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Paint.Net plugin lets you view and edit Photoshop PSD files
Download the zip archive, dump the included PhotoShop.dll file into your Paint.Net FileTypes folder (usually c:\program files\Paint.Net\FileTypes), and you're ready to rock. Pretty well anything in the PSD for which Paint.Net has an implementation will load just fine. Saving is another story, so you'd best stick to Paint.Net's native .PDN file when you're done working.
If you don't have Photoshop, the plugin is a handy for looking at PSDs your friends might send you to look at. It's also a nice way to transition yourself to a free alternative if you no longer require Photoshop.
Thanks to FreePSD.com for the template I experimented with -- it's been so long since I used Photoshop on one of my systems that I can't even find any of my old PSDs...
Comments
5
Subscribe to commentsHardwareGuyFeb 9th 2010 2:06PM
Well that was a failure. I installed the plugin and tried to open a 20MB CS4 PSD like I do all day in irfanview (or preview on mac) and my computer locked up harder than I've seen in a while.
tracker1Feb 9th 2010 3:08PM
@HardwareGuy, bear in mind this plugin is doing a bit more than simply viewing the PSD. I'd look in task manager when you attempt to open the PSD, odds are it's using a crap-ton of ram. Probably grinding on your HDD a bunch as well. Not sure if PDN uses custom memory management, wouldn't surprise me, that keeps the RAM usage down, meaning it's hammering on the HDD harder still.
minibarFeb 9th 2010 3:13PM
i've never found the limited benefits of psd over tgf compelling enough to warrant a closed format but maybe this will bring a few back into the light.
while paint.net is very good, development and plugins tend to advance sporadically so if this is not stable now you might try back in a month or so.
Gardiner WestboundFeb 9th 2010 3:51PM
I have been experimenting with Photofiltre, free at SnapFiles. It opens psd files, but does not support layers.
http://tinyurl.com/6yv8w
Mike RyanFeb 9th 2010 3:52PM
Hello, Download Squad. I am actively involved with the Paint.NET project and first of all I just wanted to mention that it is often referred to as 'Paint.NET' and not 'Paint.Net'. As well, the .PSD import plugin is rather old and outdated, and is not guaranteed to work with the latest stable release of Paint.NET (v3.5.3).
As far as I can recall, the plugin recently moved to an opensource solution on CodePlex and code contributions can be made there.
@Hardware Guy: Make sure you have the latest version of Paint.NET + the latest version of the plugin. As well, bear in mind the following equation for determining memory usage:
(W x H x 4) x (L + 2)
W is Width, H is Height, and L is Number of Layers. By importing a PSD file you just aren't previewing it, you are importing each layer and making it editable by Paint.NET. Memory issues can occur.