printing RAW

i save to jpeg for when i do outsource for like books. but i do print the raw pictures using lightroom for my photographic prints. im just curious about a few things like ppls techniques, experiences, does a print look better printed from raw vs. jpeg or tiff, and if ppl really go through all these steps of converting to make photographic prints. from what ive read it seems i always come across articles saying that you must always convert before you print to either jpeg or tiff. i dont know why if you do your own prints and have programs like PS or lightroom where these can open and print raw files; because i print the raw files in lightroom ; and i call them raw because i havent converted them.

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Bernardo
phototronica.com