Merge RW2 to PDF

How to Merge RW2 Photos to PDF Online

1. Upload Your RW2 Files: Drag and drop, or click "+ Add Files" to select multiple Panasonic Lumix RAW (.rw2) photos. Batch is supported — pick a whole shoot, a contact-sheet selection, or a portfolio set.
2. Order Pages and Pick Combine Mode: Drag thumbnails to set page order. Under Combine?, choose Single PDF (one bound document) or Individual PDFs (one PDF per RW2, useful when you want per-frame deliverables).
3. Set Page Layout (Optional): Pick Portrait or Landscape, set Paper size (A4 default; Letter, Legal, Tabloid, Ledger, Executive, A3, ARCH A/B, ISO B4/B5, or Original to match the image). Choose Image placement (Cover fills the page edge-to-edge; Contained fits within margins). Set Image alignment (Top, Center, Bottom) and Margin (No margin 0", Narrow 0.5", Moderate 0.75x1", Normal 1", Large 2x1").
4. Tune Compression and Merge: Under Image Compression, set Image Quality (%) (1-100, default 75) and Compression Type (Screen smallest, Ebook, Default, Prepress, Printer highest). Under Image Transparency, leave Unchanged or Removed. Click Merge — files process in your browser session, no sign-up, no watermark.

Why Merge RW2 to PDF?

RW2 is Panasonic's TIFF-based RAW container, used by every Lumix model from the early DMC-LX3/G1 era (2008-2009) through the current GH6, G9 II, S5 II/IIx, S1H, and LX100 II. Cameras store unprocessed sensor data at 12 or 14-bit precision (full-frame S-series and most G/GH bodies hit 14-bit single-shot, dropping to 12-bit during burst per the Lumix S5IIx user manual). Outside SILKYPIX (the bundled developer), Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, Capture One, or RawTherapee, an RW2 won't open in macOS Preview, Windows Photos (without the Microsoft Raw Image Extension), Gmail previews, or most messaging apps. Bundling them as a PDF turns an opaque proprietary file into a single document anyone with a free PDF reader can review.

• Client proofs without a Lightroom export step — Merge a wedding, event, or portrait selection straight from the SD card to a proof PDF without spinning up a Lightroom catalog. Pair Contained placement with Normal 1" margin so the spread reads like a printed contact sheet.
• Studio contact sheets from RW2 directly — Use Landscape + Tabloid + Contained to fit selections per spread; RW2 from a GH6 renders at 5776x4336 (25 MP), an S5 II at 6000x4000 (24 MP), and an S1R at 8368x5584 (47 MP) without forcing a JPEG round-trip first.
• Print portfolios — Cover placement + Prepress compression preserves embedded color metadata and produces a 300-DPI-equivalent file ready for a print broker. Letter and A4 are the common deliverables; ARCH A/B for architectural and landscape work.
• Long-term archives — A merged PDF survives format obsolescence better than a folder of RW2s — PDF/A is the ISO-standardized archival flavor of PDF specifically designed for this. Older Panasonic bodies (DMC-LX3, FZ28, G1) used a .raw extension that some 2024+ tools no longer auto-detect.
• Email and messaging delivery — A 25-30 MB RW2 won't attach to Gmail's 25 MB cap or Outlook's 20 MB cap. A merged PDF at Ebook quality is typically 0.3-1.5 MB per image, so a 12-photo proof sits comfortably under most email limits.
• Insurance, real estate, and legal documentation — Property, accident, or evidence photos shot in RW2 need a tamper-evident, page-numbered deliverable. PDF gives you that; a folder of proprietary Panasonic RAWs does not, and most claims adjusters can't open RW2 anyway.

RW2 vs DNG vs JPEG — Format Comparison

Compression Type Quick Guide

If you need the reverse direction or a different output, see RW2 to JPG, RW2 to PNG, RW2 to TIFF, or merge other RAW formats with merge CR2 to PDF, merge NEF to PDF, merge ARW to PDF, or merge DNG to PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I just email the RW2 files instead of converting?

RW2 is Panasonic-proprietary and most recipients don't have software that opens it. Gmail, Outlook, iCloud Mail, and the macOS/iOS Mail apps preview JPEG and PDF inline but show RW2 as an opaque attachment. RW2 files are also large (22-32 MB on a 24 MP S5 II, 35-45 MB on the 47 MP S1R), so a 10-photo selection blows past the 25 MB Gmail attachment cap before Gmail forces a Drive link. A merged PDF at Ebook quality is typically under 1.5 MB per page.

Will the PDF preserve the full quality of my RW2 files?

RW2 stores 12 or 14-bit linear sensor data — PDF page content is rendered to 8-bit per channel, so a small amount of dynamic range is collapsed during the render (this is what your editor does anyway when exporting JPEG). For a deliverable proof or print-ready PDF, choose Prepress or Printer with Image Quality 90-100 to keep visible detail. For the absolute archival original, keep the RW2 alongside the PDF — the PDF is a viewing copy, not a substitute for the negative.

Why won't macOS Preview or Windows Photos open my RW2 directly?

Apple ships RAW codec support for many cameras through the system's RAW Compatibility list, but it lags new Panasonic bodies by months and excludes very old ones; Windows Photos requires the free Microsoft Raw Image Extension and even then doesn't render every Lumix model. SILKYPIX Developer Studio SE — bundled with Panasonic cameras — is the safest first-party viewer, with Adobe DNG Converter as the universal fallback that turns RW2 into DNG that anything Adobe-compatible can open. Merging straight to PDF skips all of that for the recipient.

Which Panasonic Lumix cameras produce RW2 files?

Effectively all Lumix models from the late-2000s onward: the S full-frame line (S1, S1H, S1R, S5, S5 II/IIx, S9), GH series (GH4, GH5, GH5S, GH5 II, GH6), G series (G7, G9, G9 II, G85/G80, G95/G90), GX series (GX7, GX8, GX85, GX9), LX premium compacts (LX100, LX100 II), and FZ bridge cameras (FZ1000 II, FZ2500). Older models (DMC-LX3, G1, FZ28, TZ70) sometimes used a .raw extension for the same underlying format. xconvert renders the embedded preview or the full sensor data depending on the body's RW2 variant.

Should I develop in SILKYPIX first, or can I merge RW2 directly?

Direct merging works when you want a fast proof reflecting the camera's as-shot rendering — xconvert reads the embedded JPEG preview that newer RW2 files include, which is the same image SILKYPIX shows in its browser before any adjustments. For final deliverables where you've already corrected white balance, exposure, or lens distortion in SILKYPIX, Lightroom, or Capture One, export to TIFF or high-quality JPEG first and use merge image to PDF on those. The RW2-to-PDF route is for unedited proofs and contact sheets.

My RW2 files were shot at different orientations — will the PDF rotate them correctly?

Yes. The merge engine reads the EXIF orientation tag (the same tag SILKYPIX, Lightroom, and Lumix Tether use for auto-rotate) and renders each page right-side up. If you set Page layout to Portrait but an RW2 was shot landscape, Contained placement will letterbox it; Cover will crop. Mix-orientation shoots usually look best with Contained + Center alignment.

What's the largest RW2 file size or count I can merge?

Each RW2 is rendered in your browser session, so the limit is your device's available memory. Modern desktops handle 50-100 frames at full resolution (S5 II 24 MP files are ~25 MB; S1R 47 MP files are ~40 MB); mobile devices may struggle past 15-20 frames at S1R resolution. If you hit a slowdown, split into two batches and combine the resulting PDFs with merge PDF.

What's the difference between Cover and Contained image placement?

Cover fills the entire page edge-to-edge and crops anything that doesn't fit the page aspect ratio — best for photo-book style presentation where you want each frame to bleed to the page edge. Contained scales the full image to fit within the page's margin box, letterboxing if aspect ratios don't match — best for client proofs where you must show the full frame including any planned crop area. RW2 from a 4:3 Micro Four Thirds body (GH/G series) on a Letter or A4 page benefits from Contained; a 3:2 full-frame S-series RW2 on Letter looks tight under Cover.

Are my RW2 files uploaded to a server?

No. xconvert processes your files in the browser session — your RW2s never leave your machine for the merge step. That matters for sensitive shoots (real estate pre-listing, legal evidence, embargoed editorial, NDA-bound product photography) where a third-party upload would breach a release or contract.