What is a PSD file?
PSD — Adobe Photoshop
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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