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What Is PSD in Photoshop?

Last updated on September 23, 2022 @ 11:07 pm

Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe Inc. for macOS and Windows. Photoshop was created in 1988 by Thomas and John Knoll.

Since then, it has become the de facto industry standard in raster graphics editing, to the point that Photoshop has become a generic trademark leading to its use as a verb such as “to Photoshop an image”, “photoshopping” and “Photoshop contest”, though Adobe discourages such use.

Photoshop offers users a wide variety of tools to manipulate images for graphic design, web design, photo retouching, vector illustrations, 3D graphics, video editing and more.

PRO TIP: Please be aware that “PSD” is an acronym for “Photoshop Document.” A PSD file is a native Adobe Photoshop file that contains all of the layers, channels, masks, notes, and other elements that make up a Photoshop document. PSD files are the default file type for Adobe Photoshop and are able to be both opened and edited in Photoshop.

One of the most important features of Photoshop is its ability to work with layers. A layer is like a transparent sheet of film on which you can place images, text, or effect.

Layers allow you to work on one element of your image without affecting the others, which makes it easy to experiment with different looks without destroying your original image.

What Is PSD in Photoshop?

PSD is the native file format for Adobe Photoshop. A PSD file stores an image with support for most imaging options available in Photoshop.

These include layers with masks, transparency, text, alpha channels and spot colors, clipping paths and duotone settings. PSD files are commonly used for web designing and storing high quality graphics for printed materials.

Morgan Bash

Morgan Bash

Technology enthusiast and Co-Founder of Women Coders SF.