What is a PSB file?
PSB stands for Photoshop Large Document Format. It was created by Adobe and first released in 2003. PSB is the big brother of PSD, added in Photoshop CS: the same layers and features, but images up to 300,000 pixels a side and files larger than 2 GB. Far fewer programs open it than open PSD.
| Type | image |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| Colour | up to 32 bits per channel, in RGB, CMYK, Lab or greyscale |
| Transparency | Yes |
| Animation | No |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; Photoshop opens it, and Photopea reads it |
| Common uses | panoramas, billboards, large prints and very high-resolution scans |
| MIME type | image/vnd.adobe.photoshop |
Which format should you convert PSB to?
- PSB to JPG for photos that must open everywhere and stay small.
- PSB to PNG for screenshots, logos and anything with transparency.
- PSB to PDF to print, or to attach as a document.
PSB is lossless, so converting it to a lossy format is where the file gets much smaller.
How to open a PSB file
A PSB file does not open in a web browser, and only some devices have a program for it. Here is what works on each. If none of these is to hand, converting the file to PNG here is the quickest way to see what is inside it.
| Windows | Photoshop opens it; very few other Windows programs do. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Photoshop opens it; Photopea, a free web editor, opens it in any browser. |
| iPhone and iPad | Photopea, a free editor that runs in Safari, opens it. Or convert it to PNG or JPG here. |
| Android | Photopea, a free editor that runs in Chrome, opens it. Or convert it to PNG or JPG here. |
PSB compared with other image formats
How PSB stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSB | Lossless | Yes | 2003 | panoramas, billboards, large prints and very high-resolution scans |
| JPG | Lossy | No | 1992 | camera photos, web images and email attachments |
| PNG | Lossless | Yes | 1996 | screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with transparency |
| WebP | Either | Yes | 2010 | images served by websites to save bandwidth |
| HEIC | Lossy | Yes | 2017 | photos taken on iPhones and iPads since iOS 11 |
How to use the PSB converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your PSB files on the box, or press Choose PSB files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. The file is converted on our server and deleted as soon as the result is sent back.
Tips for converting PSB files without losing quality
PSB is lossless, so it is a good source for any conversion. Converting it to a lossy format is where the file gets much smaller, and converting it to another lossless format keeps every pixel.
- Keep the original file. It holds the layers, masks or raw data that a converted image does not, and you can always convert from it again.
- Choose PNG for artwork, screenshots and anything with sharp edges, and JPG for photos that must be small.
- Converted images are flattened: layers, adjustments and editable text become pixels, so make changes in the original and convert again.
- The server accepts files up to 25 MB; save very large files at a smaller size first.
Convert PSB files from the command line
ImageMagick does the same on your own computer:
magick input.psb[0] -background white -flatten -quality 92 output.jpgConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
PSB converter FAQ
What is a PSB file?
PSB stands for Photoshop Large Document Format, an image format created by Adobe in 2003. PSB is the big brother of PSD, added in Photoshop CS: the same layers and features, but images up to 300,000 pixels a side and files larger than 2 GB. Far fewer programs open it than open PSD.
How do I open a PSB file?
PSB does not open in browsers; Photoshop opens it, and Photopea reads it. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common PSB conversion?
PSB to JPG is the conversion people search for most. ImageMagick, the open-source image toolkit, reads the flattened copy of the whole picture that Photoshop saves inside every PSB, the image you see with all layers visible, on our conversion server, and saves it as a JPG at 92 percent quality.
Does converting PSB files here upload them?
Yes. PSB conversions need ImageMagick, an open-source program that cannot run in a browser, so they run on our conversion server. The file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept.
Is the PSB converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert PSB files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your PSB files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several PSB files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.