PSD to RAW Converter
Convert PSD to RAW in your browser. You download a Linear DNG (.dng), not a .raw: only a camera can create a genuine RAW, and every editor that opens RAW also opens DNG. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
PSD expected · other image formats also work
How to use PSD to RAW
- 1
Add your PSD files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
Pick the colour that replaces transparent areas, since DNG has none.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .dng files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for psd to raw
Where a RAW would go
RAW files are opened by Lightroom, Photoshop Camera Raw, Capture One, darktable, RawTherapee and dcraw-based tools, and every one of them opens the DNG too.
DNG next to PSD
The DNG is written uncompressed, so expect it to be several times larger than the PSD, which stores raw or RLE (PackBits) channel data, ZIP in some 16 and 32-bit files.
Written without a lossy pass
The DNG is written uncompressed, so the pixels decoded from the PSD arrive unchanged, apart from precision beyond 8 bits per channel.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
PSD vs RAW
What changes from PSD to RAW
Encoding: the PSD uses raw or RLE (PackBits) channel data, ZIP in some 16 and 32-bit files; RAW uses uncompressed, lossless JPEG or vendor-specific coding of the sensor data, depending on the maker, and the download is a Linear DNG: demosaiced 8-bit RGB with the colour matrices raw editors need.
Bit depth: 8, 16 or 32 bits per channel in the PSD; RAW allows 12 to 16 bits per channel, and the DNG written here has 8 bits per channel, linearised. 16 and 32-bit documents are reduced to 8 bits per channel.
Colour: RGB, CMYK, Lab, greyscale, indexed or multichannel in the PSD; RAW supports camera-native RGB from a colour filter mosaic, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the PSD stores it as transparent layers plus extra alpha channels; the DNG has none, so transparent areas are filled with the colour you choose.
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; RAW can carry EXIF and vendor maker notes, almost always with an embedded JPEG preview, but nothing is copied across.
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.
PSD files usually come from Photoshop and apps that save Photoshop documents, such as Affinity Photo, GIMP, Photopea and Krita.
About RAW
Camera RAW files (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, ORF, RW2, RAF and others) hold the unprocessed sensor data from a camera along with an embedded full-size JPEG preview rendered by the camera.
.RAW is an extension rather than one format. Panasonic and Leica compacts wrote TIFF-like .RAW files before Panasonic moved to RW2, and scanners and scientific cameras use .raw for headerless dumps with no width, height or layout recorded, which nothing can read without being told those values.
RAW files come from older Panasonic and Leica compacts that saved .RAW, and scanners or scientific cameras that use the extension for pixel dumps.
When converting PSD to RAW makes sense
Forms and workflows that ask for RAW usually feed a raw editor, and each of those opens DNG as well, so the DNG can take the RAW's place. Keep the PSD if you only need to view or share the picture.
What RAW offers when it comes straight from the camera: Maximum editing latitude in RAW editors; Includes a camera-rendered preview. Its drawbacks: Huge files; Every brand uses its own format; Phones, browsers and websites cannot display it.
Limitations
- The merged composite is converted, so hidden layers stay hidden and visible ones are flattened together.
- Files saved with Maximize Compatibility turned off may hold no full-size composite; then only the small embedded thumbnail is available.
- The DNG holds the decoded 8-bit pixels, so it adds no dynamic range or detail beyond the PSD.
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Frequently asked questions
Why do I get a .dng file instead of a .raw?
A real RAW is written by a camera and holds the sensor's own readings (12 to 16 bits per channel, stored as uncompressed, lossless JPEG or vendor-specific coding of the sensor data, depending on the maker) along with EXIF and vendor maker notes, almost always with an embedded JPEG preview. A PSD holds no sensor data, so no software outside the camera can create a genuine RAW. The Linear DNG you get instead is Adobe's open raw format, and every editor that opens RAW files opens it with the same raw controls. It holds decoded pixels, so it adds no quality or dynamic range.
Does converting PSD to RAW lose quality?
DNG is written uncompressed, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. 16 and 32-bit documents are reduced to 8 bits per channel. Not carried over: any layers.
What happens to transparency when converting PSD to RAW?
PSD stores transparency as transparent layers plus extra alpha channels. DNG has no alpha channel, so transparent pixels are composited onto a solid colour, white unless you pick another. To keep transparency, convert to PNG, WebP or AVIF instead.
Are PSD layers kept?
No. The flattened composite that Photoshop saves inside the file is converted, so the result looks like the PSD with all visible layers merged. Files saved without Maximize Compatibility fall back to the embedded thumbnail.
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.