The Tribune

By Deidre Bastian

Did you find a PSD file on your computer and wonder what program should open it? Or maybe someone e-mailed you a PSD file but you are not sure how to use it? Moreover, you tried to open a PSD file but Windows told you that it could not open it.

Before you can open a PSD file (assuming it is even a file format that is intended to be viewed or edited), you will need to determine what kind of file the PSD file extension refers to.

What are PSD files?:

Since we already know that a PSD file stands for ‘Photoshop Document’, let’s learn what a .PSD file is and how it functions. Of all the file formats that Photoshop supports, the PSD format is probably the most important. It is one of the few file types that fully supports all of the powerful features that Photoshop gives us, such as layers, layer masks, adjustment layers, channels, paths and so on.

This file format is used to create and edit images in Adobe Photoshop, and is a widely-accepted format as it supports all available image types, such as: Bitmap, RGB, Duotone, Grayscale, Indexed Color, CMYK, Lab, and Multichannel.

The biggest advantage of using the PSD format is that it can save images in layers (image, text and shape, etc). In other words, the image may be opened with Adobe Photoshop any time at a later date, and each individual layer, or part, may be adjusted and edited independently to achieve better effects.

Even designers who work with other image file types, such as TIFF, first work on their images in Photoshop before transferring them to their preferred file types.

PSD files are usually large because of the layers, but the size may be reduced by cropping the individual layer of the image. Unfortunately, cropping has a disadvantage, as it limits the ability to edit, and leaving images uncropped may make files large. It still offers small advantages, as the parts that fall outside the cropping bounds are still written inside the PSD file and can be revealed by increasing the size of the Photoshop canvas.

It also serves as your working file. When we open an image in Photoshop, regardless of which file type the image was originally using, Photoshop temporarily converts it into a PSD file behind the scenes, so we can work on it with all of Photoshop’s tools, commands and features at our disposal.

PSD files are your best choice to serve as your master files. If you’ve done any sort of editing work on an image, and there’s even the slightest chance you will need to come back to it again at some point in the future, save your work as a Photoshop PSD file.

There is no loss in image quality, no matter how many times you re-open and re-save a PSD. All of your layers, layer masks and adjustment layers will be saved as part of the file, allowing you to return at any time and make changes to the image.

You can easily print your images at home with Photoshop directly from the PSD file, as many commercial printers are now able to accept PSDs, too, although some may still require an EPS or TIFF version instead. So it is always best to check with your printer to make sure you are giving them the format they need.

One of the latest advantages with PSD files is that they can now be imported directly into Adobe InDesign, giving you complete access to have the changes immediately updated and saved in your layout.

The only real disadvantage with PSD files is that the file size can get very large, especially if you are working on an image with hundreds - or even thousands - of layers. But with computer hard drives and memory being so cheap these days, it is a small price to pay for the creative freedom that Photoshop and its native PSD file format give us.

The maximum size of a PSD file (with file extension of ‘.psd’) is 30,000 x 30,000 pixels, and may be saved with 16 bits per colour channel.

The PSD format is divided into five sections. The first is the header, which specifies the image size and colour channels. The second contains the colour mode data; the third contains the image resources; the fourth has the layer and mask information; and the final section contains the image data.

How to Open a PSD File:

The easiest way to open a PSD file is to double-click on it and allow your PC to decide which default application should open the file. If no program opens the PSD files, then you probably do not have an application installed that can view and/or edit PSD files. You cannot usually change a file extension (such as the PSD file extension) to one that your computer recognises and expect the newly-renamed file to be usable.

PSD image files may be opened with Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements on Windows, and Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements or Apple Preview on Mac OS. GIMP is an extremely popular, and completely free, photo editing/creation tool that will open PSD files as well.

Bottom line: Your PSD file is the most important file you can have, so be sure to save yourself a master copy of your work, as you can always return to it in Photoshop when you need it. Until we meet again, fill your life with memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game!

NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

Ms Bastian is a professionally-trained graphic designer who has qualifications of M.Sc., B.Sc., A.Sc. She has trained at institutions such as: Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova Southeastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas.