Look up JPEG any you will see that the file type is a compressed version the original RAW image that was created in the camera. Some of the original data has been removed due to the compression algorithm and can never be recovered. A RAW file has all the image data which can be manipulated or not depending on how any individual photographer wishes to display image. In most cases, the original image data will present an extremely accurate rendering of what the photographer actually saw without any further modifications. This idea that every RAW image has to go through extensive post processing is just BS. If you, the photographer, have done your job correctly in capturing the image it will not need any further post processing. However, with RAW files you have the opportunity to make further changes with ALL the data present rather some version of the image that has had data removed through a baked in process. A RAW file can always be used to create a JPEG file the the reverse is never true. By the way, all camera manufacturers provide software to be able to view and modify their propritary RAW file formatted images.

In the Age of Film, I shot Kodachrome almost exclusively, and I learned to plan my use of the camera so that their automatic processing of the slide film would produce what I want; when I switched to digital, I transitioned my activities to having the JPEG developer in my camera as the 'target'.

The Cass series started off as out-of-camera JPEGs that received very slight "tweaking" before being "published" here.

Simple, I open Canon's Digital Photo Professional 4, select a specific .CR2 file and select print. Very simple process really. I could have opened a .CR2 file with a number of other programs and done the same thing.

If you're going to explain that the program goes through a conversion process before sending the data to the printer, you would be correct. However, every file does through some conversion before it goes to the printer even TIFF, JPEG and other image files. Even document files are converted to a specific printers language. Most of this is done by the printer driver provided by the manufacture. But I suppose you already knew that.

Simple, I open Canon's Digital Photo Professional 4, select a specific .CR2 file and select print. Very simple process really. I could have opened a .CR2 file with a number of other programs and done the same thing.

If you're going to explain that the program goes through a conversion process before sending the data to the printer, you would be correct. However, every file does through some conversion before it goes to the printer even TIFF, JPEG and other image files. Even document files are converted to a specific printers language. Most of this is done by the printer driver provided by the manufacture. But I suppose you already knew that.