CR2 to PSD Converter
Convert CR2 to PSD in your browser. The large JPEG preview in the first directory is what gets converted; it carries the Picture Style that was active when you shot. No raw development happens here. You get an 8-bit RGB Photoshop document with one layer and a merged composite, RLE compressed, with transparency kept. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
RAW expected · other image formats also work
How to use CR2 to PSD
- 1
Add your CR2 files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the PSD is written losslessly. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .psd files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for cr2 to psd
Where the PSD goes next
PSD opens in Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP, Photopea and Krita.
PSD next to CR2
The PSD holds the camera preview's pixels with lossless compression: usually smaller than a 20 to 50 MB raw file, though far larger than a JPEG of the same photo.
No new artefacts
The preview inside the CR2 is a camera JPEG; the PSD stores its decoded pixels losslessly, so this step adds no compression damage of its own.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
CR2 vs PSD
What changes from CR2 to PSD
Encoding: the CR2 uses lossless JPEG-compressed sensor data, cut into vertical slices; PSD uses raw or RLE (PackBits) channel data, ZIP in some 16 and 32-bit files, and the download is an 8-bit RGB Photoshop document with one layer and a merged composite, RLE compressed, with transparency kept.
Bit depth: 12 or 14 bits per channel in the CR2; PSD allows 8, 16 or 32 bits per channel, and the PSD written here has 8 bits per channel. The sensor's 14 bits are not used: the 8-bit camera preview is converted.
Colour: camera RGB from a Bayer mosaic, with the Picture Style recorded in the maker notes in the CR2; PSD supports RGB, CMYK, Lab, greyscale, indexed or multichannel, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Metadata: the CR2 can carry EXIF, Canon maker notes (Picture Style, lens, focus points) and the embedded previews; PSD can carry XMP, EXIF, IPTC and ICC in image resource blocks, but nothing is copied across.
About CR2
CR2 is the raw format of Canon EOS cameras from 2004 until CR3 replaced it in 2018. It holds the sensor's 12 or 14-bit readings, losslessly compressed, plus a large JPEG preview rendered with the camera's Picture Style.
CR2 is TIFF-based: the TIFF header is followed by the letters 'CR' and version 2.0, then four image directories: a large JPEG preview with the EXIF block, a 160×120 thumbnail, a small uncompressed RGB image, and the sensor data as lossless JPEG cut into vertical slices.
CR2 files usually come from Canon EOS DSLRs made from 2004 to 2018, such as the 5D Mark II and III, 6D, 7D and the Rebel series.
About PSD
PSD is Adobe Photoshop's layered working format. It keeps layers, masks and effects, but almost nothing outside Photoshop can display it, so finished designs are exported to PNG or JPG.
A PSD has five sections: a header ('8BPS', channel count, size, depth, colour mode), colour mode data, image resources (thumbnail, ICC, XMP, resolution), layer and mask information, and finally the merged composite image that the Maximize Compatibility option saves.
When converting CR2 to PSD makes sense
PSD is the better choice for editing in Photoshop, while CR2 suits editing Canon photos in a raw developer.
PSD strengths: Keeps every layer and edit. Drawbacks to weigh: Huge files; Cannot be viewed on the web or most phones.
Limitations
- The 14-bit sensor data, with its highlight and shadow latitude, is not developed here; use a raw editor when you need to recover detail.
- The Photoshop document holds the picture as a single layer: a starting point for editing, not a reconstruction of layers.
- Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP and Photopea open it.
More conversions
Related tools
Convert PSD to CR2 in your browser, saved as a Linear DNG, the raw file every CR2 editor also opens. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert CR2 to JPG in your browser, made from the full-size preview your Canon camera stored in the file. Batch, private, no uploads.
Shrink JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF and GIF files with MozJPEG, OxiPNG and modern codecs, with a live before/after preview.
Resize to exact pixels, a percentage or a longest side, with Lanczos3 and Magic Kernel resampling. Batch ready.
Strip EXIF, GPS, XMP, IPTC and comments losslessly. Pixels are never re-encoded for JPG, PNG and WebP.
Convert between 34 image formats in bulk: HEIC, WebP, AVIF, JPEG XL, PNG, JPG, GIF, TIFF, SVG, ICO, PSD, RAW and more.
Frequently asked questions
Does converting CR2 to PSD lose quality?
PSD is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Those pixels come from the camera's JPEG preview, so its compression stays, but nothing new is lost. The sensor's 14 bits are not used: the 8-bit camera preview is converted.
Which apps open PSD files?
Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP, Photopea and Krita. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.