# zenraw [](https://github.com/imazen/zenraw/actions/workflows/ci.yml) [](https://crates.io/crates/zenraw) [](https://docs.rs/zenraw) [](https://github.com/imazen/zenraw#license) [](https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html#the-rust-version-field)
Camera RAW and DNG decoder in safe Rust. Scene-referred linear f32 output by default,
sRGB u8 opt-in. Three swappable backends for different camera coverage vs. dependency tradeoffs.
## Quick start
```rust
use zenraw::{decode, RawDecodeConfig};
use enough::Unstoppable;
let data: &[u8] = &[/* RAW file bytes */];
let output = decode(data, &RawDecodeConfig::default(), &Unstoppable)?;
println!("{}x{} {} {}", output.info.width, output.info.height,
output.info.make, output.info.model);
// output.pixels is a PixelBuffer<RGBF32_LINEAR>
```
For display-referred sRGB u8 output:
```rust
let config = RawDecodeConfig::default().with_gamma(true);
let output = decode(data, &config, &Unstoppable)?;
// output.pixels is a PixelBuffer<RGB8_SRGB>
```
Cancellation and deadlines use [`enough::Stop`](https://docs.rs/enough) — pass
`&Unstoppable` when you don't need either.
## Decode pipeline
1. Parse camera RAW/DNG file (via rawloader or rawler)
2. Normalize sensor values using per-channel black/white levels
3. Demosaic Bayer CFA → RGB (Malvar-He-Cutler by default, bilinear available)
4. Demosaic X-Trans 6×6 CFA → RGB (bilinear, rawler backend only)
5. Apply white balance coefficients
6. Apply camera → XYZ → sRGB color matrix
7. Crop to active area (from camera metadata)
8. Apply EXIF orientation (rotation/flip)
9. Optionally apply sRGB gamma curve
## Backends
| Backend | Feature | Cameras | Formats | Notes |
|---------|---------|---------|---------|-------|
| **rawloader** | `rawloader` (default) | ~200 | Bayer only | Lightweight, LGPL-2.1 |
| **rawler** | `rawler` | ~300+ | Bayer + X-Trans, CR3, JXL DNG | Broader support, LGPL-2.1 |
| **darktable** | `darktable` | 900+ | Everything darktable handles | Shells out to darktable-cli |
When both `rawloader` and `rawler` are enabled, `rawler` takes priority.
The darktable backend is independent — it delegates the entire pipeline to
darktable-cli and returns its processed output.
## Supported formats
| Format | Extensions | Backend |
|--------|-----------|---------|
| Adobe DNG | `.dng` | rawloader, rawler |
| Canon | `.cr2`, `.cr3` | rawloader (CR2), rawler (CR2+CR3) |
| Nikon | `.nef`, `.nrw` | rawloader, rawler |
| Sony | `.arw`, `.srf`, `.sr2` | rawloader, rawler |
| Fujifilm | `.raf` | rawler (X-Trans + Bayer) |
| Panasonic/Leica | `.rw2` | rawloader, rawler |
| Pentax | `.pef` | rawloader, rawler |
| Olympus | `.orf` | rawloader, rawler |
| Hasselblad | `.3fr` | rawloader, rawler |
| Phase One | `.iiq` | rawloader, rawler |
| Epson | `.erf` | rawloader, rawler |
Plus many more via rawler. Detection works on file content, not extension.
## Features
| Feature | Default | Description |
|---------|---------|-------------|
| `std` | yes | Enable std (required for darktable, rawler) |
| `rawloader` | yes | rawloader decode backend |
| `ultrahdr` | yes | UltraHDR gain map support via ultrahdr-core |
| `rawler` | no | rawler decode backend (broader camera support) |
| `darktable` | no | darktable-cli backend (requires darktable installed) |
| `exif` | no | EXIF metadata extraction via kamadak-exif |
| `xmp` | no | XMP metadata extraction |
| `apple` | no | Apple APPLEDNG/AMPF metadata (implies `exif` + `xmp`) |
| `zencodec` | no | zencodec trait integration (DecoderConfig, ImageInfo) |
## Configuration
```rust
use zenraw::{RawDecodeConfig, DemosaicMethod};
let config = RawDecodeConfig {
demosaic: DemosaicMethod::MalvarHeCutler, // or Bilinear
apply_gamma: false, // true → sRGB u8, false → linear f32
apply_crop: true, // use camera's crop/active area
apply_orientation: true, // apply EXIF rotation/flip
max_pixels: 300_000_000, // reject images above this
..Default::default()
};
```
## zencodec integration
With the `zencodec` feature, zenraw implements `DecoderConfig` for use in
format-agnostic decode pipelines. Two format definitions are exported:
`DNG_FORMAT` and `RAW_FORMAT`.
```rust
use zenraw::RawDecoderConfig;
use zencodec::decode::DecoderConfig;
let config = RawDecoderConfig::new();
let job = config.job();
let info = job.probe(data)?;
println!("{}x{}, orientation={}", info.width, info.height, info.orientation());
```
The zencodec integration populates `ImageInfo` with orientation, bit depth,
and XMP metadata (when the `xmp` feature is enabled).
## AI-Generated Code Notice
Developed with Claude (Anthropic). Not all code manually reviewed.
Review critical paths before production use.
## Image tech I maintain
| | |
|:--|:--|
| State of the art codecs* | [zenjpeg] · [zenpng] · [zenwebp] · [zengif] · [zenavif] ([rav1d-safe] · [zenrav1e] · [zenavif-parse] · [zenavif-serialize]) · [zenjxl] ([jxl-encoder] · [zenjxl-decoder]) · [zentiff] · [zenbitmaps] · [heic] · **zenraw** · [zenpdf] · [ultrahdr] · [mozjpeg-rs] · [webpx] |
| Compression | [zenflate] · [zenzop] |
| Processing | [zenresize] · [zenfilters] · [zenquant] · [zenblend] |
| Metrics | [zensim] · [fast-ssim2] · [butteraugli] · [resamplescope-rs] · [codec-eval] · [codec-corpus] |
| Pixel types & color | [zenpixels] · [zenpixels-convert] · [linear-srgb] · [garb] |
| Pipeline | [zenpipe] · [zencodec] · [zencodecs] · [zenlayout] · [zennode] |
| ImageResizer | [ImageResizer] (C#) — 24M+ NuGet downloads across all packages |
| [Imageflow][] | Image optimization engine (Rust) — [.NET][imageflow-dotnet] · [node][imageflow-node] · [go][imageflow-go] — 9M+ NuGet downloads across all packages |
| [Imageflow Server][] | [The fast, safe image server](https://www.imazen.io/) (Rust+C#) — 552K+ NuGet downloads, deployed by Fortune 500s and major brands |
<sub>* as of 2026</sub>
### General Rust awesomeness
[archmage] · [magetypes] · [enough] · [whereat] · [zenbench] · [cargo-copter]
[And other projects](https://www.imazen.io/open-source) · [GitHub @imazen](https://github.com/imazen) · [GitHub @lilith](https://github.com/lilith) · [lib.rs/~lilith](https://lib.rs/~lilith) · [NuGet](https://www.nuget.org/profiles/imazen) (over 30 million downloads / 87 packages)
[zenjpeg]: https://crates.io/crates/zenjpeg
[zenpng]: https://crates.io/crates/zenpng
[zenwebp]: https://crates.io/crates/zenwebp
[zengif]: https://crates.io/crates/zengif
[zenavif]: https://crates.io/crates/zenavif
[rav1d-safe]: https://crates.io/crates/rav1d-safe
[zenrav1e]: https://crates.io/crates/zenrav1e
[zenavif-parse]: https://crates.io/crates/zenavif-parse
[zenavif-serialize]: https://crates.io/crates/zenavif-serialize
[zenjxl]: https://crates.io/crates/zenjxl
[jxl-encoder]: https://crates.io/crates/jxl-encoder
[zenjxl-decoder]: https://crates.io/crates/zenjxl-decoder
[zentiff]: https://crates.io/crates/zentiff
[zenbitmaps]: https://crates.io/crates/zenbitmaps
[heic]: https://crates.io/crates/heic
[zenpdf]: https://crates.io/crates/zenpdf
[ultrahdr]: https://crates.io/crates/ultrahdr
[mozjpeg-rs]: https://crates.io/crates/mozjpeg-rs
[webpx]: https://crates.io/crates/webpx
[zenflate]: https://crates.io/crates/zenflate
[zenzop]: https://crates.io/crates/zenzop
[zenresize]: https://crates.io/crates/zenresize
[zenfilters]: https://crates.io/crates/zenfilters
[zenquant]: https://crates.io/crates/zenquant
[zenblend]: https://crates.io/crates/zenblend
[zensim]: https://crates.io/crates/zensim
[fast-ssim2]: https://crates.io/crates/fast-ssim2
[butteraugli]: https://crates.io/crates/butteraugli
[resamplescope-rs]: https://crates.io/crates/resamplescope-rs
[codec-eval]: https://crates.io/crates/codec-eval
[codec-corpus]: https://crates.io/crates/codec-corpus
[zenpixels]: https://crates.io/crates/zenpixels
[zenpixels-convert]: https://crates.io/crates/zenpixels-convert
[linear-srgb]: https://crates.io/crates/linear-srgb
[garb]: https://crates.io/crates/garb
[zenpipe]: https://crates.io/crates/zenpipe
[zencodec]: https://crates.io/crates/zencodec
[zencodecs]: https://crates.io/crates/zencodecs
[zenlayout]: https://crates.io/crates/zenlayout
[zennode]: https://crates.io/crates/zennode
[ImageResizer]: https://imageresizing.net
[Imageflow]: https://github.com/imazen/imageflow
[imageflow-dotnet]: https://www.nuget.org/packages/Imageflow.AllPlatforms
[imageflow-node]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@imazen/imageflow-node
[imageflow-go]: https://github.com/imazen/imageflow-go
[Imageflow Server]: https://github.com/imazen/imageflow-dotnet-server
[archmage]: https://crates.io/crates/archmage
[magetypes]: https://crates.io/crates/magetypes
[enough]: https://crates.io/crates/enough
[whereat]: https://crates.io/crates/whereat
[zenbench]: https://crates.io/crates/zenbench
[cargo-copter]: https://crates.io/crates/cargo-copter
## License
Dual-licensed: [AGPL-3.0](LICENSE-AGPL3) or [commercial](LICENSE-COMMERCIAL).
I've maintained and developed open-source image server software — and the 40+
library ecosystem it depends on — full-time since 2011. Fifteen years of
continual maintenance, backwards compatibility, support, and the (very rare)
security patch. That kind of stability requires sustainable funding, and
dual-licensing is how we make it work without venture capital or rug-pulls.
Support sustainable and secure software; swap patch tuesday for patch leap-year.
[Our open-source products](https://www.imazen.io/open-source)
**Your options:**
- **Startup license** — $1 if your company has under $1M revenue and fewer
than 5 employees. [Get a key →](https://www.imazen.io/pricing)
- **Commercial subscription** — Governed by the Imazen Site-wide Subscription
License v1.1 or later. Apache 2.0-like terms, no source-sharing requirement.
Sliding scale by company size.
[Pricing & 60-day free trial →](https://www.imazen.io/pricing)
- **AGPL v3** — Free and open. Share your source if you distribute.
See [LICENSE-COMMERCIAL](LICENSE-COMMERCIAL) for details.