How to view PSD files without Photoshop on a mobile or PC

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• Mac
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PSD is the current file extension for Photoshop documents (or layered image files). The thing is that Photoshop is commercial software that requires paying for a license to use it. This is fine if you work with graphic design on a regular basis, but if you only want to view the contents of a single file, this may seem unreasonable. Fortunately, there are solutions to open these files.

How to view a PSD file without Photoshop on Windows

As Windows PC is one of the most versatile platforms. The software tools available for viewing PSD files are quite varied. We will list some of the best apps available, along with steps on how to view PSD files in them.

Irfanview

Irfanview, a free image editing and viewing tool, has been around for quite some time and has proven to be quite versatile in the file types it can support. The program now supports displaying PSDs by default. To do this:

From File Explorer

1. Right click on a PSD file in your file explorer.
   
2. Choose ‘Open with’, then search and choose Irfanview. If the Always use this program to open this file check box is enabled, this will set Irfanview as the default program. Disable it if you do not want to use Irfanview automatically when you double-click PSD files.
   

From Irfanview

1. Click File.
   
2. Click Open.
   
3. Navigate to the folder containing your PSD file and then select it.
   
4. Click the Open button in the lower right corner.
   
5. Irfanview should now open your file.

art weaver

A full-featured imaging tool that offers much more functionality than Irfanview. Although you need to pay for the pro version, you can download a lite version that is free for as long as you want. If you only want to view PSD files, the lite version should be sufficient for your needs. To open PSD files in Artweaver, do the following:

From File Explorer

1. Right click on the file as described above. This time choose Artweaver instead of Irfanview.
   

By Artweaver

1. Click File.
   
2. Click Open.
   
3. Use the Open Document window to navigate to the location of your PSD file and then click Open.
   
4. If you can’t see your PSD file, make sure PSD or All Formats is selected in the window next to the File Name Text box.

Gimp

Gimp, an open source image editing software, is completely free and has been ported to many other platforms, including macOS and Linux. It is always updated, further increasing its already impressive functionality. If you need an image editor, there’s no reason you shouldn’t try Gimp. To open PSD files in this program, follow these steps:

In File Explorer

1. Similar to the previous programs, right-click and then choose Gimp under Open with.
   
2. If Gimp prompts you to convert the image profile, click Convert. The file must be uploaded to Gimp.
   
3. Alternatively, if Gimp is open, you can drag and drop the PSD file from the File Explorer window onto the banner in the top left corner of the program. Click Convert when prompted.

in gimp

1. Click File.
   
2. Choose Open.
   
3. You can use the search function to type the name of your file or browse through folders to locate it and click Open.
   
4. The Convert dialog box will also appear. Click Convert.
5. Your file should now be open.

How to view a PSD file without Photoshop on a Mac

Unlike Windows, macOS comes with programs that can open PSD files by default. The included Preview and Quick View applications are fully capable of viewing files without the need for additional applications. To view the file, do the following:

If Preview has been set as your default image viewer

1. Double-click the PSD file to open it in the app.

If preview is not your default image file

1. Open the Preview app.
2. When asked which file to open, browse to the location of your PSD file.
3. Click Open.

If the preview is already open

1. Click File.
2. Click Open.
3. Browse to the location of your PSD file. Select it and then click Open.

In addition to the default viewer, Gimp, as noted above, has a version for Mac OS X. Download Gimp and then follow the instructions above for Windows PC.

How to view a PSD file without Photoshop on a Chromebook

The Chromebook is a rather peculiar platform, as it is subject to the whims of Chrome OS. You can’t install apps on Chrome without Google’s approval. An alternative solution would be to enable the Google Play store and then install PSD viewer apps from there. To enable your Google Play Store, if you haven’t already, do the following:

1. Click Quick Settings at the bottom right of your Chromebook screen.
   
2. Click Settings, this is the gear icon at the top right of the pop-up menu.
   
3. Scroll down until you see the Google Play Store tab. Click Activate.
   
4. Read the Terms of Service, then click Accept.
   
5. You will now be able to browse the Google Play store and find apps that can open PSD files. Some of the most popular are listed below.

PSD Viewer

A free application that, as the name suggests, can be used to view PSD files. The application itself is quite simple. Open the app, then use the built-in file explorer to navigate to the location of the PSD file. Tapping the file will open it. There are no editing tools in the app as it was designed for viewing only.

Adobe Photoshop Blending

Coming from the creator of Photoshop itself, Adobe Photoshop Mix is ​​free, but you’ll need an Adobe account to use it. Fortunately, creating one doesn’t cost anything. You can go to Adobe usbplace and use your email or Facebook address to create a new account if you don’t already have one.

Google Drive

Google Drive also has the ability to view PSD files without having to install Photoshop. Details on how to do this will be provided in the Google Drive section below.

How to view a PSD file without Photoshop on an Android device

As there is no native PSD file viewer on Android devices, the best way to view PSD files would be to download apps for that purpose. On an Android phone or tablet, this is done through similar Google Play. As we have already detailed several of the most popular Google Play PSD viewer apps in the Chromebook section, you can also use them for Android devices.

Plus, just like the Chromebook, you can use Google Drive to do the same thing. Details are provided in the Google Drive section below.

How to view a PSD file without Photoshop on an iPhone

Unlike its desktop counterpart, iOS does not have a built-in PSD viewer available out of the box. In order to open PSD files, you will have to download applications that will do the job. We have listed some of the most popular ones below:

Adobe Photoshop Mix for iOS

Adobe has released an iOS version of the app available for Chrome OS and Android. The application’s usage controls are similar to those of its Android version, since they are technically the same program.

The image converter

Another very popular image editing app on iPhone, The Image Converter, as the name suggests, can transform a multitude of file types into different versions of image files. One of the related features to do this is the ability to open those files and view their contents. Image Converter has PSD support and you can access these files by opening them through the application menu. Converting PSD to images without layers such as jpeg or bmp would cause the image to lose the layer data.

How to Preview a PSD File with Google Drive

Unknown to many people who use Google Drive as a simple online storage solution, this Google cloud drive has the inherent ability to open PSD files without the need for other applications. This is important since most other platforms can access Google Drive as long as they have an internet connection. This eliminates the need to download third-party apps if you just want to view the image files. To open a PSD file in Google Drive, follow these steps:

1. Open Google Drive.
   
2. Click the +New button in the left menu.
   
3. Choose Upload File.

   

4. Use the navigation window to locate your PSD file. Click the file, then click Open.
   
5. Once the file has finished uploading, double-click the pop-up menu or the file in your Drive menu.
   
6. The image will then be displayed on your screen as a preview.

How to fix inaccessibility

Many graphic artists prefer PSD files as they support images that contain multiple layers for easy manipulation. However, due to the proprietary nature of the file type, it is not as accessible as other common image types. Fortunately for everyone, there are always solutions for this type of situation and for all available platforms.

Do you know any other ways to view PSD files without Photoshop? Share your thoughts in the comments below.