Narrative supports DNG files. If your DNG files look pixelated or don't show at all, it's usually because of the preview inside the file. Check which problem you have first, because the fixes are different.
What if my DNG files look pixelated?
If your DNG files load but look pixelated or blurry, turn on high-res previews in Narrative. Narrative creates sharper previews for RAW files that have small previews, without changing your DNG files or importing them again. Learn how to turn on high-res previews.
What if my DNG files don't show at all?
If your DNG files don't show at all, like this, Narrative may not be able to read them:
Check the drive with your photos is connected, and the files are downloaded to your computer.
Update Narrative to the latest version.
Follow the steps in Images are not loading or show gray thumbnails.
How do I create DNG files that look sharp in Narrative?
If you convert your photos to DNG before you cull, choose a full-size JPEG preview in your converter or in Lightroom's export settings.
Keep your original RAW files until you've checked the DNG copies look right and have your ratings.
If your camera shoots DNG: some cameras let you choose the preview size. Set it to Full Size or High Quality.
If your camera doesn't have that setting: turn on high-res previews in Narrative first. If that doesn't help, import your photos into Lightroom and export them as DNG with the JPEG preview set to Full Size.
What if my DNG files are already edited in Lightroom?
If you've already edited your photos in Lightroom Classic, keep their metadata with them. Before you read or replace metadata, follow the metadata sync guide so you don't lose your edits.
Converting to DNG only changes the file type and preview. It won't fix a damaged file or a missing folder.