PEF to TIF

Why?

You can use Irfanview to do a batch "conversion" to save the TIFF with ZIP or LZW compression so that you save some space.

Because all the extra info is wasted and cannot possibly be reproduced and because my printer won't accept 16 bit file info anyway.

I am of course assuming that the file has been saved before being printed.

EDIT: I'm forgetting - fotoLibra also expressly do not want 16 bit files.

Stefan, thank you very much for that information. However, if I use IrfanView to view my files, that shows EXIF info in a TIFF file :

Yes but EXIF is only text on what settings your camera was on not real information/data.
It's a bit hard to explain what RAW is...
It's more codes instead of pixels, the pixels aren't locked yet it's simply information of the amound of light a pixel of a sensor gets plus information from the camera to form it into a photo.

I'm not 100% sure about this but that is my understanding behind it.

To put it simpeler.
With TIFF a pixel is an combination of an amount red, green and blue.
With RAW a pixel is also build up with red, green and blue but that's only what you see. The values RGB is built up with the information from the sensor but a pixel on the sensor isn't RGB but red, green or blue so it needs information of the pixel beside it to make an average RGB value, therefor is information needed from the camera and lots more. So with cropping 50% you only delete the RGB information from the sensor but not the rest of the stuff needed to make an photo out of raw data.

*sighs* a bitter pill or not?
Read this it might help.
camera sensor - link
RAW - link
Jpeg & tiff - link
There are many more things such as bit depth so take a look http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm

Stefan, again thank you. I obviously have a lot to learn

Andrew don't worry much about it, simply know what you can do with it and you're more then fine. Just keep it simple and have fun.