What is a PSD file?
PSD — Adobe Photoshop
Use the format PSD
A concrete example
Export a PNG preview of a composition to ask for feedback.
Useful checks
A flattened image does not retain editable layers. Check the effects, text, and linked elements.
Choose a conversion
Keep the original and open the result in the software or on the device that will need to use it.
Your questions about this format
How to convert a HEIC photo from iPhone for free?
Choose your HEIC file in Images, then JPEG to share it widely or PNG if your usage requires it. Proceed to preparation, check the output, and start the conversion. Download and open the result. HEIC remains free; size limits and daily quota apply.
JPEG, PNG or WEBP: how to choose?
For a photo to send, start with JPEG. For a logo with transparency or sharp text, prefer PNG. For a web publication, WEBP can be interesting: compare the size and the rendering before publication. Converting a JPEG to PNG does not restore details lost earlier.
Why does my transparent background become opaque?
JPEG does not preserve transparency. Choose PNG or WEBP when the background must remain transparent and the proposed conversion allows it. If the background is already flattened in the original file, changing the format will not remove it.
Will my Photoshop layers or my vector drawing be preserved?
A JPEG or PNG output is a flattened image. It does not retain PSD layers or the editable objects of an SVG or an Illustrator file. Keep your working file and use the exported copy for sharing. Specialized creation formats are indicated by NoLimit.
What is it?
PSD is Photoshop's native working format. It doesn't store a flattened image but the entire project: stacked layers, masks, still-editable text, effects, paths, non-destructive adjustments.
This is what lets you come back to a composition six months later to move an element or change a word, without having to redo everything from scratch.
History & origin
Photoshop launched in 1990 and quickly established its format as the standard, evolving with each version while maintaining remarkable backward compatibility: a PSD file from the 1990s still opens today.
Its dominance is such that most competing software, including open-source tools, has learned to read it — at least partially.
Why it is useful
It preserves the entire body of work: nothing is locked down, everything remains editable.
It's the de facto exchange format between graphic designers, art directors, and developers.
Limits & drawbacks
Files can be extremely large — several hundred megabytes for a complex composition — and the format is proprietary.
It can't be displayed on the web, and outside Photoshop, support for advanced effects and layers remains imperfect.
Practical tips
PSD is a production format, not a distribution one. Export to PNG if you need transparency, to JPEG for a photo, to PDF for a document meant for printing.
Always keep the source PSD file: once an image is flattened, the layers are permanently lost.
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