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Can’t Save as a PNG in Photoshop?

Last updated on September 24, 2022 @ 12:22 am

If you’ve ever tried to save a Photoshop file as a PNG and found that the option is greyed out, you’re not alone. It can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you’re trying to create a file for web use and need it to be in the PNG format.

So why can’t you save as a PNG in Photoshop?

The short answer is that Photoshop is designed primarily for working with raster images, not vector images. PNG is a vector file format, so when you try to save a Photoshop document as a PNG, it just doesn’t work because the two formats are incompatible.

PRO TIP: If you are unable to save a PNG in Photoshop, it is likely because you are using an older version of the software. In order to save as a PNG in Photoshop, you will need to upgrade to the latest version.

There are some ways around this, however. One is to export your Photoshop file as a PDF, which can then be converted into a PNG using an online converter such as Convertio.

Another option is to save your file as a TIFF and then convert it to PNG using an image editing program like GIMP or Paint.NET.

Of course, the best way to avoid this issue altogether is to just work with PNG files from the start. If you have a vector image that you need to convert into a raster image for use in Photoshop, there are plenty of online converters that can do this for you, such as Online Convert.

Conclusion:

So, there you have it! Now you know why you can’t save as a PNG in Photoshop, and some workarounds if you absolutely need to use that format. In general, though, it’s best to just work with the right file format from the start to avoid any compatibility issues.

Madison Geldart

Madison Geldart

Cloud infrastructure engineer and tech mess solver.