.arq File Extension
.arq file is, how to open Sony Pixel Shift RAW composites, how Poly supports them, and which export format to choose. File extension details for .arq
Full Support| File type | Sony Pixel Shift Multi Shooting RAW composite |
|---|---|
| MIME type | |
| Encoding | Binary, TIFF-based Sony RAW composite with metadata and embedded previews |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS |
| Opens with | Sony Imaging Edge Desktop, Adobe Camera Raw, Adobe Lightroom |
| Poly support | Yes. Poly provides rich support for Sony ARQ composites. |
| Indexed by Poly | Yes. Poly indexes filenames, available camera metadata, color, and visual similarity. |
| Preview in Poly | Yes. ARQ files open in Poly's image viewer. |
| Poly agent | Yes. The Poly agent can understand the visible composite preview. |
What kind of file is a .arq?
An .arq file is combined RAW data from Sony's Pixel Shift Multi Shooting workflow. A compatible Sony camera records a sequence of .arw captures while moving its image sensor. Sony Imaging Edge Desktop combines that sequence on a Windows PC or Mac and saves the result as ARQ.1
ARQ is TIFF-based and may begin with the familiar little-endian TIFF bytes 49 49 2A 00. Ordinary TIFF and several camera RAW formats share that header, so it is not a unique ARQ magic number. Check the extension, TIFF structure, and Sony metadata together.2
The conventional image/x-sony-arw MIME type covers Sony RAW files in Poly, but it is not registered by IANA.3
.arw, TIFF, or JPEG file to .arq does not create a Pixel Shift composite. Imaging Edge must combine the source captures.How do I open a .arq on my computer?
- Windows or macOS: Sony Imaging Edge Desktop is the safest choice. Its Viewer can browse ARQ, while Edit can adjust brightness, color, and white balance before exporting.1
- Windows or macOS: Current Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom can open Sony ARQ files, although some Enhance features such as Denoise, Raw Details, and Super Resolution do not accept them.4
Web browsers do not natively develop ARQ. Export a JPEG, TIFF, or another broadly supported image when someone only needs to view the finished photograph.
Poly support for .arq
Poly gives ARQ files thumbnails, an in-app preview, available camera metadata, visual search, and agent understanding. You can find a composite by filename, metadata, color, or visible content.
Poly presents an embedded camera-rendered view. Use Imaging Edge or another compatible RAW editor for sensor-level development and access to the complete Pixel Shift data. Words photographed inside an ARQ are not indexed as document text.
History of .arq
Sony created ARQ for the desktop stage of Pixel Shift Multi Shooting. The camera first writes separate ARW captures, then Imaging Edge combines them into one RAW composite. Sony documents modes using four captures and, on supported models, sixteen captures with information equivalent to 963.2 million pixels.1
| Extension | Created by | Typical role |
|---|---|---|
.arw | Sony camera | One RAW capture in the sequence |
.arq | Imaging Edge Desktop | Combined Pixel Shift RAW data |
Pixel Shift is best suited to still subjects such as artwork and architecture. Movement between exposures can create composite artifacts, although Imaging Edge offers motion correction for supported workflows.1
Working with .arq and alternatives
Keep the ARQ and its source ARW files if future RAW adjustments matter. Export according to the destination:
| Format | Best for | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG | Email, galleries, and broad compatibility | Lossy and no longer RAW-editable |
| TIFF | High-quality interchange and continued editing | Large rendered file |
| PNG | Lossless sharing of a finished image | Does not preserve the RAW workflow |
Imaging Edge can develop ARQ into JPEG or TIFF.1 A rendered export records one interpretation of the composite and cannot recreate all the original capture data. Review location, camera, and serial metadata before sharing an original.
Footnotes
- Sony. Imaging Edge Desktop. Documents ARQ generation from four- or sixteen-image Pixel Shift sequences, RAW adjustment, motion correction, and JPEG or TIFF output. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
- ExifTool. Supported File Types. Identifies ARQ as a TIFF-based Sony RAW format with Exif, XMP, ICC, Sony, and SonyIDC metadata support. ↩
- Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. Media Types Registry. The image registry contains no
image/x-sony-arwentry. ↩ - Adobe. Use Raw Details and Super Resolution in Adobe Camera Raw. Lists Sony ARQ among the formats excluded from several Enhance features. ↩