What is DPX?

Digital Picture Exchange (DPX) is a professional film and video frame format used in visual effects and digital cinema workflows.

What is IIQ?

Phase One IIQ is a professional medium-format raw format used by Phase One digital backs, delivering exceptional image quality for commercial photography.

When Should You Use DPX vs IIQ?

DPX vs IIQ: Key Differences

• •The core technical difference: DPX relies on lossless compression whereas IIQ uses lossless compression.
• •Neither format changes compression philosophy — both are lossless compression — so any size differences are due to encoding efficiency, not a shift in quality approach.
• •How transparency is handled: IIQ supports transparency, so alpha information is preserved during conversion.
• •File sizes: DPX files typically range Large, 1-10MB per 2K film frame and IIQ files 50-150MB per image from medium-format backs.
• •Use case fit: DPX targets film scanning, vfx production, cinematography and IIQ targets professional studio photography, digital back capture — your choice depends on which workflow stage you are serving.

Advantages of DPX

• ✓DPX uses lossless compression tailored for Film scanning, VFX production, cinematography.
• ✓DPX is supported natively on virtually every device, browser, and operating system.
• ✓DPX files are bit-for-bit perfect, preserving every pixel and sample for professional work.
• ✓DPX integrates seamlessly with all major creative tools and workflows.

Advantages of IIQ

• ✓The lossless nature of IIQ means file sizes stay reasonable while handling Professional studio photography, digital back capture efficiently.
• ✓From mobile devices to enterprise servers, IIQ is recognized and supported everywhere.
• ✓The trade-off for IIQ's perfection is larger files — but for archival work, it is worth every megabyte.
• ✓IIQ is a first-class citizen in all major software ecosystems, from creative suites to development environments.

Common Use Cases for DPX to IIQ Conversion

• Websites and online content
• Print materials and publications
• Social media posts and ads
• Digital photography and editing
• Graphic design projects
• E-commerce product images

Industry Applications

Best Practices for DPX to IIQ Conversion

• →Before converting DPX to IIQ, decide whether you need maximum quality or smallest file size — this determines which format truly fits
• →Save a master copy in a lossless format before converting to IIQ — you cannot recover detail lost during lossy compression
• →Check the color profile: DPX images may use a wider gamut than IIQ supports, causing a visible shift after conversion
• →Resize images to the final display dimensions before converting — this avoids unnecessary processing of oversized files
• →Run a single test conversion first to verify quality meets your standards
• →Strip unnecessary metadata to reduce file size after conversion

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Troubleshooting DPX to IIQ Conversion

• !Converting DPX to IIQ gives blurry output → increase the quality setting before conversion
• !Colors look different in IIQ than DPX → check color profile mismatch (sRGB vs Adobe RGB)
• !File size changed more than expected → IIQ uses different compression, file size differences of 2-5x are normal
• !Transparent areas in DPX turned white in IIQ → IIQ may not support transparency

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