Image format
The EXR format
EXR is a high dynamic range format that stores light as floating-point numbers. Industrial Light & Magic developed OpenEXR for its visual effects work and released it as open source in 2003.
When to use EXR
Use EXR for 3D renders and compositing, where you need to change exposure later without losing detail.
It is best for renders and visual effects plates that need the full range of light, and it opens on Nuke, Blender, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve and Photoshop — not browsers or phones.
How to open it: Blender, Nuke, Photoshop, Affinity Photo and DaVinci Resolve open EXR files.
| Full name | OpenEXR |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .exr |
| MIME type | image/x-exr |
| Introduced | 2003 |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | Yes |
| Animation | No |
| Support | Specialist format |
| Typical size | A 4K render is often 20–100 MB |
Good at
- Keeps highlights far brighter than a screen can show
- Many channels and layers in one file
- Several lossless compression options
Not so good at
- Must be tone-mapped to look right on a normal screen
- Large, and unsupported outside pro software
The common mistake
An EXR opened in ordinary software often looks washed out or blown out, because its values are linear light, not the gamma-corrected colors a JPG holds.
Questions
What is an EXR file?
EXR (OpenEXR) is a high dynamic range format that stores light as floating-point numbers. Industrial Light & Magic developed OpenEXR for its visual effects work and released it as open source in 2003.
How do I open an EXR file?
Blender, Nuke, Photoshop, Affinity Photo and DaVinci Resolve open EXR files.