PSD Layer Export
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
A PSD file is not one image — it is a stack of them. Designers hand over layered files; then someone needs just the logo, or the background, or each illustration element on its own. This tool walks the layer tree of your PSD and renders every pixel layer as its own transparent PNG, named after the layer itself.
The extraction runs locally in your browser with WebAssembly: no Photoshop license required, no upload of your unreleased designs, no watermark. When more than one layer comes out — which is almost always — everything lands in a single ZIP download.
How to export PSD layers as PNG
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your PSD files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Export layers". Every pixel layer is rendered to its own PNG file, ready to download individually or as one ZIP.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted PNG file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the PSD format
PSD is Adobe Photoshop's native document format and the source-of-truth file of the design industry. It keeps everything editable: layers with masks, adjustment layers, smart objects, layer effects and live text. The format is big-endian and only partially documented, but its ubiquity means libraries in every language can read the common parts.
Two practical gotchas define PSD life outside Photoshop. First, files are enormous — hundreds of megabytes is normal for layered work. Second, the flattened composite other apps display is only embedded when the file was saved with “Maximize Compatibility” enabled; without it, converters that read the composite will fail. Sharing to non-designers means exporting a JPG, PNG or PDF copy.
+ Strengths
- ✓Fully editable: layers, masks, effects and live text
- ✓The universal design source format
- ✓Smart objects allow non-destructive scaling and filters
! Limitations
- −Very large files
- −Full fidelity requires Photoshop or Creative Cloud apps
- −Composite preview may be missing without Maximize Compatibility
About the PNG format
PNG was created in 1996 as a free, open replacement for the patent-encumbered GIF, and it has been the reference lossless image format ever since. Pixels are compressed with the DEFLATE algorithm (the same one inside ZIP files), which reproduces the original image exactly — bit-for-bit — while supporting full 8-bit or 16-bit alpha transparency. Screenshots, logos, icons, charts and anything with text or sharp edges should live in PNG.
Because it never discards information, PNG files of photographs are several times larger than JPG — that is the price of perfection. Modern PNG encoders add filters per scanline that make screenshots and flat-color graphics compress surprisingly well. PNG also became the base of APNG, the animation extension that browsers play natively.
+ Strengths
- ✓Truly lossless — every pixel survives exactly as it was
- ✓Full alpha transparency with smooth edges, not 1-bit masks
- ✓Open standard, unpatented, with excellent tooling everywhere
- ✓Ideal for text, line art and flat-color graphics — sharp edges stay sharp
! Limitations
- −Photographs become several times larger than JPG
- −Base format has no animation (that is the APNG extension)
- −16-bit or high-resolution PNGs can grow very heavy
Frequently asked questions
Does this need Photoshop installed?
No. The PSD parser runs in your browser with WebAssembly — any modern browser on any OS works, no Adobe software involved.
Are my design files uploaded anywhere?
Never. Layer extraction happens entirely on your device; your unreleased work does not leave the browser.
Which layers are exported?
Every pixel layer that contains actual image data, flattened from group folders but named by its original layer name. Empty layers, adjustment layers and masks (which hold no pixels of their own) are skipped.
What about hidden layers?
Hidden layers are exported too — visibility is a Photoshop view setting, and deciding what to keep is easier with everything available.
Why do some layers look different from Photoshop?
Effects like strokes, drop shadows and adjustment-layer color changes live outside the layer bitmap. Exported PNGs contain the raw layer pixels; complex effects may render differently.
I get an error about a missing composite — why?
Some heavily-edited PSDs only store layer data without a flattened preview. This exporter works from the layers themselves, so it is usually the fix for files that fail in other converters.