FixFile
File Format

PSD (.psd)

Adobe Photoshop's native document format. Preserves all layers, masks, adjustment layers, and smart objects for non-destructive editing workflows.

Extension
.psd
MIME Type
image/vnd.adobe.photoshop

Last updated

Overview

PSD (Photoshop Document) is Adobe Photoshop's native file format, first introduced with Photoshop 1.0 in 1990. It stores an image alongside all Photoshop-specific data: layers (raster, vector, type, smart object), layer masks, adjustment layers, channels, paths, guides, and non-destructive filter effects. This makes PSD files the working format for design projects — everything is preserved for future editing.

When a PSD file exceeds 2 GB or 30,000 × 30,000 pixels, Photoshop uses the PSB (Photoshop Big) format instead. PSD is supported by many Adobe applications (Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects) and an increasing number of third-party applications (Affinity Photo, GIMP, Sketch).

Common Uses

  • Graphic design — logos, posters, social media graphics, and print layouts in layered form
  • Photo retouching — multi-layer composites with non-destructive adjustment layers
  • UI/UX design — website and app mockups (though Figma and Sketch have largely replaced Photoshop here)
  • Prepress artwork — print-ready files with spot colours, bleeds, and CMYK layers
  • Design handoffs — PSD files passed between designers for revision

Advantages

  • Complete layer preservation — every Photoshop feature is stored with full fidelity
  • Non-destructive — smart objects, adjustment layers, and masks can be edited without degrading the original pixels
  • Industry standard — virtually all designers and print services can open PSD files
  • Large format support — PSB variant handles images up to 300,000 × 300,000 pixels

Limitations

  • Very large files — a multi-layer PSD can be 100 MB to several GB for complex projects
  • Photoshop dependency — full feature support requires Adobe Photoshop; free alternatives have partial support
  • Not web-compatible — must be flattened and exported to JPG/PNG/WebP before use on websites
  • Slow to open — large PSD files with many layers can take 10–30 seconds to load

Supported Software

  • Full support: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe After Effects
  • Partial support: Affinity Photo, GIMP (opens but may alter some features), Sketch, Figma (import)
  • Viewing: macOS Preview (flattened view), XnView, IrfanView

Tools for PSD files