The fastest way to add an image

Open Photoshop, then go to File at the top left and click Open. Find the image file on your computer and click it once to select it, then click the Open button. The image will load into Photoshop as a new document, ready to edit.

If you already have a Photoshop document open and want to add an image into it as a new layer instead of opening it separately, use File > Place Embedded instead. This puts the image on top of your existing work without replacing it.

Key Takeaways

  • Use File > Open to load an image as its own document, or File > Place Embedded to add it as a layer to an existing project.
  • Photoshop accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and PSD files, among many others — if your file type is not recognized, you may need to convert it first.
  • When you place an image as a layer, it arrives with a transform box around it; press Enter or click inside the box to confirm the size and position.
  • If the image is much larger or smaller than your document, use the corner handles of the transform box to resize it before confirming.

Opening an image as a new document

The File > Open method is the most straightforward. Click File in the menu bar, then Open from the dropdown. A window will appear showing folders on your computer. Navigate to the folder where your image is stored — your Pictures folder, Downloads, or Desktop are common places — and click the image file once to highlight it.

Once the file is highlighted, click the blue Open button in the bottom right corner of the window. Photoshop will load the image and display it in a new tab. The image is now ready to edit, and you can crop it, adjust colors, add text, or make any other changes you need.

Adding an image as a layer to existing work

If you are already working on a Photoshop document and want to bring in another image without replacing what you have, use File > Place Embedded. This adds the new image as a separate layer on top of your current work, so both images exist in the same document.

After you click Place Embedded and select your image file, Photoshop will show a transform box around the image with handles at the corners and edges. You can drag the corner handles to resize the image, or drag inside the box to move it around your canvas. When the size and position look right, press Enter on your keyboard or click inside the transform box to lock it in place. The image is now a permanent layer in your document.

Resizing and positioning the image

When you place an image using Place Embedded, the transform box appears automatically. To make the image smaller or larger, grab one of the corner handles — the small squares at the corners of the box — and drag it toward the center to shrink the image or away from the center to enlarge it. Hold Shift while dragging a corner handle to keep the image proportions the same; without Shift, you can stretch or squash the image out of shape.

To move the image to a different spot on your canvas, click anywhere inside the transform box and drag it to the new location. Once everything is positioned the way you want it, press Enter to confirm. If you change your mind before pressing Enter, press Escape to cancel the placement and try again.

File types Photoshop recognizes

Photoshop opens most common image formats without any trouble. JPG files (the standard format for photographs), PNG files (which support transparency), GIF files, TIFF files, and PSD files (Photoshop's native format) all work directly. You can also open BMP, HEIF, WebP, and many others.

If you have an image in a format Photoshop does not recognize, you will see an error message when you try to open it. In that case, you can convert the file using free online tools or other software on your computer. For example, Windows includes a built-in Photos app that can open and save images in different formats, and Mac has Preview for the same purpose.

What to do if the image does not appear

If you opened an image but it does not show up on your screen, the image may be much larger than your canvas and positioned outside the visible area. Go to Image in the menu bar and click Fit Image in Window. Photoshop will zoom out so you can see the entire image at once.

Another common issue is that the image layer is hidden. Look at the Layers panel on the right side of the screen. Each layer has an eye icon next to it. If the eye is not visible next to your image layer, click the space where the eye should be to show the layer. If you do not see the Layers panel at all, go to Window > Layers to open it.

Dragging and dropping images directly

You can also add an image to Photoshop by dragging it directly from your computer's file explorer or Finder. Open a file browser window on your computer and locate the image you want to add. Click and hold on the image file, then drag it into the Photoshop window and release it.

If Photoshop is not already open, dragging an image into the Photoshop icon in your taskbar or dock will launch the program and open the image. If you drag an image into an existing Photoshop document, it will be placed as a new layer with the transform box ready for you to resize and position it, just like using Place Embedded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add multiple images at once?

Yes. Use File > Open and hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) while clicking multiple image files to select them all at once, then click Open. Each image will open in its own tab. To combine them into one document, use File > Place Embedded to add the others as layers.

What if the image is too big for my canvas?

When you place the image, the transform box lets you resize it before confirming. Drag a corner handle inward to make it smaller. If the image is already open as its own document, go to Image > Scale Image to change its dimensions permanently.

How do I add an image from the internet?

Right-click the image on the website and select Save Image As (or Download Image, depending on your browser). Choose where to save it on your computer, then open it in Photoshop using File > Open as usual.

Can I undo placing an image if I change my mind?

If you have not pressed Enter yet, press Escape to cancel the placement. If you already confirmed it, press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) to undo the last action.