Graphic files that many users work with almost every day, in modern world presented in a variety of formats, some of which cannot interact with each other in any way. But not all image viewers can easily open files of various extensions.
To begin with, it is worth understanding what it is PSD file and how to open such format with various programs for viewing and editing graphic documents.
PSD file is a raster storage format graphic information. It was created specifically for Adobe Photoshop. The format has one important difference from the standard JPG - the document is compressed without data loss, so the file will always be in its original resolution.
Adobe has not made the file format public, so not all programs can safely open and edit PSD. Consider several software solutions that are very convenient for viewing a document, and some of them also allow you to edit it.
Method 1: Adobe Photoshop
It is logical that the very first program that will be mentioned in the ways to open a PSD file will be Adobe application Photoshop, for which the extension was created.
Photoshop allows you to perform a variety of actions on a file, including standard viewing, simple editing, layer-level editing, converting to other formats, and much more. Among the disadvantages of the program, it is worth noting that it is paid, so not all users can afford it.
Opening PSD through a product from Adobe is quite simple and fast, you only need to follow a few steps, which will be described in more detail below.
The application from Adobe has a free counterpart, which is no worse than the original version from a famous company, but absolutely everyone can use it. Let's analyze it in the second way.
Method 2: GIMP
As mentioned above, GIMP is a free analogue of Adobe Photoshop, which differs from a paid program only in some nuances that are especially unnecessary for almost all users. Anyone can download GIMP.
Among the advantages, it can be noted that it supports all the same formats that Photoshop can open and edit, GIMP allows you not only to open PSD, but also edit it in full. Of the minuses, users notice a long download of the program due to a large number fonts and rather inconvenient interface.
Opening a PSD file through GIMP is almost like through Adobe Photoshop, with only a few features - all dialog boxes open through the program, which is quite convenient when the computer is not the fastest.
Unfortunately, there are no more decent programs that allow you to not only open PSD files, but also edit them. Only Photoshop and GIMP allow you to work with this extension "in full force", so let's take a look at convenient PSD viewers next.
Method 3: PSD Viewer
Perhaps the most convenient and simple PSD viewer is PSD Viewer, which has a clear task and works at the highest speed. Comparing PSD Viewer to Photoshop or GIMP is pointless, as the functionality of the three applications is vastly different.
Among the advantages of PSD Viewer, one can note the fast speed, simple interface and the absence of unnecessary things. We can say that the program has no disadvantages, since it accurately performs its function - it gives the user the opportunity to view the PSD document.
Opening a file with an extension from Adobe in the PSD Viewer is very simple, even Photoshop itself cannot boast of such simplicity, but this algorithm must also be covered so that no one has any questions.
PSD Viewer is one of the few solutions that allows you to open graphic images with such speed, because even standard applications Microsoft is not capable of this.
Method 4: XnView
XnView is somewhat similar to the PSD Viewer, but here it is possible to perform some manipulations on the file. These actions have nothing to do with image encoding and deep editing, you can only resize and crop the image.
The advantages of the program include a number of editing tools and stability. Of the minuses, you should definitely pay attention to the rather complicated interface and English language which is not always convenient. Now let's see how to open PSD through XnView.
XnView works very quickly and stably, which is not always the case with PSD Viewer, so you can safely use the program even on a loaded system.
Method 5: IrfanView
Last thing convenient solution, which allows you to view PSD - IrfanView. It should be said right away that there are almost no differences from XnViewe, so the pros and cons of the program are the same. It can only be noted that this product supports the Russian language.
The algorithm for opening a PSD file is similar to the previous method, everything is done quickly and easily.
Almost all of the programs in this article work in the same way (the last three), they quickly open the PSD file, and the user can enjoy viewing this file. If you know of any other convenient software solutions that can open PSD, then share in the comments with us and other readers.
PSD is the main format of Adobe Photoshop. Exported and imported to raster and vector software products. Designers and artists use this format due to its functionality and know how to open psd other than Adobe Photoshop.
psd format
Initially, the program was used as an application for image processing in the printing industry. Now Photoshop is actively used in web design. Therefore, it is important to know how to open psd online. A file with the .psd extension is a format for storing and processing raster graphic information. Built for the app. The format is not freely available to software products, so only Photoshop can open, edit, and save files with the .psd extension. The important difference between .psd and .jpg (.jpeg) is that the information is compressed without loss of quality, so the document remains available at its original resolution.
The format is associated with numerous media processing and animation applications. The .psd file is exported and imported to:
- Adobe ImageReady, ;
- Photo-Paint;
The functionality that is implemented in the PSD format includes:
- creating a graphic file with the location of several photos;
- increase / decrease the size of images during processing;
- adding effects;
- subsequent saving.psd to optimized image formats: jpg (jpeg), png, gif.
History of occurrence
First Adobe version Photoshop and the main psd format (how to open it - indicated below) appeared in 1987 under the name Display. In 1988, the developer renamed the application to ImagePro. In September 1988, Adobe Systems bought the rights to the application. Thomas Knoll is listed as the developer of the software product. 1989 is the date when the software product is renamed to Photoshop. If when creating the installation file there were no questions about how to open the psd file, then if there are many modern applications for image processing, the issue is acute.
As of June 2014, the Photoshop release name contains the release date (Photoshop 2014.0.0). The Knoll brothers, who developed the application for creating images and processing photos, are still expanding the toolkit and introducing functionality to this day.
How and with what to open a file with a .psd extension
The PSD format is fully functional in Adobe Photoshop, but it is possible to open the psd file online or in another application.
Online
Experienced users are advised to take a closer look at the online Photopea Online Editor. The functionality of the browser editor is mediocre, but allows you to perform basic tasks. The application menu is familiar. To open a PSD document, the user:
- clicks "File-Open";
- in the dialog box that appears, specifies the path to save the file with the .psd extension.
The user has the right to edit psd if he knows how to open the file online. Photopea lets you edit individual layers on any computer with an internet connection.
On the computer
Opening a psd file on a computer is not difficult if Adobe Photoshop is installed. The software product allows you to run images, edit, change at the layer level, convert to other formats. Since the program is paid, not every user will afford to buy and use the application. Therefore, it is important to know how to open psd documents using free software products.
You can open the psd file with:
- is a free alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Supports formats opened and edited by Photoshop. GIMP edits psd files in full. The disadvantages of the software include an inconvenient interface and a long download due to the numerous fonts.
- . The lightweight file viewer functions at high speed. Designed to open a multi-layered image for viewing without the possibility of editing.
- . The functionality of the application contains editing the image size and viewing the document. Deep editing and coding are not available. Among the minuses, the English interface stands out.
- . Able to view all layers of a psd file, but the functionality of the application is different from Adobe Photoshop.
- . Practically does not differ from XnView. The functionality is the same. The interface is available in Russian.
Now the user understands how to open psd. It remains to choose the software in accordance with the functionality and the required tools.
On Windows 7
Viewing and editing psd files in Windows 7 is possible if the mentioned programs are available on the computer.
GIMP natively supports reading and editing layers, so installing an additional plugin is not required. The minus of the program is the incorrect saving of changes in the psd-file.
Paint.NET runs on computers running Windows 7 and above. Able to read the layers of the psd file if a special plugin is installed.
To do this, the user:
- loads the plugin and extracts documents from the archive;
- copies PhotoShop.dll to the FileTypes folder (in the folder of the installed application);
- starts Paint.NET.
- adding effects;
- applying filters;
- changing the color palette.
IrfanView supports fewer formats. Files open as an image. Layers are closed. To process a photo, a document with the .psd extension must be converted to an acceptable format.
On Windows 10
Viewing PSD and editing a graphic file is possible if the listed software is installed. Application functionality and tools are available in both Windows 7 and Windows 10.
On Android
To open the psd file on Android, you can visit the Go2Convert web resource. The service converts a multilayer image into a familiar format, sets the size and compression of the finished image.
Google app Drive, available when accessing the Internet, allows you to view a document with the .psd extension as an image. The only remark is the long format recognition.
On smartphones with OS android user the right to install applications:
Other problems with the psd file
If the program for opening PSD is selected, then the user may have other problems with the format:
- damaged file (developers offer to use special utilities to recover a document or download a file from a reliable source);
- the content of viruses and hazardous objects;
- lack of software products that support the format;
- lack of drivers on the equipment responsible for viewing the image.
PSD format graphic files for maximum lossless compression. It was created specifically for Adobe Photoshop.
This format delivers not only images, but also graphic layers, text, masks and other information from Photoshop. He supports monochrome pictures and color systems RGB And CMYK.
These pictures can be opened in several ways. The most common are the applications listed below.
Using Adobe Photoshop
It is a complete multifunctional graphics editor developed by Adobe System. This app is for professional processing images and creation of graphic files. An indispensable assistant in web design and creating layouts and sketches.
To get started with PSD in Adobe Photoshop, you need run the program, then press " File" in the upper right corner. 
Further " Open». 
Then to find document and press Enter or " Open". If there are several pictures, then single out right click mice: 
This way of working with documents is only suitable for the licensed version of the editor, the cost of which is high. If it is not possible to purchase a license, you can use other photo editors or convert the necessary pictures.
Paint.NET + PSD Plugin Application 
Most simple photo editing software developed by .NET Framework. Works on the basis of OS Windows. To work with graphic images software capabilities are minimal. In addition, you can install PSD Plugin, to process documents of this format.
GIMP Editor 
Free similar to Adobe Photoshop. Possesses open source initial data. This allows the user to make changes to documents. An excellent service for creating website templates, posters and photo collages. A user-friendly interface that everyone can understand.
Using InfanView 
Program for viewing graphics, audio, and video files on your computer. Can view well any digital image. Works with Windows OS and ReactOS. Works with many formats, including the format Photoshop images. Distributed on the Internet is free.
Opening with Go2convert 
Free service for converting documents. It works with images formats PSD, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, WMF, TIFF, TGA. The file transformer does not have a separate program that can be downloaded. You can only use its services online.
The other day my photoshop jammed, then I had to open psd online, there are few worthy ones. I found two super sites, the rest just don't do their job very well.
Pixlr will show any file
I barely found pixlr, for some reason it is not located on the first lines, we go to the site. For correct work it is required:
- Flash Player version 10 or higher.
- If possible, a browser other than chrome works well on Yandex.
- Computer and Internet faster, it will take a lot of resources.
At the very beginning, we see options for action, where you can start. To upload a psd, click on “upload image from computer”, and select the one you need to change. 
Service is good and in Russian(also in the arsenal there is support for 23 other languages) and fast and the entire panel is arranged in the likeness of Photoshop. But I saw one minus: you cannot save the processed file with the fotoshop extension, which can cause difficulties, only in the one supported by the site itself (or the picture).
Open psd online with photopea
The photopea tool can open the psd file online, here is the address, very cool, but it has several disadvantages in application, but also has advantages over the previous one.
Minuses:
- Not thoughtful work with the mouse, twist the mouse, and a series of incomprehensible commands begins.
- In English, which is not convenient for the Russian-speaking population.
- Slow work.
There is one huge plus, the project is saved in the same psd format, for me it is a good opportunity and functionality.
Rollapp photoshop format will load quickly
In addition, I present the site rollapp, which has a paid basis. To be honest, I have not tried it myself, but users praise it. The tool has a trial period of 14 days, it is quite suitable for a one-time use.
The article told in what ways you can open psd online, and how easy it is, success, and in conclusion, a video review about a secret service.
If your computer has antivirus program can scan all files on the computer, as well as each file individually. You can scan any file by right-clicking on the file and selecting the appropriate option to scan the file for viruses.
For example, in this figure, file my-file.psd, then you need to right-click on this file, and in the file menu select the option "scan from help from AVG» . Selecting this option will open AVG Antivirus and scan the file for viruses.
Sometimes an error can result from incorrect installation software , which may be due to a problem that occurred during the installation process. It may interfere with your operating system link your PSD file to the correct application software tool , influencing the so-called "file extension associations".
Sometimes simple reinstalling Adobe Illustrator CC can solve your problem by properly linking the PSD to Adobe Illustrator CC. In other cases, file association problems may result from bad software programming developer, and you may need to contact the developer for further assistance.
Advice: Try updating Adobe Illustrator CC to latest version to make sure the latest patches and updates are installed.
This may seem too obvious, but often the PSD file itself may be causing the problem. If you received a file via an attachment Email or downloaded it from a website and the download process was interrupted (such as a power outage or other reason), the file may be corrupted. If possible, try to get a fresh copy of the PSD file and try to open it again.
Carefully: A corrupted file may cause collateral damage to a previous or existing malware on your PC, so it is very important that you have an up-to-date antivirus running on your computer at all times.
If your PSD file associated with the hardware on your computer to open the file you may need update device drivers associated with this equipment.
This problem usually associated with media file types, which depend on the successful opening of the hardware inside the computer, for example, sound card or video cards. For example, if you are trying to open an audio file but cannot open it, you may need to update sound card drivers.
Advice: If when you try to open a PSD file you get .SYS file related error message, the problem could probably be associated with damage or outdated drivers devices that need to be updated. This process can be facilitated by using driver update software such as DriverDoc.
If the steps didn't solve the problem and you are still having problems opening PSD files, this may be due to lack of available system resources. Some versions of PSD files may require a significant amount of resources (eg. memory/RAM, processing power) to open properly on your computer. This problem occurs quite often if you are using a fairly old computer. Hardware and at the same time a much newer operating system.
This problem can occur when the computer is having a hard time completing a task because operating system(and other services running in the background) can consume too many resources to open PSD file. Try closing all applications on your PC before opening Adobe Photoshop Document. By freeing up all available resources on your computer, you will provide the best conditions for trying to open the PSD file.
If you completed all the above steps and your PSD file still won't open, you may need to run hardware upgrade. In most cases, even with older hardware versions, the processing power can still be more than enough for most user applications (unless you're doing a lot of CPU-intensive work like 3D rendering, financial/science modeling, or media-intensive work) . In this way, it is likely that your computer does not have enough memory(more commonly referred to as "RAM", or RAM) to perform the file open task.