RAW is not a single format but a category of proprietary image formats from camera manufacturers (Canon .CR2/.CR3, Nikon .NEF, Sony .ARW, Adobe .DNG) that contain minimally processed data directly from the camera's image sensor. RAW files preserve all the information captured by the sensor — typically 12-14 bits per channel — giving photographers maximum flexibility in post-processing.
Unlike JPEG (which applies in-camera processing like white balance, sharpening, and noise reduction before discarding data), RAW files allow photographers to make these decisions non-destructively in post-processing software. Adjusting white balance in a RAW file is mathematically perfect; adjusting it in a JPEG is a lossy approximation. This flexibility is why professional photographers shoot RAW.
RAW files are large (15-45MB each) and not directly viewable by most applications without a RAW converter. Processing RAW requires software like Lightroom, Capture One, or Darktable. For sharing, RAW must be exported to JPEG, TIFF, or PNG. FileCurve doesn't currently process RAW files — use a dedicated RAW converter for initial processing, then FileCurve for compression and format conversion.