PSD editing, animation, and palettes

Open or create a PSD

PSD Editor creates and edits layered documents. Open a .psd file in the workspace to start editing, or choose PSD in the workspace’s New File dialog and give it a name. Use New Canvas in the editor to set the width and height of a canvas with a transparent background.

Quick Look remains a preview. Choose Open in Window to continue editing in the workspace. In a narrow window, some actions move into the toolbar’s More menu.

Edit layers and artwork

1. Select the layer to edit in the Layers panel. Change visibility, opacity, and blend mode; rename, duplicate, delete, reorder, or group layers.
2. Edit with move, selection, lasso, magic wand, brush, eraser, fill, gradient, shape, and text tools. You can also import an image as a layer.
3. Use masks, transforms, cropping, canvas sizing, filters, layer styles, and adjustment layers as needed. Check previews before applying changes, and use Undo or Redo to revisit an operation.

Before editing pixels, check the selected layer, its lock state, and whether you are editing a mask. If the editor asks you to rasterize first, confirm before proceeding. Rasterization converts the affected content to pixels and can be undone.

Save PSD files and export images

• Use Save or ⌘S on macOS / Ctrl+S on Windows to save the layered document. To keep the original, use Save As from the Save menu and choose a new file.
• Use the export menu for a PNG or JPEG composite. JPEG export includes a quality preview and fills transparent areas with white.
• With a layer selected, use Export Layer to create a PNG. Image export does not replace saving the layered PSD; save the PSD source if you want to continue editing later.

Reopen the saved document and check layers, text, transparency, and effects. See Save and Save As for more save options.

Editing scope and compatibility

The editor supports 8-bit RGB documents. Convert CMYK, 16-bit, or 32-bit documents to 8-bit RGB in Photoshop before opening them for editing. File dimensions and memory limits can also prevent a document from loading.

If a document contains effects, adjustment layers, vectors, or smart objects that the editor cannot redraw accurately, it displays a warning that the preview may differ from the original. Saving then requires a separate copy and prevents overwriting the original. Follow the warning and check the copy’s appearance in the destination software.

Preview animation and Live Photos

Lottie, SVGA, and Live Photo content use their respective tools. Check the image and playback controls after opening; these preview tools have different capabilities from PSD Editor.

Edit palettes

Add, edit, duplicate, or remove colors in Palette Editor and inspect their names and values. Use color-space visualizations, distance matrices, or color-vision simulations to compare choices. Save or export a format supported by the destination tool and verify color values.

Low Poly and output

The Low Poly image tool creates a triangulated image effect. Inspect the preview after adjusting parameters before exporting. Processing time depends on dimensions and settings.

Check transparency, dimensions, animation duration, or color values in outputs. For multiple assets, see Batch workflows.