What is a .psd file?
Photoshop Document · Design · Adobe · 1990
PSD is Adobe Photoshop's native working file. It keeps every layer, mask, adjustment and effect editable, which is essential while you design but makes it a heavy format that other apps only partly understand.
What is a .psd file used for?
A PSD preserves the full editing state of a Photoshop project: layers, layer masks, smart objects, text you can still retype, and adjustment layers you can still tweak.
That richness comes at a cost. PSDs are large, and non-Adobe apps often flatten or approximate the layers when they open one.
When a design is finished, you export a flat PNG, JPG or PDF from the PSD for sharing or printing.
What opens a .psd file?
The .psd format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.
Windows
- Photoshop
- GIMP
- Photopea (web)
- Affinity Photo
macOS
- Photoshop
- GIMP
- Affinity Photo
- Preview (flattened)
Linux
- GIMP
- Krita
Web
- Photopea
Open a .psd file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .psd. Drop it into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads its signature in your browser without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with Photoshop or GIMP.
- On Mac, use Photoshop or GIMP.
- On Linux, try GIMP or Krita.
- Still stuck? Convert the .psd to PNG, which opens more widely.
Why can't I open my .psd file?
Almost always because no installed app understands PSD. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads. If double-clicking opens the wrong program instead of nothing at all, the file association is set to the wrong app rather than the file being broken.
The other possibility is that the file is not really a .psd at all. Drop it into the file identifier to check it by its bytes instead of its name. Nothing is uploaded.
How to convert a .psd file
You can convert a .psd file to PNG, JPG, TIFF, PDF.
GIMP opens PSD files including their layers and exports to PNG, JPG or TIFF. Layer effects, smart objects and adjustment layers are flattened or dropped, so keep the PSD as the master.
What is the .psd file signature (magic bytes)?
A .psd file starts with the hex bytes 38 42 50 53, which read as 8BPS in ASCII. Programs identify PSD by those bytes, not by the filename, so a renamed file still gives itself away.
These are the documented signatures for PSD. For a full breakdown, see the PSD file signature page.
| Hex signature | Offset | ASCII | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 42 50 53 | 0 | 8BPS | '8BPS' |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .psd file?
PSD is Adobe Photoshop's native working file. It keeps every layer, mask, adjustment and effect editable, which is essential while you design but makes it a heavy format that other apps only partly understand.
Can I open a PSD without Photoshop?
Yes. GIMP, Krita, Affinity Photo and the free web app Photopea all open PSD files, though very complex layer effects may not render perfectly.