PhotoCraft PSD: opening, saving and compatibility checks

Can PhotoCraft open and save PSD files?

The official README lists PSD and PSB reading and writing, including layered documents. This is an upstream capability claim, not a promise that every Photoshop file will look or behave the same. PhotoCraft remains early alpha.

What the format claim does and does not establish

The README describes native opening of large PSB documents, 16 / 32-bit files and CMYK / Lab documents. It also explains that saving through the application rewrites document structures: the result is not byte-identical to the source. The standalone PSD library and the desktop document workflow have different test claims. The parity document records remaining rendering and exchange gaps; its test corpus cannot establish compatibility for your file.

Prepare a copy and record the versions

Obtain PhotoCraft from the official sources on the download page. Keep the original unchanged. Choose a non-sensitive sample that represents your workflow, make a separate working copy, and record the PhotoCraft version, target Photoshop version, operating system and required fonts. These are suggested checks; this site has not run the applications.

Check opening and saving as separate steps

1. Open the working copy with File > Open. Note any import warning, missing font or error. Opening successfully alone does not confirm a successful save or Photoshop exchange.
2. Compare the document with your reference: canvas dimensions, layer and group structure, masks, editable text, fonts, effects, smart objects and required colour / depth settings. Check the parts your task actually needs; a matching flattened preview does not prove layer editability.
3. Make one small edit in the copy, then save a new PSD or PSB under a different filename using the format offered by the application. Do not overwrite the original. If the required format is unavailable or saving reports an error, stop rather than rename another format to .psd.
4. Close and reopen the saved copy in PhotoCraft, then open that same output in the Photoshop version your workflow uses. Recheck the visual result and required editable layers in both. Record which step succeeded or failed.

Define success for this document

Success means that the required content survives, both applications reopen the output, and the specific edits your task requires remain possible. A different file hash is expected after a rewrite and is not by itself a compatibility failure. One successful sample proves only that tested file, version pair and workflow; it is not a universal pass rate.

Stop if content changes or saving fails

If layers disappear, text changes, effects differ, the app crashes or Photoshop rejects the output, preserve the original and the failed copy separately. Continue the production task in your established application. Consult the upstream known gaps; if useful, prepare a non-sensitive minimal reproduction with versions and warnings for an upstream report. Do not submit private documents.