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How Do I Import a Photoshop File into Photoshop?

Published in Photoshop Tutorials 3 mins read

The most straightforward way to open a Photoshop file (.PSD) in Photoshop is to simply open it directly through Photoshop's "Open" dialog or by double-clicking the file. However, if you're asking how to bring another Photoshop file into an existing Photoshop document, here's how:

Methods for Importing a Photoshop File into an Existing Photoshop Document:

There are a few ways to accomplish this:

  1. Drag and Drop:

    • Locate the Photoshop file (.PSD) on your computer.
    • Ensure Photoshop is open with the document you want to import into already open.
    • Click and drag the .PSD file directly onto the open Photoshop document window.
    • The contents of the dragged .PSD will appear as a new layer (or layers) in the destination document. You may need to resize or reposition the imported content.

  2. Place Embedded:

    • In Photoshop, go to File > Place Embedded...
    • Browse to and select the .PSD file you want to import.
    • Click "Place".
    • The contents of the .PSD will be placed as a Smart Object layer, allowing for non-destructive scaling and transformations. You'll need to press Enter or click the checkmark in the options bar to commit the placement.

  3. Copy and Paste (Flattened or Layers):

    • Open the source Photoshop file (.PSD).
    • Flattened Image: If you want to bring a flattened version, go to Select > All (or Ctrl/Cmd+A), then Edit > Copy (or Ctrl/Cmd+C). Switch to the destination document and go to Edit > Paste (or Ctrl/Cmd+V).
    • Individual Layers: In the Layers panel of the source Photoshop file, select the layers you wish to copy. Go to Edit > Copy. Switch to the destination document and go to Edit > Paste. The layers will be pasted into the destination document.

Key Considerations:

  • Smart Objects: Using "Place Embedded" creates a Smart Object, which preserves the original file's data. This means you can scale and transform the imported content without losing quality. Double-clicking the Smart Object layer icon will open the original linked .PSD file for editing.
  • Layer Structure: Dragging and dropping, or using "Place Embedded", will maintain the layer structure of the imported file (within the Smart Object if using "Place Embedded"). Copying and pasting layers will transfer the selected layers.
  • File Size: Importing large Photoshop files can significantly increase the size of your destination document.

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