PSD file

What it is

A PSD file holds the document as Photoshop sees it: each layer with its blend mode, opacity and mask, plus the document's channels, colour profile and metadata. It can also hold a merged composite image, which is what most other applications display.

Property	PSD	PSB
Image type	Layered raster, with vector shapes and live text	Same
Maximum size	30,000 × 30,000 pixels and 2 GB	300,000 × 300,000 pixels
Colour depth	1, 8, 16 or 32 bits per channel	Same
Colour modes	Bitmap, greyscale, indexed, RGB, CMYK, multichannel, duotone, Lab	Same
Compression	Raw, RLE (PackBits) or ZIP	Same
Transparency	Yes, in layers and masks	Same
Metadata	IPTC, Exif, XMP and an ICC profile, as image resources	Same

The merged composite is written only when Photoshop's Maximize Compatibility option is on. Without it, an app that cannot render layers itself has nothing to show, which is why some PSD files appear blank or flat outside Photoshop. Most applications other than Photoshop cannot open PSB files over 2 GB.

Sources: Adobe, Adobe Photoshop File Formats Specification (November 2019), Photoshop file formats overview (updated 23 February 2026), Image file formats supported in Photoshop (updated 27 March 2026), Adobe explains it all: Photoshop (25 February 2015); Library of Congress, Adobe Photoshop file format family. Read 27 October 2026.

Which apps open it

Platform or app	Opens PSD	Notes
Photoshop	Yes, PSD and PSB
Illustrator	Yes, File > Open	Layers can be converted to objects (masks, blend modes and transparency are kept, adjustment layers and effects are not) or flattened to one image
InDesign	Places PSD and PSB	Keeps layers, transparency and channels
Microsoft Office	Inserts PSD images
Google Drive	Previews PSD
Affinity Photo 2	Opens and exports PSD; opens PSB	Smart objects open as embedded documents; text is rasterised on export
GIMP	Imports and exports PSD and PSB
Canva	Imports PSD	Up to 300 MB and 300 image layers
Figma	Not in its import formats
Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android	No vendor statement found for the built-in photo apps

Sources: Adobe, Supported file formats in Photoshop (updated 9 June 2026), Open Photoshop files in Illustrator (updated 23 February 2026), InDesign supported file formats (updated 2 June 2026); Microsoft, Graphic file types you can insert and save; Google, Drive file types; Affinity Photo 2 file formats; GIMP, image standards; Canva, Check file upload formats and requirements; Figma, Import files to the file browser. Read 27 October 2026.

How to convert it

Every conversion to a flat format loses the layers, masks, live text and adjustment layers. PNG and WebP keep transparency; JPEG does not, and it stores 8 bits per channel.

Route	How	What the conversion loses
Photoshop	Save a copy as PNG, JPEG, TIFF or WebP	Layers and editability, unless saved as a layered TIFF
ImageMagick	magick 'design.psd[0]' design.png reads the stored composite	Layers; a file saved without Maximize Compatibility has no real composite
GIMP	Open the PSD, then export it as PNG or JPEG	Layers; GIMP notes that Adobe's public specification is incomplete, so some Photoshop features may not be read
Freedam	Download a WebP rendition, or use an image URL that delivers AVIF, WebP or JPEG	Layers, resized, without metadata; the PSD stays in the library

Sources: Adobe, Photoshop File Formats Specification and Supported file formats in Photoshop; ImageMagick, files and image indexes; GIMP, image standards. Read 27 October 2026.

How to convert it with AI

An AI assistant that can run commands on your computer, such as a coding agent in a terminal, can install ImageMagick, an open-source image tool and run the conversion for you. Paste a prompt like this one, change the folder names, and read each command the assistant proposes before you approve it: it runs with your permissions on your files.

Install ImageMagick on this computer (Homebrew on macOS, apt on Debian or Ubuntu, winget on Windows).

Then convert every .psd file in the folder ~/Designs to PNG from its merged composite image, keeping transparency, for example:
magick 'design.psd[0]' design.png

Write the PNG files to a new folder ~/Designs/png and keep the originals unchanged. When you have finished, list any file that failed or came out blank (a PSD saved without Maximize Compatibility has no composite), with the error.

PSD in Freedam

Freedam accepts .psd files in the asset library and stores the original unchanged.

• Preview: Freedam reads every layer with ImageMagick and merges them into one WebP preview of up to 1,536 pixels on the long side, keeping transparency. A CMYK document with an embedded colour profile is converted to sRGB through that profile.
• Renditions: WebP copies 128, 256, 512 and 1,024 pixels wide are made at upload, and larger sizes up to 5,120 pixels are made from the same preview on first request. Freedam image URLs deliver the image as AVIF, WebP or JPEG, depending on what the browser accepts.
• Downloads: people with download rights choose between the layered PSD and a WebP rendition. The download dialog marks the original as a file for editing and suggests the 2,048-pixel WebP, or the largest size that is not wider than the original.
• Metadata: on upload Freedam reads the width, height and colour space, the Exif fields and any Content Credentials. The description, keywords, creator and copyright notice in the file's IPTC or XMP fields fill the asset's own fields; where both hold a value, Freedam uses the IPTC one.
• Templates: administrators can also import a PSD as an editable template, with its text and image layers as fields, so that teams can make localised versions of a campaign from one design.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open a PSD file without Photoshop?

GIMP and Affinity Photo open PSD files, Canva imports them, and Google Drive previews them. A file saved with Maximize Compatibility also opens in apps that only read the merged image.

What is the difference between PSD and PSB?

PSD documents are limited to 30,000 pixels on each side and 2 GB. PSB, the Large Document Format, allows up to 300,000 pixels and keeps every Photoshop feature, but most other applications cannot open PSB files over 2 GB.

Why does my PSD look blank or flat in other apps?

Most applications other than Photoshop show the merged composite image stored in the file. Photoshop writes a real composite only when Maximize Compatibility is turned on when saving.