If you want cleaner high-ISO RAW files without the “plastic” look, these are the settings I recommend for PureRAW 6. This guide is built around one goal: a clean starting file that still looks natural when you take it into Lightroom or Photoshop.
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If you don’t want to overthink it, start here. These settings suit most photographers and deliver natural detail.
Make DeepPRIME your default choice for day-to-day RAW cleaning. It’s a strong balance of clean noise reduction and natural detail.
Target high ISO, low light and underexposed RAW files first. You’ll see the biggest gains where noise is the main limiter.
Avoid over-sharpening at the pre-edit stage. It’s better to keep a clean base and do final sharpening at the end of your edit.
Use DeepPRIME as your default. Reserve stronger processing for files that truly need it (very high ISO or heavy underexposure).
Recommended: DeepPRIMEEnable lens corrections so you start editing with a file that’s already optically cleaned up (especially useful for wide lenses and challenging edges).
Recommended: ONExport an editable file that fits your workflow. If you edit in Lightroom, use the output that gives you maximum flexibility for grading and finishing.
Recommended: Edit-friendly output (Lightroom workflow)Run PureRAW before you do colour work. That way your edit decisions are based on a cleaner file, and you avoid fighting noise with heavy masking.
Recommended: First stepBatch process full folders when your shoot has consistent lighting/ISO. Use single-image processing when some photos need special handling.
Recommended: Batch for consistencyIf a setting makes textures look waxy, back it off. Natural detail beats aggressive cleanup — especially for skin, foliage and street scenes.
Recommended: Prioritise natural textureNot necessarily. You’ll see the biggest gains on noisy, underexposed or low-light RAW files. Many photographers process the “problem” selects first, then decide if the rest need it.
Overdoing sharpening or pushing noise reduction so far that textures go waxy. Aim for clean but believable detail.
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