Rawed

RawedRAW photo editor for Mac

A simple, native macOS RAW editor.
It also has the tools pros finish photos with: masks that select the sky or the subject in one click, tone curves, colour grading and HDR merge.
With Rawed+, an AI agent can operate the app for you.

Buy on the Mac App Store, $9.99 Let an AI agent edit with Rawed+

Pay once. No subscription.

The Rawed editor with a photo of two ships at sea. The sidebar shows the histogram, the Auto and Auto Landscape buttons, and the Light sliders.

Auto

One click sets exposure, contrast and white balance for each photo. For landscapes and sunsets, Auto Landscape holds back the sky and lifts the foreground. Recover Dynamic Range (0 to 100) protects highlights and brings up dark areas.

Split before and after view of the same photo, with the original on the left.

Masks

Select Sky and Select Subject pick out the sky or your subject in one click. Add linear and radial gradients, a brush, luminance range or colour range, and combine them with add, subtract and intersect. Each mask gets 12 adjustments, from exposure to saturation.

The Masks panel with a sky mask, its drawing tools and local adjustments.

Colour

Tone curves (RGB, per channel and parametric), the Colour Mixer for hue, saturation and luminance across 8 colours, and colour grading for shadows, midtones and highlights. Set white balance with temperature and tint, or click a neutral spot with the eyedropper.

A night photo of a green bus in the snow. The inspector shows the tone curve and the Colour Mixer.

HDR merge

Merge two or more bracketed exposures. Rawed aligns them, removes ghosting and saves a linear HDR TIFF that opens straight in the editor.

AI agents (Rawed+)

Let an AI agent such as Claude drive Rawed over MCP: adjustments, masks, export, anything the app can do. Every step can be undone. Setup and tool reference

Fix one photo

Example session

DSC00475: the sky looks washed out and the sea and ships in front are dark. Bring back the colour in the sky and brighten the ships a bit.

  1. rawed · get_photo_info(path: "DSC00475.ARW")

    {"camera": "SONY ILCE-6400", "lens": "E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS", "exposure": "1/400 s · f/5.0 · ISO 160 · 43 mm", "as_shot_temperature": 5431, "baseline_exposure_ev": 0.4}

  2. rawed · get_analysis(path: "DSC00475.ARW")

    {"dynamic_range_ev": 5.84, "top_vs_bottom_ev": 2.55, "highlight_clip_percent": 0.77, "recoverable_highlight_percent": 0.72, "shadow_clip_percent": 0.0}

  3. rawed · render_preview(path: "DSC00475.ARW", max_size: 1024)

    Edited preview, 1024×683.

  4. The top of the frame is 2.5 EV brighter than the bottom, and 0.77% of the highlights are clipped (0.72% recoverable from the RAW data). No shadows are clipped. I’ll pull down highlights and whites first, then lift the darker areas.

  5. rawed · update_recipe(path: "DSC00475.ARW", changes: {"light":{"highlights":-50,"whites":-15}})

    Applied “Pull back the bright sky”. Changed: {"light":{"highlights":-50,"whites":-15}}

  6. rawed · render_preview(path: "DSC00475.ARW", max_size: 1024)

    Edited preview, 1024×683.

  7. rawed · update_recipe(path: "DSC00475.ARW", changes: {"light":{"shadows":25,"exposure":0.15}})

    Applied “Lift the sea and ships”. Changed: {"light":{"exposure":0.15,"shadows":25}}

  8. rawed · render_preview(path: "DSC00475.ARW", max_size: 1024)

    Edited preview, 1024×683.

  9. The global changes leave the sky a little bright, so I’ll darken it with a sky mask and add light to the two ships with a radial mask.

  10. rawed · edit_mask(path: "DSC00475.ARW", action: "add", name: "Sky", shape: {"kind":"sky"}, adjustments: {"exposure":-0.3,"dehaze":15,"saturation":10})

    Added mask “Sky”.

  11. rawed · render_preview(path: "DSC00475.ARW", max_size: 1024)

    Edited preview, 1024×683.

  12. rawed · edit_mask(path: "DSC00475.ARW", action: "add", name: "Ships", shape: {"kind":"radial_gradient","center":{"x":0.48,"y":0.47},"radius_x":0.32,"radius_y":0.1,"feather":60}, adjustments: {"exposure":0.3,"clarity":10})

    Added mask “Ships”.

  13. rawed · render_preview(path: "DSC00475.ARW", max_size: 1024)

    Edited preview, 1024×683.

  14. rawed · render_preview(path: "DSC00475.ARW", max_size: 1024, original: true)

    Original preview, 1024×683.

Original
Original
Edited
Edited

Highlights −50, whites −15, shadows +25, exposure +0.15. Sky mask: exposure −0.3, dehaze +15, saturation +10. Radial mask on the ships: exposure +0.3, clarity +10. Each step is in Rawed’s history and can be undone with ⌘Z.

Match a whole shoot

Example session · 22 RAW files from one evening

This folder has 22 shots from one snowy evening in Quebec City, and the brightness and colour jump from frame to frame. Make them look like one series, take the look from DSC_1803, then export full-size JPEGs for the client and 2048 px copies for the web, without location data.

  1. rawed · list_photos(folder: "photos")

    22 photos: DSC_1764.NEF, DSC_1767.NEF, DSC_1770.NEF, …

  2. rawed · assess_photos(paths: ["DSC_1764.NEF", "DSC_1767.NEF", … 22 photos], include: ["exposure"])

    {"DSC_1791.NEF": {"ev_offset": -2.43, "highlight_clip_percent": 0.56}, "DSC_1835.NEF": {"ev_offset": -1.88, "highlight_clip_percent": 0.21}, "DSC_1806.NEF": {"ev_offset": -1.26, "highlight_clip_percent": 1.08}} …

    … and 19 more photos in the same reply

  3. rawed · get_photo_info(path: "DSC_1764.NEF")

    {"as_shot_temperature": 3458, "as_shot_tint": 25}

    … the same call for 21 more photos

  4. As shot, the frames sit between −2.43 and −1.26 EV against 18% grey, a spread of 1.2 EV, and the camera picked white balances from 2705 K to 4490 K. I’ll bring every frame to the set’s median plus 0.4 EV (−1.48 EV), which means exposure changes from −0.22 to +0.95 EV, and give all of them one white balance: 3400 K, tint +19, the median of the camera’s own values.

  5. rawed · render_preview(path: "DSC_1764.NEF", max_size: 360, original: true)

    DSC_1764.NEF: Original preview, 360×240.

    … the same call for 21 more photos

  6. rawed · update_recipe(path: "DSC_1791.NEF", changes: {"light": {"exposure": 0.95}})

    DSC_1791.NEF: Applied “Match exposure”. Changed: {"light":{"exposure":0.95}}

  7. rawed · update_recipe(path: "DSC_1835.NEF", changes: {"light": {"exposure": 0.4}})

    DSC_1835.NEF: Applied “Match exposure”. Changed: {"light":{"exposure":0.4}}

  8. rawed · update_recipe(path: "DSC_1806.NEF", changes: {"light": {"exposure": -0.22}})

    DSC_1806.NEF: Applied “Match exposure”. Changed: {"light":{"exposure":-0.22}}

    … the same call for 19 more photos

  9. rawed · set_white_balance(path: "DSC_1764.NEF", mode: "custom", temperature: 3400, tint: 19)

    DSC_1764.NEF: White balance: {"mode": "custom", "temperature": 3400, "tint": 19}

    … the same call for 21 more photos

  10. Exposure and white balance now match. Next, the look on DSC_1803: a medium contrast curve, some vibrance, a little clarity and dehaze, cool shadows, warm highlights and a light vignette.

  11. rawed · apply_tone_curve_preset(path: "DSC_1803.NEF", preset: "medium_contrast")

    DSC_1803.NEF: Tone curve rgb: mediumContrast.

  12. rawed · update_recipe(path: "DSC_1803.NEF", changes: {"color": {"vibrance": 12}, "presence": {"clarity": 10, "dehaze": 6}, "colorGrading": {"shadows": {"hue": 215, "saturation": 14, "luminance": 0}, "highlights": {"hue": 40, "saturation": 10, "luminance": 0}}, "effects": {"vignette": {"amount": -10}}})

    DSC_1803.NEF: Applied “Night look”. Changed: {"color":{"vibrance":12},"colorGrading":{"highlights":{"hue":40,"luminance":0,"saturation":10},"shadows":{"hue":215,"luminance":0,"saturation":14}},"effects":{"vignette":{"amount":-10}},"presence":{"clarity":10,"dehaze":6}}

  13. rawed · render_preview(path: "DSC_1803.NEF", max_size: 1024)

    DSC_1803.NEF: Edited preview, 1024×683.

  14. rawed · paste_settings(source: "DSC_1803.NEF", paths: ["DSC_1764.NEF", "DSC_1767.NEF", … 21 photos], categories: ["toneCurve", "color", … 5 items])

    Pasted toneCurve, color, colorGrading, presence, effects from DSC_1803.NEF to 21 photos.

  15. I pasted the look to the other 21 photos without exposure or white balance, so the matching stays. 4 frames had street lamps or headlights clipping as shot (DSC_1791, DSC_1803, DSC_1806, DSC_1829); in those I pull the highlights down by 40.

  16. rawed · update_recipe(path: "DSC_1791.NEF", changes: {"light": {"highlights": -40}})

    DSC_1791.NEF: Applied “Hold the lamp highlights”. Changed: {"light":{"highlights":-40}}

    … the same call for 3 more photos

  17. rawed · render_preview(path: "DSC_1764.NEF", max_size: 360)

    DSC_1764.NEF: Edited preview, 360×240.

    … the same call for 21 more photos

  18. rawed · export(paths: ["DSC_1764.NEF", "DSC_1767.NEF", … 22 photos], format: "jpeg", quality: 0.9, size: "original", remove_location: true, directory: "client")

    {"completed": 22, "failures": [], "outputs": ["client/DSC_1767.jpg", "… 22 files"]}

  19. rawed · export(paths: ["DSC_1764.NEF", "DSC_1767.NEF", … 22 photos], format: "jpeg", quality: 0.8, size: "long_edge", long_edge: 2048, remove_location: true, file_name: "{name}-web", directory: "web")

    {"completed": 22, "failures": [], "outputs": ["web/DSC_1767-web.jpg", "… 22 files"]}

As shot (22 frames)
As shot (22 frames)
Matched and edited
Matched and edited

22 full-size JPEGs in client/ and 22 web copies (2048×1365) in web/, exported with location removal on. 123 tool calls in all. Every change is a step in that photo’s own history and can be undone.

Cull a shoot

Example session · 28 RAW files from one parade

28 frames from a St Patrick’s Day parade, mostly bursts. Reject anything out of focus or badly exposed, keep the best frame of each burst, and mark the keepers.

  1. rawed · assess_photos(paths: ["DSC_2525.NEF", "DSC_2526.NEF", … 28 photos])

    {"DSC_2527.NEF": {"sharpness": {"score": 78, "likely_blurry": false, "relative_to_group_best": 0.87}, "exposure": {"highlight_clip_percent": 0.25, "likely_overexposed": false}, "faces": {"count": 2, "any_eyes_closed": false}, "duplicate_group": 1}, "DSC_2528.NEF": {"sharpness": {"score": 81, "likely_blurry": false, "relative_to_group_best": 1}, "exposure": {"highlight_clip_percent": 0.08, "likely_overexposed": false}, "faces": {"count": 5, "any_eyes_closed": true}, "duplicate_group": 1}, "DSC_2547.NEF": {"sharpness": {"score": 69, "likely_blurry": false, "relative_to_group_best": 0.74}, "exposure": {"highlight_clip_percent": 7.18, "likely_overexposed": true}, "faces": {"count": 1, "any_eyes_closed": false}, "duplicate_group": 5}} … {"duplicate_groups": [{"group": 1, "photos": 4, "suggested_keep": "DSC_2527.NEF"}, {"group": 2, "photos": 9, "suggested_keep": "DSC_2539.NEF"}, {"group": 3, "photos": 2, "suggested_keep": "DSC_2540.NEF"}, {"group": 4, "photos": 3, "suggested_keep": "DSC_2558.NEF"}, {"group": 5, "photos": 6, "suggested_keep": "DSC_2550.NEF"}, {"group": 6, "photos": 2, "suggested_keep": "DSC_2556.NEF"}]}

    … and 25 more photos in the same reply

  2. None of the 28 frames looks blurry (sharpness 61 to 92 out of 100) and none is underexposed. DSC_2547 is overexposed, with 7.2% of the highlights clipped. 26 frames fall into 6 groups of near-duplicates, and 2 have no duplicate. In the first burst of 4 the sharpest frame has a face with eyes likely closed, so Rawed suggests DSC_2527 instead. The eye check is only a hint and can come from someone in the crowd. I’ll pick the suggested frame of each group and the 2 frames without duplicates, and reject the rest.

  3. rawed · set_rating(paths: ["DSC_2527.NEF", "DSC_2539.NEF", … 8 photos], rating: 3, flag: "pick")

    Set rating 3, flag pick on 8 photos.

  4. rawed · set_rating(paths: ["DSC_2525.NEF", "DSC_2526.NEF", … 20 photos], flag: "reject")

    Set flag reject on 20 photos.

  5. rawed · render_preview(path: "DSC_2525.NEF", max_size: 320)

    DSC_2525.NEF: Edited preview, 320×214.

    … the same call for 27 more photos

Picks and rejects

  • DSC_2525DSC_2525 Reject · group 1
  • DSC_2526DSC_2526 Reject · group 1
  • DSC_2527DSC_2527 Pick · best of group 1
  • DSC_2528DSC_2528 Reject · group 1
  • DSC_2529DSC_2529 Reject · group 2
  • DSC_2530DSC_2530 Reject · group 2
  • DSC_2531DSC_2531 Reject · group 2
  • DSC_2532DSC_2532 Reject · group 2
  • DSC_2533DSC_2533 Reject · group 2
  • DSC_2534DSC_2534 Reject · group 2
  • DSC_2536DSC_2536 Reject · group 2
  • DSC_2538DSC_2538 Reject · group 2
  • DSC_2539DSC_2539 Pick · best of group 2
  • DSC_2540DSC_2540 Pick · best of group 3
  • DSC_2541DSC_2541 Reject · group 3
  • DSC_2542DSC_2542 Pick · no duplicate
  • DSC_2543DSC_2543 Pick · no duplicate
  • DSC_2545DSC_2545 Reject · group 4
  • DSC_2546DSC_2546 Reject · group 5
  • DSC_2547DSC_2547 Reject · 7.18% clipped
  • DSC_2548DSC_2548 Reject · group 5
  • DSC_2549DSC_2549 Reject · group 5
  • DSC_2550DSC_2550 Pick · best of group 5
  • DSC_2551DSC_2551 Reject · group 5
  • DSC_2554DSC_2554 Reject · group 4
  • DSC_2556DSC_2556 Pick · best of group 6
  • DSC_2557DSC_2557 Reject · group 6
  • DSC_2558DSC_2558 Pick · best of group 4

8 picks with 3 stars and 20 rejects. Nothing is deleted: filter the library by flag to see either set.

Photos in the shoot examples: Wilfredor, CC0 1.0, from the Internet Archive. Shown here as small previews.

All features

RAW

RAW engine
Apple’s RAW engine. The decoder version is recorded per photo
RAW settings
Highlight recovery, gamut mapping, base curve, shadow boost, baseline exposure
RAW detail
Capture sharpening, moiré reduction (supported formats), luminance and colour noise reduction

Light

Basic
Exposure (±5 EV), contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks
Tone
Local tone mapping, highlight compression, Recover Dynamic Range (0–100)
White balance
As Shot, Auto, Custom (2,000–50,000 K, tint −150 to +150), eyedropper
Auto
Auto, Auto Landscape

Colour

Tone curve
Point curve (RGB, R, G, B), parametric curve (highlights, lights, darks, shadows, three split points), presets (Linear, Medium, Strong)
HSL
Hue, saturation and luminance for 8 colours (red, orange, yellow, green, aqua, blue, purple, magenta)
Colour grading
Hue, saturation and luminance for shadows, midtones and highlights; blending, balance
Saturation
Vibrance, saturation

Detail and effects

Sharpening
Amount, radius, detail, masking (mask shown while adjusting)
Noise reduction
Luminance (detail, contrast), colour (detail, smoothness). Loads a Core ML denoise model you provide
Effects
Texture, clarity, dehaze, post-crop vignette (amount, midpoint, roundness, feather, highlights)

Lens and geometry

Lens
Lens profile correction (on/off), distortion, vignetting, defringe
Crop
Aspect presets, custom ratios, straighten, Auto Straighten
Transform
90° rotation, horizontal and vertical flip, perspective (vertical, horizontal, rotate, aspect, scale, offset)

Masks

Types
Select Sky, Select Subject, linear gradient, radial gradient, brush (size, feather, flow, density, erase), luminance range, colour range
Combine
Add, subtract, intersect, invert
Local adjustments
Exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks, temperature, tint, saturation, sharpness, clarity, dehaze

View

Histogram
RGB, luminance
Exposure checks
Highlight and shadow clipping, zebra (95%, 98%, 100%), exposure heatmap
Compare
Split, side by side, hold Space for the original
Display
Zoom 25–400%, EDR preview on HDR displays

Library

Culling
Ratings (0–5), flags (pick, reject), colour labels (5 colours)
Sort and filter
Sort by capture time, file name or rating. Filter by rating, flag or file type
Files
Folders shown as they are, RAW + JPEG pairs as one photo, memory cards and external drives (grouped by capture day, Copy to Folder)

Edits

Non-destructive
Originals are never modified; edits are saved in a sidecar file per photo
History
Undo, redo, history list
Presets
7 built-in; create, import and export (.rspreset); copy and paste settings by category; batch apply

Export

Formats
JPEG, HEIF, PNG, TIFF (16-bit)
Colour space
sRGB, Display P3
Size
Original, long edge, short edge, width × height, percentage, megapixels
Options
Quality, metadata (all, without location, without camera and location, copyright only, none), copyright and creator, output sharpening, resolution (ppi), text or image watermark, filename template with date and numbering, capture-date subfolders, batch export
Presets
One Export sheet, also for converting a card's photos without opening the editor. Presets: Full-Size JPEG, Web, Share, Small, Lossless PNG

HDR merge

HDR merge
Two or more bracketed photos, alignment, ghost removal (adjustable), saved as a linear HDR TIFF

AI agents (Rawed+)

MCP
rawed-mcp server for Claude Code, Codex and other MCP clients. Connections from the same Mac only. Turned on in Settings

Cameras

Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Panasonic, OM System, Olympus, Pentax, Leica, Hasselblad, ProRAW (DNG) from iPhone and iPad

Rawed opens the RAW files your Mac can open: 932 camera models as of October 2026. New cameras are added with macOS updates.

Pricing

Both editions have the same editor. The one difference: Rawed+ lets AI agents like Claude Code and Codex drive it for you. If you edit by hand, Rawed from the Mac App Store is all you need.

Rawed (Mac App Store)Rawed+
Price$9.99, once$9.99, once
Where to buyMac App StoreThis website
Editor, masks, Export, cardsYesYes
AI agents over MCPNoYes
Free trialNo14 days
MacsEvery Mac on your Apple AccountUp to 3 of your own Macs
LicenceYour Apple AccountLicence key, no expiry
Mac App Store, $9.99Buy Rawed+, $9.99Try it for free

If you bought Rawed on the Mac App Store, Rawed+ costs nothing extra.
Download Rawed+ and open the App Store version once on the same Mac.

US prices, before tax. Prices and taxes, such as GST in Australia, differ by country.