Take a PSD from a colleague and adapt it for social
Open 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 min readUpdated 25 September 2026Editor · Workflow
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Someone sends you a Photoshop file and needs a story, a post and a square by the afternoon. This recipe opens the PSD in the Editor as real layers, shows you how to check it against the original, repairs what did not come across, and adapts it to each format.
You will need
- The .psd file.
- A flattened PNG or JPG of it from your colleague, to compare against. Ask for one; it saves guessing.
- The font files, if the design uses fonts that are not on Google Fonts.
Result
An editable design with a board for each social format, exported as a zip of PNGs. The original PSD is never changed and never uploaded.
1. Open the PSD
- Open the Editor. Drop the PSD on the start screen, or press Ctrl+O and choose it. On a Mac, use Cmd for Ctrl.
- Large files take a moment. If the PSD had artboards, each becomes a board; otherwise it opens as one canvas.
2. Read the import report
When anything had to change, a dialog titled Opened and the file name lists what happened in three groups: Kept, Changed so it would open and Not supported yet. Read it before touching anything; it is your repair list.
| In the PSD | In the Editor |
|---|---|
| Pixel layers, groups (nested), layer masks, locks, opacity, fill | Kept |
| Text with one font, size and colour | Kept as editable text |
| Text with mixed styles, a warp or on a path | Kept as pixels |
| Adjustment layers such as Levels, Curves, Hue/Saturation, Colour Balance, Black & White, Gradient Map | Kept and editable |
| A clipped adjustment layer | Opens unclipped, so it affects everything below |
| Drop shadow, inner shadow, glows, stroke, colour overlay, bevel | Kept as editable layer styles |
| Gradient overlay with more than two colours | Uses its first and last colour |
| Satin and pattern overlay | Not supported yet |
| Smart objects and vector shapes | Kept as pixels |
| Group masks | Left out |
| Blend modes Voidcanvas does not draw | Changed to the closest one |
| 16-bit or CMYK files | Converted to 8-bit RGB |
3. Sort out fonts
If a font is not on your device or on Google Fonts, Some fonts are missing opens. Text would otherwise show in a stand-in font and the spacing would shift.
- Replace swaps in a font you choose. Pick one with similar width, or line lengths will change.
- Add font file uses the real font from your device. It is saved inside this design.
- Keep as is leaves the stand-in, fine for a quick look but not for delivery.
4. Check against the original
- Choose File > Place image as layer… (Ctrl+Shift+P) and pick your colleague's flattened PNG. Line it up over the design.
- Set its blend mode to Difference in the Layers panel. Anything that matches turns black; anything that moved or changed shows up bright.
- Fix what you find, then delete the comparison layer.
5. Repair what came across as pixels
- Mixed-style text. Hide the pixel layer and retype it with the Type tool (T), so you can edit it in each format.
- A smart object you need to swap. Place the new photo above it, then choose Layer > Create clipping mask (Alt+Ctrl+G). The new photo shows only inside the old one's shape.
- A clipped adjustment now tinting everything. Ctrl-click the thumbnail of the layer it used to clip to, to select its pixels. Select the adjustment and choose Layer > Layer mask > Add layer mask. The mask is made from the selection, so it only affects that layer again.
6. Save a version, then make the formats
Before re-laying anything, choose File > Save a version (Ctrl+Alt+S). You now have the file exactly as it came in.
- Choose File > Boards… and open the Cascade to touchpoints tab.
- Pick the sizes you need, for example Instagram post, Square post and Story or Reel cover.
- Click Create N boards. Each appears beside the original as a linked board. Backgrounds fill; everything else keeps its place and scales to fit.
If the PSD already had artboards, cascade from the board that is closest to the format you need. A landscape banner cascades poorly to a tall story; a square does better.
7. Fit each format by hand
- Click a board and press Shift+1 to fit it on screen.
- Resize and move text for that shape. Stories need text out of the top and bottom strips, where the app's own buttons sit.
- Check each board at View > 100% (Ctrl+1).
8. Export
- Press Ctrl+E, choose All under Boards to export, pick PNG at 1×, tick Number files in board order (01, 02…) and press Download N PNGs (zip). Each file is named after its board.
- Rename the boards in File > Boards… first if you want tidy file names.
Sending work back
Voidcanvas does not write PSD files. Send your colleague the PNGs. To keep an editable copy for yourself or another Voidcanvas user, choose File > Download project file (.void), or Save editable file (.void.png…) in the Export dialog.
Common problems
- Could not read that PSD. It may be damaged or use a feature the reader cannot handle. Ask for a copy saved with maximum compatibility, or a flattened version.
- That PSD has no layers we can read. Ask your colleague to flatten it first; you will get one pixel layer.
- Text looks slightly different. A replaced font or rounding in the conversion. Compare with Difference and adjust size or spacing.