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V

A route

I want to work with a PSD file.

Open, edit and export a Photoshop file without Photoshop, and know what carries over. 11 guides, about 44 minutes in total, in the order that gets you there.

The route, in order

  1. The direct answer: what survives, what to check, and how to finish the job.How to edit a PSD without PhotoshopYes, a PSD can be opened and edited without Photoshop. A PSD is a layered file, and several editors read it, including Voidcanvas in a browser. What carries over cleanly: pixel layers, groups, opacity, blend modes, layer masks, clipping, simple text as editable type, most adjustment layers and most layer styles. What turns into flat pixels: smart objects, vector shapes, and text with mixed styling. Open the file, read the import report, replace any missing fonts, then edit as normal. You will get PNG, JPG, WebP or PDF out; you will not get a PSD back.Beginner7 minEditor
  2. The short version: drop it on the Editor, read the report, export what you need.Open a PSD file online, free, without an accountOpen the Editor and drop the PSD on it, or press Ctrl+O and choose the file. It opens with its layers, groups, masks, text, adjustment layers and layer styles, in the browser, on any computer including a Chromebook. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account. If anything had to change to open, a report lists it. To get a flat image out, press Ctrl+E and choose PNG, JPG, WebP or PDF. The Editor does not save back to PSD; keep the original, or save a .void file to keep the layers editable here.Beginner3 minEditor
  3. The same on a phone or tablet, and what to expect from memory.Open and edit a PSD on a phone or tabletOpen the Editor in the phone's browser (Chrome on Android, Safari on iPhone), tap Open a photo and choose the PSD from Files, Downloads or Drive. It opens with its layers, as on a computer: tap a layer to select it, tap Layers to see the stack, and use Edit text in the Select sheet to retype a text layer. Send the result with Share (PNG, JPG or PDF). Nothing is uploaded. Phones have less memory, so a very large PSD can be slow; tablets wider than 768 px get the full desktop Editor.Beginner2 minEditor
  4. Every import format and precisely what the Editor keeps and drops.Open PSD, PDF and other filesWhat a Photoshop file keeps when you open it, how PDF pages arrive as layers, and every other way to bring work into the Editor.Intermediate4 minEditor
  5. The five reasons a PSD refuses to open and what to ask the sender for.PSD will not open: the five causes and what to ask forWork through five causes in order. 1. It is not a PSD: a .psb (large document format), an .ai or .indd renamed, or a PSD inside a zip. 2. It is very large: a multi-gigabyte file or one over 30,000 px on a side can exhaust memory in a browser or a laptop. 3. It was saved in an unusual mode: CMYK, Lab, Duotone, 16- or 32-bit, or without "Maximize compatibility", which many readers need. 4. The download did not finish: compare the size on disk with the size the sender sees. 5. The tool does not read PSD: previewers and some editors show only the flattened preview or nothing. In the Voidcanvas Editor, drop the file on the start screen; if it opens with a report, read the report; if it does not open, the message says which of these it hit.Beginner2 minEditor
  6. Load the font file, pick a stand-in that keeps the layout, or fix it later.Missing fonts in a PSD: replace them or load the fileWhen you open a PSD that uses a font this device cannot find, Some fonts are missing lists each font and how many text layers use it. Three ways out: Add font file loads the real font from your computer (.ttf, .otf, .woff or .woff2) and saves it inside the design so it travels with it; pick a replacement from Google Fonts, choosing one of similar width so lines do not rewrap; or keep a stand-in for now and fix it later from the Character panel. Ask the sender for the font files first; the layout was set in that font and any substitute changes it a little.Beginner2 minEditor
  7. Hide what you do not want and export, with transparency.Convert a PSD to PNG (with transparency) without PhotoshopOpen the PSD in the Editor (drop it on the start screen), hide any layer you do not want in the PNG, press Ctrl+E, choose PNG, pick a size and download. If the design has no background colour, the empty areas are transparent; if it has one, tick Leave out the background colour to drop it. JPG and WebP are in the same dialog. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account.Beginner2 minEditor
  8. A real PSD from a colleague, adapted for social.Take a PSD from a colleague and adapt it for socialOpen a Photoshop file in the browser, read what was kept and what changed, fix fonts and replaced layers, then lay it out at every social size and export.Intermediate4 minWorkflows
  9. Layer kinds, order, groups and labels, as the Editor does them.Work with layersLayer kinds, stacking order, hiding, locking, renaming, duplicating, merging, colour labels and finding layers in a busy design.Beginner5 minEditor
  10. Layer masks and clipping masks, which is where most PSD edits happen.Hide and show parts of a layer with masksLayer masks, masks from a selection, vector masks, clipping masks and quick mask: hide parts of a layer without deleting anything.Intermediate4 minEditor
  11. Every format you can open and export, and what each one keeps.File formats you can open and exportEvery file type Voidcanvas opens and saves, across the Editor, Effects, quick tools and Studio, and exactly what each one keeps.Intermediate9 minReference

Questions people ask

Can I save back to PSD?

No. The Editor opens PSD files but does not write them. Export PNG, JPG, WebP or PDF for delivery, or save a .void file to keep the layers editable in Voidcanvas.