PSD (Photoshop Document) is a Adobe Photoshop format commonly used for layered design files, retouching projects, handoff to designers. This guide covers compatibility, compression, transparency, and conversion choices.
| Feature | Support |
|---|---|
| Transparency | alpha_and_layers |
| Animation | timeline_depends |
| Primary uses | layered editing, design masters, client design files |
Extension
.psd
Compression
depends
Browser support
none
Inventor
Adobe
Inventor organization
Adobe
Origin year
1990
Layers
Masks
Photoshop feature preservation
Large files
Not web-deliverable
Feature compatibility varies outside Photoshop
PSD is a layered format commonly associated with layered editing, design masters, client design files. It should be explained with its compression, transparency, metadata, browser support, and conversion tradeoffs rather than as a generic upload option.
PSD origin and standardization should be reviewed against the source references before publication.
Choose conversion targets based on PSD compression, transparency, animation, metadata, and compatibility requirements.
Quality behavior depends on PSD compression: depends.
Uploaded files may contain metadata. Preserve color profiles intentionally and strip GPS/Exif when privacy matters.
Native Photoshop support; partial support in other editors.
format slug
psd
inventor
Adobe
strengths
Layers, Masks, Photoshop feature preservation
use cases
layered editing, design masters, client design files
weaknesses
Large files, Not web-deliverable, Feature compatibility varies outside Photoshop
color depth
Commonly 8, 16, and 32 bits per channel depending on mode.
compression
depends
origin year
1990
standard owner
Adobe
browser support
none
metadata support
XMP, ICC, Exif, IPTC, layers, masks
software support
Native Photoshop support; partial support in other editors.
animation support
timeline_depends
compression method
Photoshop native layered document format with internal compression options.
best source formats
png, tiff, raw
best target formats
png, jpg, tiff, webp
transparency support
alpha_and_layers
inventor organization
Adobe
PSD transparency support is: alpha_and_layers. Choose a target format with alpha support when transparent backgrounds matter.
Convert PSD when another format better matches compatibility, file size, transparency, metadata, or editing needs.
PSD is best suited to layered editing, design masters, client design files.
PSD compression behavior is: depends.
Strip GPS and personal metadata for public sharing. Preserve ICC/color profiles when appearance matters.
Browser support is: none.
Adobe - official_vendor_doc
Adobe Help Center - official_vendor_doc
Library of Congress - reputable_reference
ExifTool - library_documentation
sharp - library_documentation