What is a PSD file?
PSD stands for Adobe Photoshop document. It was created by Adobe and first released in 1990. A PSD keeps every layer, mask, adjustment and text layer separately so the work can be edited later, and stores a flattened copy of the whole picture beside them. A PSD is limited to 30,000 pixels a side and 2 GB; larger work is saved as PSB.
| 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 GIMP, Affinity Photo and Photopea read most PSD files |
| Common uses | Photoshop artwork, photo retouching, mock-ups and design files |
| MIME type | image/vnd.adobe.photoshop |
Which format should you convert PSD to?
- PSD to JPG for photos that must open everywhere and stay small.
- PSD to PNG for screenshots, logos and anything with transparency.
- PSD to WebP for the smallest file on a website.
- PSD to PDF to print, or to attach as a document.
PSD is lossless, so converting it to a lossy format is where the file gets much smaller.
How to open a PSD file
A PSD 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 with every layer; GIMP (free) opens most PSD files, and IrfanView (free) shows the flattened image. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Photoshop opens it with every layer; Preview and Quick Look show the flattened image. |
| iPhone and iPad | Photopea, a free editor that runs in Safari, opens it. Or convert it to PNG or JPG here to view it. |
| Android | Photopea, a free editor that runs in Chrome, opens it. Or convert it to PNG or JPG here to view it. |
Want the technical details? See what a .psd file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
PSD compared with other image formats
How PSD stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSD | Lossless | Yes | 1990 | Photoshop artwork, photo retouching, mock-ups and design files |
| 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 PSD converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your PSD files on the box, or press Choose PSD 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 PSD files without losing quality
PSD 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 PSD files from the command line
ImageMagick does the same on your own computer:
magick input.psd[0] -background white -flatten output.bmpConverting 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.
PSD converter FAQ
What is a PSD file?
PSD stands for Adobe Photoshop document, an image format created by Adobe in 1990. A PSD keeps every layer, mask, adjustment and text layer separately so the work can be edited later, and stores a flattened copy of the whole picture beside them. A PSD is limited to 30,000 pixels a side and 2 GB; larger work is saved as PSB.
How do I open a PSD file?
PSD does not open in browsers; Photoshop opens it, and GIMP, Affinity Photo and Photopea read most PSD files. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common PSD conversion?
PSD to BMP 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 PSD, the image you see with all layers visible, on our conversion server, and saves it as a 24-bit bitmap.
Does converting PSD files here upload them?
Yes. PSD conversions need ImageMagick, Ghostscript, MuPDF, LibRaw, librsvg and GIMP, open-source programs 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 PSD 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 PSD files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your PSD files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several PSD files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.