Sony ARW guide
How to edit Sony ARW files online
Sony ARW files can be graded online in Kalar with a local browser workflow. The safe process is to verify the decode, normalize exposure and white balance, build the look, and export only after you have checked highlight behavior, shadow detail, and orientation.
1. Start with a representative ARW file
Use an ARW file that contains skin, neutrals, highlights, and deep shadows so you can judge whether the decode and the look both hold up in realistic conditions.
2. Verify the decode before grading
Check image dimensions, orientation, white balance, and highlight handling before you start creative color work. A recognized extension still needs camera-specific validation.
3. Build the look in layers
Set exposure and contrast first, then refine palette, curves, grain, halation, bloom, and diffusion in that order so the later effects reinforce the earlier tonal choices.
4. Export deliberately
When the grade is stable, export a finished still image or a reusable LUT depending on whether the downstream workflow needs a rendered photo or a transferable color transform.