How to open and edit a PSD file on a Mac
Open the PSD
Choose File ▸ Open… and pick the .psd file. A layered 8-bit RGB file opens with all its layers; any other PSD opens as one layer named “Imported PSD”.
Show the layers
Click “Studio” in the toolbar. Each row shows the layer’s name and, under it, any blend mode other than Normal (hover over a row to see Normal). Click the mode to pick another of the 27.
Paint on top
Pick a brush and paint. When there’s room, a new brush or color starts a fresh layer at the top of the stack, so the imported layers stay as they were.
Tidy the layers
Double-click a name to rename it, drag rows to reorder them, and use the eye button to hide or show a layer.
Export a layered PSD
Choose File ▸ “Export as Layered PSD…”, or the same item in the toolbar’s “Export” menu, then name the file and pick a folder.
Or export a PNG or JPEG
For a flat picture, choose “Export as PNG…” or “Export as JPEG…” from the same menus.
Open a PSD file on Mac with its layers
Paint My opens PSD files directly. If the file is 8-bit RGB with raw or RLE compression, every layer comes back with its name, opacity, visibility, blend mode and position. All 27 blend modes map from PSD and back, so a Multiply shading layer stays Multiply; a mode the app doesn’t recognize opens as Normal.
Other PSDs, such as ZIP-compressed, 16-bit or CMYK files, open flattened as one layer named “Imported PSD”. Layer masks are skipped, layer groups aren’t kept, and pixels outside the canvas are cropped.
The free version keeps one canvas open at a time. If another painting is open, a “One canvas at a time” card offers to close it first.
A PSD editor for Mac: what you can change
Once open, imported layers work like any Paint My layer: paint, erase, select and transform, or rename, hide, lock, reorder and duplicate layers and set their opacity and blend mode. The drawing app with layers for Mac guide explains how the 27 blend modes behave.
Some changes in the layers panel, such as a rename, a new blend mode or a deleted layer, are not undo steps. New to Paint My? Start with Paint for Mac.
- Free download: open and edit PSD files, paint with 14 brush styles, keep 3 layers per painting and 50 undo steps, and use every export.
- In the free version, a PSD with 3 or more layers keeps them all but can’t take new ones: your marks go on the selected layer, and “Combine Layers” can make room.
- Pro: all 57 brush styles, no layer limit and no undo step limit, as a weekly, monthly or yearly plan, or pay once.
Export a PSD with layers
Choose “Export as Layered PSD…” from the File menu or the toolbar’s “Export” menu. You get an 8-bit RGB PSD with one layer per Paint My layer, each with its name, opacity, visibility, blend mode and position, plus a flattened composite.
The export doesn’t write layer groups, masks, clipping or effects. Like every export, it is free.
Saving is different: Paint My saves your painting as a .pmy document, never as a PSD. When you need the layers as a PSD again, export a new one.
Convert PSD to PNG or JPG on Mac
To convert a PSD to PNG on your Mac, open it and choose “Export as PNG…”. The PNG holds the visible layers, and empty areas stay transparent.
For a JPG, choose “Export as JPEG…”. JPEG has no transparency, so the picture is flattened onto the paper’s flat color, which is white for an opened PSD unless you choose another surface.
Need one layer on its own? Select it in the Studio sidebar and choose File ▸ “Export Selected Layers…” (⇧⌘E) for a PNG cropped to the artwork’s edges. To cut a subject out of a photo layer first, see how to remove background on Mac.
Questions
How do I open a PSD file on a Mac?
In Paint My, choose File ▸ Open… and pick the .psd file. A layered 8-bit RGB file opens with its layers; any other PSD opens flattened as one layer.
Can I edit a layered PSD without a subscription?
Yes. Opening a PSD and every export, layered PSD included, come with the free download. The free version keeps 3 layers per painting, so a PSD with 3 or more layers opens whole but takes no new ones until you combine them into 2 or fewer or get Pro.
How do I convert PSD to PNG or JPG on Mac?
Open the PSD, then choose “Export as PNG…” or “Export as JPEG…” from the File menu or the toolbar’s “Export” menu. PNG keeps transparency; JPEG is flattened onto the paper color.
Are all PSD files supported?
Layered import covers 8-bit RGB files with raw or RLE compression. Other PSDs, such as ZIP-compressed, 16-bit or CMYK files, open flattened as one layer. Layer masks and layer groups are not kept.
Does it save back to PSD?
Your painting saves as a .pmy document. For a PSD, choose “Export as Layered PSD…”, which keeps each layer’s name, opacity, visibility, blend mode and position.
