How to find the RAW originals behind a client's selected JPEGs

Culling happens on JPEGs, RAW offers more latitude for demanding edits. The part in between — mapping one set of filenames back onto the other — has no craft in it, yet it can eat an afternoon. This guide splits it into steps: check whether matching is even possible, prepare the selection, batch match, and work through failures in a sensible order.

Last updated: 5 November 2026 · macOS 14.6+ · US$2.99 (USD)

First, check that the filename stem survived

Every batch match rests on one rule: a JPEG and its RAW come from the same shutter release, so they share a filename stem and differ only in extension.

So the first move is not opening any app — it is looking at both filenames. If the selection still carries the camera's original numbering, this can be done in bulk. If something renamed the files along the way, fix the naming first; RAW Matcher cannot match changed stems directly. Other workflows may use EXIF metadata or a filename mapping to locate the corresponding originals.

When this comes up

• The client does their own culling. You send previews or proxies; they return a folder, or a spreadsheet of filenames.
• You show JPEGs first and retouch later. Reviewing happens on JPEGs, and the originals only matter once the selection is signed off.
• Someone else culled. An assistant or retoucher hands you JPEGs and a note that the originals are "in the usual place".
• Spread across cards and backups. A few thousand frames on two cards, backed up to two folders.

The full path: from selection to RAW files

Step 1 — Gather the selected JPEGs into one folder

The workflow shown here does not support pasting a filename list directly. RAW Matcher loads a folder of selected JPEGs. If you only have a list, first manually pick the corresponding files from your existing JPEG collection and copy them into a separate folder:

• Client sent a folder: skip this step.
• Client sent only filenames: pick those JPEGs out of the selection set and copy them into a new folder, for example 2026-11-05_client-selects.
• Client sent a spreadsheet or chat log: tidy the filename column into a list first, then work through it.

Keep that folder for selected JPEGs only, so the loaded count is easy to verify.

Step 2 — Select the original RAW folder in RAW Matcher

Open RAW Matcher and point step 1, Select Original Raw Folder, at wherever the originals live: the card, an external drive, or a project folder you already organised.

Step 3 — Load the shortlisted JPEG folder

Point step 2, Load Shortlisted JPEG Folder, at the folder from step 1. Once loaded, the Selected Files area shows the file count — that number should match the selection you expect. If it does not, something extra got in or something is missing.

Step 4 — Choose the RAW format and output location

• RAW Format: pick the extension to match, such as .ARW, .CR2 or .NEF. A shoot usually uses one, and fixing it up front prevents false hits in mixed folders.
• Custom Output Folder: turn it on to write matched originals straight to a specific place — for example the retouch folder for this job — instead of copying them again afterwards.

Step 5 — Match, then handle whatever needs a decision

Click Match Files. Most entries resolve on their own; only one situation needs you:

When a number repeats, verify the folder source and capture time before accepting a match. The example screenshot shows candidate selection with Confirm and Skip controls; check the app’s actual results.

Decide by capture time and folder origin: check the JPEG's timestamp in Finder, compare it with each candidate, and the right body is usually obvious. Confirm your pick, or skip it and deal with that frame later.

When a match fails, check in this order

Start with the likeliest cause rather than assuming the software is wrong:

1. Was the filename stem changed? Exporting, sending to a client, or the client's own transfer can all add suffixes or rename files. This is the most common cause by far.
2. Is the RAW format selection wrong? The folder holds .CR3 while .CR2 is selected, and nothing can match.
3. Are the originals actually in that folder? Confirm the path does not point one level above the files.
4. Did exporting or transferring rename the files? Reducing image dimensions alone does not affect filename matching when the filename stem is preserved. Check for added prefixes or suffixes.
5. Do the files still exist? A reformatted card, a cleanup script or a backup that never synced can mean there is nothing to find.

Doing it by hand instead

For a handful of frames, manual works fine:

• Finder search. Search the RAW folder for each number. Fine for a few files, tedious past that.
• Filtering in a catalog app. Works when everything already lives in one managed folder, but cross-folder and cross-backup work still means switching windows.
• Copy and paste. Paste each selected filename into a search field — fast to start, easy to lose track of.

The problem with manual is not difficulty but repetition and omission: no checklist, no progress, and hard to resume after an interruption. Past twenty or thirty frames, a batch match usually pays for itself.

FAQ

Try it on your Mac

RAW Matcher is available on the Mac App Store and runs entirely locally: no server connection, no account required, and it only accesses folders you explicitly choose.

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