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Different Techniques To Edit & Open PSD Files Without Photoshop

Do you want to edit or open PSD files without Photoshop? Your friends just created a cool logo and then sent a PSD file, but unfortunately, you are out of the city without your laptop. And you wish to open a PSD file without Photoshop, maybe to edit the picture a little bit. So, what is the best thing to do that?

What is the PSD file?

Whenever you save a picture in Photoshop, the default format is PSD. PSD stands for Photoshop document. However, it contains a PSD file of all layers, images, functions such as color correction, etc save in original quality. Similar to WMA is the propriety of Microsoft, but you can also play a WMA audio file with some music players, similarly, PSD is owned by Adobe, but lots of many other programs can also open a PSD file. So, come let’s take a look at them.

Edit Or Open PSD Files Without Photoshop

Google Drive

Google Drive- Open PSD Files Without Photoshop

Google Drive is an amazing option if you like to view the image in the PSD file. Just, open Google Drive, then drag the PSD file to your Google Drive. Now, whenever the upload will complete, you have lots of options. Right-tap on the archive and choose Preview to watch the picture. You can also print the photos or change it using cloud convert. Google Drive doesn’t enable you to check layers of the PSD files.

  • Compatible for Layers – No, only provides you a preview of the PSD
  • Availability – Google Drive can only access a web browser.

Check Out: Google Drive

Photopea

Photopia might look new to you, but it’s an amazing online website to open PSD files. It is an online variant of PhotoShop. You can also open a PSD directly from your PC or from a link. Photopes can also access your webcam and capture a picture directly. Photopia is also available in eight various languages and you can then customize the Photopia at any time.

Also, though it’s a web app, it can only open heavy PSD files without any issue.

  • Compatible for Layers – It displays all PSD file layers. You can also edit your layer using basic features such as transform the picture, adjustments, and is capable of applying different filters.
  • Availability – It’s a web tool, it means you can then access it from any platform whether it’s macOS, Windows, Linux, Chromebook, etc. We also tried on iPad or Android and surprising it worked on other mobile devices as well.

Check Out: Photopea

IrfanView

IrfanView-Open PSD Files Without Photoshop

IrfanView is for those who want much more, not just showing a PSD file. It can do lots of things such as optimization, scan, conversion, and printing and make slide shows. Also, it can play audio/video but you want to install accurate plugins. There are many options to save a PSD file and common are BMP, jpg, Raw, and PDF.

  • Compatible for Layers –  There is no choice to watch layers of PSD files in Irfan View.
  • Available- IrfanView is also available for Windows.

Install  IrfanView

Artweaver

Artweaver is another amazing tool to open PSD files without any issue. You can also watch layers, create a new layer, and make basic modifications to an image. Artweaver free variant has filters like distort, blur, sharpen, and some other necessary filter. You can also make adjustments like Brightness, increasing Hue/Saturation, and modify Levels of an image. Well, you can then save PSD file to jpeg, TARGA, bitmap, tiff, and gif.

  • Compatible for layers – Yes, you can also create the new layer and make basic modifications to the existing ones.
  • Available-  Artweaver is totally free to use at home, but its commercial model is also available. The file size is 11.94 MB and it is available for Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10.

Install Artweaver

Quick Look

Quick Look

If you wish to open a PSD file on Mac OS, then you are in luck. Besides Windows, macOS also has a built-in program to open PSD files. Just choose the PSD file and press the space button and it will display you the top layer of your PSD file. Also, you can open the PSD file with Preview if you wish to customize it a bit like — color, rotate, modify the size, annotate, etc.

  • Compatible for Layers – No.
  • Availability- Quick Look is available for macOS.

Art Master

Art Master is a simple or easy image viewer that can open various file formats including PSD. You can just drag and drop files to the app interface to load the picture. The app does not just open several formats such as JPEG, PSD, TIFF, PNG, BMP, etc but it can also change your PSDs to other formats like PNG, JPEG, etc.

  • Compatible for Layers – Art Master does not support layers.
  • Available: It is available for macOS on Mac App Store.

Install Art Master

Gimp

Gimp

Gimp is another open-source alternative to Photoshop. In terms of layout, the app is quite similar to Photoshop. With Gimp, you not just open a PSD file but also do some basic edit as you would do with Photoshop. The Gimp setup is quite heavy as compared to other apps in this list.

Of course, Gimp can never be as powerful or strong as Photoshop but when it comes to the basic picture editing this is the best you can get for free.

  • Compatible for Layers – Yes, you can edit your layer using some basic functions such as crop, resize, blur, etc.
  • Available: It is a cross-platform desktop tool that is available for Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.

Install Gimp

Testify PSD

Testify is another app than others on this list. It not just open the PSD files on your iPhone but also it fetches the picture directly from Photoshop executing on your PC. The app can streams a live feed straight from the Photoshop software to the application where you can view the modification in real-time. However, the devices must be on the same network though. Also, it works with Photoshop on Windows or Mac. If you want to use it with Windows, make sure iTunes is installed or downloaded on the PC.

You can take a screenshot, zoom in/out, make a new file with iPhones resolution, and add instant commands to the floating toolkit. It is the best app if you like to check the real-time progress of Photoshop pictures on your iPhone.

  • Compatible for Layers- It transfers real-time footage from the PC and you can then view all the layers and transitions.
  • Availability- Testify PSD is available for iOS on the App Store.

Check Out: Testify PSD

 File Viewer for Android

 File Viewer for Android

A simple or easy file viewer that compatible with more than 100 file types including PSD.  Along with all the famous file types, it can support raw images, email files, archives, etc. You can also browse through the device storage to move to the folder and click a file to open up a preview. It allows you to reverse colors and rotate the photoshop but unfortunately, you can’t view the layers separately. The app is free and contains ads.

  • Compatible for Layers- It can’t support layers.
  • Availability- The app is available for Android on the Play Store

Check Out: File Viewer for Android

Conclusion:

Here’s all about “Open PSD Files Without Photoshop”. While all the above workarounds work fine, but if you want to view the picture from a PSD file, then Photopea or Google Drive is the best choice available. If you have some time to install the desktop software, then Gimp is the best option. If you editing for mobile size then Testify PSD streams the Photoshop window is great. So choose the best option which suits you and share your feedback with us!

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About the author

Alex Joshua

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