TIFF16 retains everything.
Large panoramas need both destination space and processing resources. The app includes a BigTIFF path, but a verified large-file encoder is not a promise that every computer can render an arbitrarily large source set.
DNG: linear Float32 output
The DNG output stores the stitched linear image in Float32. It is an exported panorama, not the original camera mosaic, and does not recreate sensor information that was absent from the inputs.
Use linear DNG in an editor that supports this format. For a straightforward color-managed editing master, choose TIFF16 with its embedded color profile instead. Read the DNG export and highlight headroom guide for a closer look at floating-point values and integer limits.
DNG uses black for uncovered directions. Keep your source photographs alongside the exported master if future re-alignment or another composition may be needed.
Check source precision before deciding
A JPEG source starts with 8-bit precision. Saving it to a 16-bit TIFF or PNG can avoid further coarse quantization during later work, but cannot recover original RAW detail.
The same caution applies when a DNG falls back to an embedded preview. Read the orange warning and the source details. Exporting that preview in a high-depth container does not restore its lost resolution or bit depth.
For most projects, keep one master for editing and a separate smaller copy for sharing. Save the project recipe too: it records the framing and settings so you do not have to remember them later.