I would really appreciate help in clearing up the following:

1. When saving Raw files I am saving them as DNG files. Having done this, are the CR2 files from the camera redundant?

2. Is it worth choosing to 'embed original raw file' for archiving purposes, & is it this which creates XMP files?

3. Saving as a DNG file offers a JPEG preview too, which suggested to me that a separate JPEG file would be created simultaneously- but isn't- meaning I am saving CR2 files once as DNG, then again as JPEG. By then XMP files have been created for each image too. 4 files for each image! Where am I going wrong- I can't believe that processing Raw is really this cumbersome?

4. In choosing the photo's resolution, I understand the 360ppi is more than enough for an inkjet print, but is there a detrimental effect through choosing much higher resolutions?

Regards

OK, so you have the CR2 file. That's the raw data off the CCD, and you've then converted that into another RAW file. Adobe's own RAW file the DNG, so you then have 2 raw files! And the XMP file tells browsers how to view the DNG file (This feature can be turned off BTW Click here for info (http://avondale.typepad.com/rawformat/2005/02/adobe_camera_ra.html)). You also then have the JPEG.
Personally I'd keep the CR2's for archiving, and forget the DNG's. Just use ifanview to view the CR2 files, as this will give you thumbnails without requiring any jpeg's, and is a very good viewer. Click here to download Irfanview, it's free (http://www.irfanview.com/)

And photoshop CS2 will convert the CR2's into either Tiff's or Jpeg's for general viewing purposes.

Raw Shooter Essentials is the way to go I'd say...
Workflow is excelent and its FREE...
Simply trim up, convert your good stuff to TIFF, convert the stuff you'de just like to keep as JPEG and edit the TIFFS in CS2...
easy and keeps you file managment down... Rawshooter (http://www.pixmantec.com/products/rawshooter_essentials.asp)

Thanks for the replies.

I was saving as DNG files as I understood this was Adobe's attempt to rationalise all the different Raw files that exist for different cameras thereby DNG seemed the format of choice for longer term archiving?

You could look at it that way, and there's nothing wrong with archiving using DNG. But as you've noticed, it'll have a large impact on your workflow.
I suppose you have to look at how many file's you're likely to convert, and decide then whether the extra time is worth it.
But if you do decide that DNG is your preffered filetype, I'd ditch the CR2's once processed.

Raw Shooter Essentials is the way to go I'd say...
Workflow is excelent and its FREE...
Simply trim up, convert your good stuff to TIFF, convert the stuff you'de just like to keep as JPEG and edit the TIFFS in CS2...
easy and keeps you file managment down... Rawshooter (http://www.pixmantec.com/products/rawshooter_essentials.asp)

Another RawShooter fan here :thumb: although I bought the Premium version before they sold out to Adobe. I still prefer it to CS2 or Lightroom for basic RAW workflow :)