PSD - Adobe file Photoshop. However, how to open a PSD file without using Photoshop? Of course, many programs support PSD. And free ones are GIMP, Paint.net (with the PDS plug-in installed), IrfanView (viewing without editing), PSD viewer, Fast Stown (viewing the resulting image without editing), paid ones - Corel Drow, Corel PHOTO-PAINT, Adobe Illustrator and others.

Without installing programs, you can view PSD files online.

– with this online editor you will not only open SD, but also see its layer-by-layer structure, and can also perform simple actions on the document. Tools available: brush, eraser, selection (lasso, Magic wand, rectangular area, text, eraser, frame, move, gradient, magnifying glass, foreground and background color, stamp).

Photoshop online - here you will find many tools and commands similar to Adobe Photoshop, as well as using Photoshop hotkeys. Supports layers and PSD format.

– an interesting shareware service (test period 14 days), in which you can open a full-fledged application GIPM, LibreOffice Draw, Kolour Paint and others in pop-up windows. Many of them understand and edit PSD. To open files you must first connect cloud storage dropbox and upload editable files to it.

Works only as an SD file viewer. You can't view layers, much less edit them.

Hi all! Today I want to tell you, but before that, let me make one thing clear, I am often asked a question how to open psd without photoshop- I’ll tell you right away NO WAY, the psd format was originally invented by Adobe for the CS Photoshop program. Therefore, you will not open a Photoshop file with any other program.

What is a psd file is a graphic image (picture) that has different internal layers. You've probably heard that any picture can be photoshopped; when you make some changes in Photoshop, they are saved on different layers of the image and in order for you to be able to manipulate these layers in the future, you need save this document in psd format, if you save the picture like jpg or png, then further changes to this picture will be a very complex process.

For example in order to change the text that you previously wrote on this picture, you will have to erase it with some effort without damaging the background, and this can be done by great Photoshop experts. But if you save the image in PSD format with overlaid text, you can change the text at any time and without any difficulties by clicking on the text layer and changing the content.

To open a PSD file, necessary download Photoshop CS6 and install it on your computer. After installation you have 2 ways to open a file:

Method number 1. Open the psd file directly

  1. Open a folder or desktop, depending on where the Photoshop file you want to open is located.
  2. Double-click on the file with the left mouse button and wait until Photoshop downloads your file.
  3. You can also click on psd file right click mice and click on the item “ Open».

Method number 2. Open the psd file through Photoshop

  1. If you have Windows 10, then go to the menu “ Start"and look in the list Adobe folder or the name of the program Photoshop CS6.
  2. If you have Windows 7, then open the menu “ Start", go to " All programs" and look for the Photoshop shortcut.
  3. After you have opened the Photoshop program, in the upper right corner we find the item “ File", click " Open».
  4. A window will open where you will have to find required file among the folders on your computer, then click “ Open»

That's it, wait until your file is downloaded.

To open a psd file without installing photoshop, it can be opened online in a browser. To do this, open a Yandex or Google search in your browser and enter the phrase “ Online Photoshop».

Certainly Photoshop online has very little functionality and working in it is quite inconvenient, but if you need to correct some little thing or you just want to get acquainted with what Photoshop is, then the online version will be completely enough for you.

As described above, open the Photoshop program on your computer. In the right corner click " File» > « Create».

A settings window should appear new psd file, specify the height and width of your file, and also check the box “ Transparency" if you want to so that your picture has transparent background . Now click " OK».

That's all! I wish you good luck and success!

PSD is the main format of Adobe Photoshop. Exported and imported into raster and vector software products. Designers and artists use this format due to its functionality and know how to open psd other than Adobe Photoshop.

psd format

Initially, the program was used as an application for image processing in the printing industry. Nowadays Photoshop is actively used in web design. Therefore, it is important to know how to open psd online. File with extension .psd – format for storing and processing raster graphic information. Created for the application. The format is not freely available for software products, so only Photoshop can open, edit and save files with the .psd extension. An important difference between .psd and .jpg (.jpeg) is that information is compressed without loss of quality, so the document remains available in its original resolution.


The format is associated with numerous media processing and animation applications. The file with the .psd extension is exported and imported into:

  • Adobe ImageReady, ;
  • Photo-Paint;

The functionality that is implemented in PSD format includes:

  • Creation graphic file with the arrangement of several photographs;
  • increasing/reducing image sizes during processing;
  • adding effects;
  • subsequent saving.psd in optimized image formats: jpg (jpeg), png, gif.

History of origin

First Adobe version Photoshop and the main psd format (how to open it is indicated below) appeared in 1987 under the name Display. In 1988, the developer renamed the application ImagePro. In September 1988, Adobe Systems bought the rights to the application. The developer of the software product is listed as Thomas Noll. 1989 is the date when the software product was renamed Photoshop. If when creating the installation file there were no questions about how to open a psd file, then with the availability of many modern applications for image processing, the question becomes acute.

Since June 2014, the Photoshop release name includes the release date (Photoshop 2014.0.0). The Knoll brothers, who developed the application for creating images and processing photos, are still expanding the tools and introducing functionality.


How and with what to open a file with a .psd extension

The PSD format is fully functional in Adobe Photoshop, but it is possible to open the PSD file online or in another application.

Online

Experienced users advise taking a closer look at the Photopea Online Editor. The functionality of the browser editor is mediocre, but it allows you to perform basic tasks. The application menu is familiar. To open a PSD document, the user:

  • clicks “File-Open”;
  • in the dialog box that appears, indicates the path to save the file with the .psd extension.

The user has the right to edit psd if he knows how to open the file online. Photopea allows you to edit individual layers on any computer with Internet access.


On the computer

Opening a psd file on a computer is easy if Adobe Photoshop is installed. The software product allows you to run images, edit them, change them at the layer level, and convert them to other formats. Since the program is paid, not every user will afford to buy and use the application. Therefore, it is important to know how to open PSD documents using free software products.

You can open the psd file using:

  • free alternative Adobe Photoshop. Supports formats opened and edited by Photoshop. GIMP edits PSD files in full. The disadvantages of the software include an inconvenient interface and long loading times due to numerous fonts.
  • . Lightweight file viewer works with high speed. Designed to open a multi-layered image for viewing without editing.
  • . The functionality of the application includes editing the image size and viewing the document. In-depth editing and coding are not available. Among the disadvantages, the English interface stands out.
  • . Able to view all layers of a psd file, but the functionality of the application differs from Adobe Photoshop.
  • . Practically no different from XnView. The functionality is the same. The interface is available in Russian.

Now the user understands how to open psd. All that remains is to select the software in accordance with the functionality and required tools.


On Windows 7

Viewing and editing psd files in Windows 7 is possible if the mentioned programs are available on your computer.

GIMP natively supports reading and editing layers, so no additional plugin installation is required. The downside of the program is that changes are not saved correctly in the psd file.

Paint.NET runs on computers running Windows 7 and higher. Able to read layers of a PSD file if a special plugin is installed.

To do this, the user:

  • loads the plugin and extracts documents from the archive;
  • copies PhotoShop.dll to the FileTypes folder (in the installed application folder);
  • launches Paint.NET.

  • adding effects;
  • applying filters;
  • changing the color palette.

IrfanView supports fewer formats. Files open as images. Access to layers is closed. To process a photo, a document with a .psd extension must be converted into an acceptable format.


On Windows 10

Viewing PSD and editing a graphic file is possible if the listed software is installed. Application functionality and tools are available in both Windows 7 and Windows 10.


On Android

To open a PSD file on Android, you can visit the Go2Convert web resource. The service converts a multilayer image into a familiar format, sets the size and compression of the finished image.


Google app Drive, available when you access the Internet, allows you to view a document with a .psd extension as an image. The only caveat is that it takes a long time to recognize the format.

The user has the right to install the following applications on smartphones running Android OS:


Other problems with the psd file

If the program for opening PSD is selected, then the user may have other problems with the format:

  • damaged file (the developers suggest using special utilities to recover a document or download a file from a trusted source);
  • content of viruses and dangerous objects;
  • lack of software products that support the format;
  • lack of drivers on the equipment responsible for viewing the image.

What if you need to open a standard PSD file, but Photoshop program Do you just not have it installed? Let's look at seven ways to do this.

The problem is that the PSD format is not open source like PNG, JPG or BMP. It was developed by Adobe as an editing project graphic image. Once you open such a file, you can always continue editing from where you left off. However, if you do not want to pay for a subscription to Adobe applications, then we have to look for an alternative. In functionality free analogues will be noticeably inferior to the Photoshop monster; moreover, some will only be able to open the PSD file for viewing. However, this is often quite enough.

GIMP

First free application One worth trying for opening a PSD file is GIMP. And not only because the rich functionality of this graphic editor is close to Photoshop and even can, but rather due to its availability on all platforms, be it Windows, Mac or Linux. Once you've tried the app, you can then use it on other devices.

To open a PSD file in the GIMP application, no additional plugins or extensions are needed. Just use the “File – Open” menu, select the PSD file and click “Open”.

The project will open not just as a static picture. Available layers will be displayed on which you can perform certain operations. However, you should remember that when you make changes and then save the file, it may later have problems opening in native Photoshop. So you can work with the file, but you shouldn’t make edits this way for a designer who uses Adobe software.








Free graphics editor Gimp, if desired, can be very similar to Photoshop and even inherit its hot cases.


Paint.NET

A much more advanced graphics editor than the standard Microsoft Paint, and at the same time not as intimidating with the abundance of functionality as GIMP or Photoshop. Simple and functional.

However, to open PSD files for the Paint.NET application, you will need to install a special plugin. Download the contents of the plugin, open the archive and copy the PhotoShop.dll library to the directory with the installed editor (most often this is C:/Program Files/paint.net), and more specifically to the FileTypes subdirectory. After that, launch the application itself.

If you did everything correctly, then PSD files should open smoothly in Paint.NET. Like GIMP, the layers of the project will be displayed, but Paint.NET does not support all the features of Photoshop, so some layers may not be available or even give errors when opening the file.

Photopea Online Editor

If you have not heard of Photopea before, then the project will be a pleasant discovery for you. The not-so-famous online editor is certainly inferior in functionality to Photoshop and GIMP, but it’s difficult to expect anything similar from browser-based editors. However, Photopea is really worth a look.

When you open the online editor’s website, you don’t even immediately believe that this is not a separate application. There is a familiar menu through which you can open files from your computer. Therefore, click “File – Open” and indicate the path to the PSD file.

Photopea works well with individual layers, which is very cool for an online editor. Thus, it becomes possible to edit PSD files wherever you are - from any computer.

XnView

The free picture organizer allows you to view and organize your pictures in a variety of ways. It can also be used for basic editing - applying filters, effects, changing the position of the picture, and so on.

XnView is capable of working with more than 500 formats, as well as exporting to 70 various formats. Therefore, the application will be useful not only for viewing images, but also for converting them.

During installation, the application will offer three options - minimal, standard and advanced. At the same time, the minimum is enough to open PSD files, so there is no need to clutter up the disk with the extended version. And yes - none additional extensions And you don't need to install plugins either.









After purchasing a new computer or laptop, the question invariably arises of what programs to install on it first.


IrfanView

Another image browser that also works as a converter. IrfanView does not support as many formats as XnView, but it works with the most common ones. Isn't that what we were trying to achieve?

IrfanView easily opens PSD files. Yes, he cannot edit them, but converting them to another format is easy.

This application is convenient to use as the default photo browser. Most likely, it will never disappoint you, unlike the standard Windows applications. IrfanView does not take up much space and is not demanding on resources.

Google Drive

A little weird to use cloud service from Google as a file browser, but it is quite capable of opening a wide variety of formats. In particular, you can view the contents of the PSD file uploaded to the online Drive.

Go2Convert

The latter method will not allow you to open, much less edit, a PSD file, but it can easily convert this format to more common. If you just need a PNG output or JPG format, then you do not have to install any application.

Simply visit the Go2Convert website, upload your PSD project and select the format you would like your image to be in. You can also resize it and give it additional compression. Simple and clear. Nothing extra.

The most common problem that prevents users from opening this file is an incorrectly assigned program. To fix this in Windows OS you need to right-click on the file, in context menu Hover your mouse over the "Open with" item and select "Select a program..." from the drop-down menu. As a result you will see a list installed programs on your computer, and you can choose the appropriate one. We also recommend checking the box next to “Use this application for all PSD files.”

Another problem that our users also encounter quite often is that the PSD file is corrupted. This situation can arise in many cases. For example: the file was downloaded incompletely as a result server errors, the file was damaged initially, etc. To fix this problem, use one of the recommendations:

  • Try to find required file in another source on the Internet. You may have luck finding a more suitable version. Example Google search: "File filetype:PSD" . Just replace the word "file" with the name you want;
  • Ask them to send you the original file again, it may have been damaged during transmission;