PSD is a popular format used by designers or artists for storing and creating image data. These files can only be opened with Photoshop or Adobe apps, which can be expensive. But don’t worry! There are free online applications that can help you open PSD files without Photoshop as well. Keep reading this guide to find out more about them!
How to Open PSD File Without Photoshop
Some apps can’t edit PSD files; they only show them as images. If viewing is all you need, here are some free app options worth trying. So, let us get started and learn how to use them.
1. GIMP: GIMP is the best alternative to Photoshop and this should be your first choice if you’re trying to open a PSD file for free. It’s available on all the platforms like Windows, Mac, and Linux, so all you have to do is, learn it once and you can use it on any system. Follow these steps to know how:
1. Open GIMP, go to the File tab and tap on Open.
2. Now, find and select the PSD file.
3. Click on Open.
The best part about GIMP is that it can process the individual layers of your PSD file. It’s open-source software and the perfect alternative to Photoshop.
2. Paint.NET: Paint.NET knows exactly what needs to be done, and it’s one of the best Microsoft Paint alternatives, without being bloated and intimidating to learn as GIMP or Adobe Photoshop. You don’t need any third-party plugins with this application.
3. Photopea Online Editor: You can try Photopea if you wish to open a PSD file without Photoshop or downloading any software. It’s one of the best programs available online that can open a PSD file, edit, and convert it. The best thing about this tool is that it can also read individual layers.
Also Read: Photoshop vs Canva: Which is the Best Design Tool?
4. XnView: XnView is a free image viewer and converter that helps you to open PSD files. Along with some basic editing, the tool also lets you open PSD file layers to keep them individually. XnView is one of the lesser-known applications, but the best thing about this application is that in this you can read over 500 formats, and can export various formats. It’s an easy-to-use application.
5. Google Drive: Using Google Drive as a file viewer may seem weird, but it works great. PSD files can be viewed through Google Drive on the web.
6. IrfanView: IrfanView is another free image viewer, similar to XnView, the only difference is that you cannot edit the layers of PSD files in this. IrfanView is only available on Windows.
The best part about this app is that it’s very fast and lightweight, we will recommend keeping this application on your desktop, and to use as your primary image viewer, I can bet you’ll never be disappointed by this.
7. PSD Viewer: PSD Viewer is quite similar to Google Drive and Photopea online, and you can easily use it online. This PSD viewer allows you to convert your files, and once it’s done you can download it and you can view that file without using Photoshop.
8. Go2Convert: Go2Convert may not be the solution for what you’re looking for and You cannot expect much from this, you can only convert your PSD files and then open them.
9. Artweaver: Artweaver is a great tool to open PSD files without any hassle. In this, you can easily see the layers, create new ones, and make basic changes to an image.
Also Read: Is Photoshop Express Free?
10. Convertio: Convertio will help simply you to convert your PSD file to other formats like JPG and PNG.
Reference Link: The 8 Best Ways to Open a PSD File Without Photoshop (makeuseof.com)
How to Open PSD File on Mobile
The PSD are files created by Adobe Photoshop, and by default, they are saved like this so that they can be viewed in different applications of the same company, which makes it difficult to open a PSD File from other applications. The only way to think about doing this is from external applications.
There are multiple free third-party applications available on Google Play Store. Here are some of the methods which will help you to open a PSD file on your Mobile phone.
1. Using Adobe Photoshop Mix: Adobe Photoshop Mix allows you to cut out and combine pieces from various images, you can also blend layers. As we have discussed a PSD file is a file created by Photoshop. Follow these steps to open your file:
Note: If you want to edit a PSD file on your mobile, then start by uploading that file to your Creative Cloud account.
1. Install Photoshop Mix from the Play Store.
2. Open the Adobe Photoshop Mix application, and sign in to your account.
3. On the right side, Tap on the + icon.
4. Tap on Image, which will be at the top of the menu.
5. Tap on Creative Cloud. It’s on the left side of your screen.
6. Now, select the PSD file, and tap Open.
7. Tap on Extract Layers. Two options will appear on your screen for extracting the layers.
8. Tap on View and Search Layers which will display a list of all layers on your screen.
9. Tap on the first layer from the list and add the rest of the layers in order. If you want to edit the image you can do that.
10. Save your work. Once it’s done, Tap on the share icon at the top of your screen and select Send to Photoshop.
Then, just follow the on-screen instructions to upload the new file to the cloud.
Also Read: How to Add Texture in Photoshop
2. Using Google Drive: If you want to open a PSD file on your Mobile then Google Drive can be a perfect option for you. It’s one of the simple and the best application you can use if you’re looking to open PSD file on mobile.
3. Using PSD Viewer: As we have discussed above, PSD Viewer is an application that will help you to view your PSD files and to convert them. This PSD viewer can be a wise choice if you want to open a PSD file on your phone. Google Drive and PSD File Viewer are quite similar apps, easy to use and understand.
This brings us to the end of our guide on how to open PSD file without Photoshop. We hope that you are now familiar with Photoshop alternatives to view your PSD documents. If you have any doubts, queries, or suggestions, please feel free to reach out. We would love to help!
