Need to open a PSD file but don’t have Photoshop? No problem! Whether you’re working with a designer and need to view a proof, or you want to quickly and easily convert artwork to display on your website, there are a number of free and easy-to-use online tools that will allow you to transform PSD files into JPGs or PNGs.
A PSD is a Photoshop Document file – specially formatted so that it can be reopened in an editable state so a designer can pick right up where they left off and continue editing the image or design. The issue with PSDs is that, unlike JPGs and PNGs, which can be opened in almost any image editor or viewer, Photoshop Document files are not open format, and need to be opened or edited in a supported program.
If you only need to open or view these types of files once in a while, an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription may not be worth the investment – which is why we’ve tested 4 FREE online (no software downloads required) tools to help you convert a PSD to a JPG or PNG.
Zamzar
Zamzar is a popular option for PSD to JPG and PNG conversion, and is self-described as “dedicated to helping you transform your songs, videos, images and documents into different formats… to provide high quality file conversion for as many file formats as possible”.
Supported file formats
Zamzar supports conversion from a range of file types, including 3fr, arw, bmp, cr2, crw, dcr, dng, dwg, dxf, emf, eps, erf, gif, ico, jpg, jpeg, mdi, mrw, nef, odg, orf, pcx, pef, png, ppm, psd, raf, svg, tga, tif, tiff, wbmp, webp, wmf, x3f, and xcf.
Zamzar also supports a large (too large to list here!) number of formats for documents, music, video, e-book, compressed files, and video presets, if you need help converting any of those files as well.
Zamzar is free to use, but does impose a 50MB file limit on its free service. It offers the ability to covert larger files with paid plans, starting from $9 per month on a basic plan. The basic plan includes a maximum file size of 200MB, 25 concurrent downloads and 5GB of online storage.
How it works
Zamzar is easy to use, and effective. Simply upload your file, choose your desired format, enter your email address, and have the converted files sent to your inbox. Your converted file will also be stored for 24 hours from the time you receive your email.
Testing results
I tested Zamzar with two different file sizes – File A (221MB) and File B (28MB). File A was too large to convert using this program’s free service. For this file, I would have needed to subscribe to their $16 per month pro plan, which includes a maximum file size of 400MB, 50 concurrent downloads and 20GB of online storage.
In testing File B (once for conversion to a JPG and once for conversion to a PNG) it took a total of 5 minutes for the link to the converted file to find its way to my inbox, timing from the start of uploading my original PSD file. The email linked directed me to a page offering 47 different converted file sizes to choose from, ranging from 59KB up to 1.2MB. I downloaded the 1.2MB file, which was good quality, and the file download was fast.
Cool Utils
Specializing in multimedia conversion software and offering support for audio, images, movies, emails, Excel, HTML, PDF, iPod and more, Cool Utils are self-described as “the experts in conversion utility… providing users with tools that are capable of converting over 140 different file types from one format to another”.
Supported image file formats
- jpg
- bmp
- tiff
- gif
- ico
- png
How it works
Like other online conversion options, simply upload your PSD file, and choose the format you’d like to convert to. One point of difference with Cool Utils which is pretty rad is that it provides options to resize (and restrain by proportions) and rotate your final image.
Testing results
Cool Utils was by far the fastest online conversion tool. Although my 221MB PSD file was too large for the free service, my 28MB PSD file was uploaded, converted and downloaded as a jpg in less than a couple of minutes – and the resulting image was good quality, at 768KB. Converting to a PNG file was just as fast – and resulted in a good quality download of 1.4MB
PSD Viewer
Stable and user-friendly, PSD Viewer was originally designed only for viewing PSD files online, but now offers a free online file converter that lets you convert your files quickly and easily from PSD to JPG. Like other free services, PSD Viewer does impose an upload size limit of 100MB.
Supported image file formats
PSD Viewer supports conversion from a range of file types (including .eps, .psd, .dds, .plt, .hpgl, .hgl, .pcx, .tga, .ai, .cr2, .nef, .crw, and .raf), and converts to jpg, gif, png, tiff and bmp.
This tool also offers free video convertors for converting video files to more popular video extensions as AVI and MP4.
How it works
When using PSD Viewer, simply click on the “Browse” button and select image file that you want to convert. Once your original file has been uploaded, the program will display a thumbnail preview of your image, and offer the option to resize your image before downloading.
Testing results
Again, I tested conversions for both JPG and PNG, and it took between 4 – 6 minutes for each file conversion. While the JPG file download was immediate and of a reasonably high quality (803KB), I found when converting to a PNG file that the thumbnail preview was blank, and when I downloaded the file the image was a transparent background with no content (although it was the correction dimensions).
Convert Files
Convert Files easily converts PSD documents to JPG, PNG and other formats, for files up to 250MB. This program allows for more than 330 combinations of input and output file formats, and promises privacy and security since “uploaded files are destroyed immediately after being converted”. Converted files are kept on the Convert Files servers for 24 hours, and are then destroyed by automated rules.
Supported image file formats
- Bmp
- Gif
- Jpg
- Png
- Tiff
- Crw
- Cr2
- Nef
- Pef
- Sr2
- Arw
- Raf
Convert Files also offers conversion for documents, videos, audio, ebooks, and more.
How it works
Upload your PSD file, select your desired output format and click the convert button. You can download your converted file immediately, or opt to have a link to your converted file sent to your email to download at your convenience.
Testing results
I tested Convert Files first with my 221MB PSD file, converting to a JPG. The upload and conversion took around 8 minutes, and the resulting JPG was of good quality at 10.3MB. I then tested conversion to PNG with my smaller 28MB PSD file. Upload and conversion took around 3 minutes, resulting in a PNG file of good quality, with a file size of 1.4MB.
Currently using a PSD to JPG or PNG online conversion tool you think members of the WP Dev Shed should know about? Share your recommendations in the comments!