What is a PSD file? How to open a PSD file

This article describes what PSD files are and how they differ from standard images, how to open them, and which programs can convert them to popular image formats like PNG and JPG.

What is a PSD file?

PSD files are mainly used in Adobe Photoshop as the default format for saving data. Files with this extension are called Adobe Photoshop Document files and are in a proprietary format developed by Adobe.

Although some PSD files contain only a single image and are nothing else, common uses for PSD files include more than just storing an image file. They support multiple images, objects, filters, text, etc., as well as the use of layers, shapes, vector lines, and transparency.

For example, let’s say you have combined 5 images in one PSD file, each image on its own layer. When put together, the photos look as if they are on a flat image, but in reality, they are movable and fully editable in their own layer – as if you were work with separate photos. You can reopen this PSD file as many times as you want and make changes to individual layers without affecting the other layers.

Note: PSD is also an abbreviation for other technological terms such as personal secure drive, programmable system device, port-sharing device. and packet switch design, but none of them have anything to do with the Adobe Photoshop Document file format.

How to open a PSD file

The best programs for opening and editing PSD files are Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements, as well as CorelDRAW and Corel’s PaintShop Pro tool.

Other Adobe programs can also use PSD files, like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Adobe After Effects. However, these programs are mainly used for video or audio editing rather than graphic editors like Photoshop.

If you are looking for a free program to open PSD files, we recommend GIMP. This is a free and popular image editing tool that opens PSD files and many other file formats. You can also use GIMP to edit PSD files but potentially crashes, as it has limitations in recognizing complex layers and other advanced features that could have been used in Photoshop while file is created.

Paint.NET (with Paint.NET PSD Plugin) is another free program that, like GIMP, can open PSD files. Other free image editors also support opening PSD files, and some can also save as PSD file formats.

If you want to quickly open a PSD file without Photoshop, you should use Photopea. It’s a free online photo editor that runs in the browser, not only allowing you to see all the layers of the PSD, but also do some editing. You can also use Photopea to save the file back to your computer in PSD format.

Apple’s IrfanView, PSD Viewer, and QuickTime Picture Viewer (part of its free QuickTime program) will also open PSD files, but you cannot use them to edit PSD files. You also won’t have any sort of layer support as they only work as a PSD viewer.

Apple Preview, which comes with macOS, will be able to open PSD files by default. If the program that automatically opens the PSD file on your Windows computer is not the program you want to open by default, making the change is pretty easy. See the article: How to change default Windows applications for more details.

How to convert PSD files

The most common reason for converting a PSD file is to use it as a regular image file, perhaps like a JPG, PNG, BMP or GIF file. That way, you can upload the image online (many websites don’t accept PSD files) or send the image via email so it can be opened on a computer that doesn’t use the PSD viewer.

If you have Photoshop on your computer, converting the PSD file to an image file format is extremely easy: Use the menu option. File> Save As.

If you don’t have Photoshop, a quick way to convert PSD files to PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, GIF or WEBP is via options. File> Export as by Photopea.

Most of the above programs that support editing or viewing PSD files can convert PSD to another format using the same process as Photoshop and Photopea.

Another option for converting PSD files is through a free image converter.

Converting a PSD file to an image file normally flattens or merges all layers into a single-layer file for conversion. After converting the PSD file in this way, there is no way to convert it back to PSD and reuse the layers.

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