PSD to PNG Converter

Encoding: the PSD uses raw or RLE (PackBits) channel data, ZIP in some 16 and 32-bit files; PNG uses lossless DEFLATE with a prediction filter chosen per row, and the download is a lossless 8-bit PNG with full alpha.

Bit depth: 8, 16 or 32 bits per channel in the PSD; PNG allows 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 bits per channel, and the PNG written here has 8 bits per channel. 16 and 32-bit documents are reduced to 8 bits per channel.

Colour: RGB, CMYK, Lab, greyscale, indexed or multichannel in the PSD; PNG supports RGB, greyscale, or an indexed palette of up to 256 colours, written here as 8-bit sRGB.

Transparency: the PSD stores it as transparent layers plus extra alpha channels; the PNG keeps it as a full alpha channel, so edges and shadows can fade smoothly.

Other images: the PSD can hold layers, masks, adjustment layers and smart objects; only the main image is converted.

Metadata: the PSD can carry XMP, EXIF, IPTC and ICC in image resource blocks; PNG can carry text chunks, an ICC profile, physical resolution and EXIF in an eXIf chunk, but nothing is copied across.

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.

PSD files usually come from Photoshop and apps that save Photoshop documents, such as Affinity Photo, GIMP, Photopea and Krita.

PNG stores pixels losslessly with full alpha transparency. It is ideal for screenshots, logos, UI and anything with sharp edges, but photos saved as PNG are several times larger than JPEG.

A PNG opens with an 8-byte signature and is a chain of chunks, each with its own CRC: IHDR (size, depth, colour type), optional PLTE and tRNS for palettes, one or more IDAT chunks with the compressed rows, and IEND.

PNG is the better choice for screenshots, logos, graphics and anything that needs transparency, while PSD suits editing in Photoshop.

PNG strengths: Lossless: no quality loss, ever; Full transparency with smooth edges; Perfect for text, screenshots and graphics. Drawbacks to weigh: Large files for photographs; No standard animation (that is APNG).