Free PSD test files and sample generator
Photoshop's native document format. Generate valid .psd sample files to test image tooling, asset pipelines, converters and upload handling.
What is a .psd file?
PSD: Adobe Photoshop Document. PSD is Photoshop's native document format. Beyond design workflows it is a useful test case because it is a large, structured binary with a composite image and metadata sections, and because many asset pipelines must at least detect and reject it.
Why generate a test PSD file?
- Test an asset pipeline that accepts or must reject design source files.
- Check thumbnail extraction from the flattened composite.
- Exercise upload limits with a genuinely large binary.
What you can put inside a .psd file
You get 3 content options for PSD, so the file holds something meaningful rather than random padding: Solid color, Gradient, Checkerboard. For PSD these are alternatives, so choose the one that matches what you need to test.
How a .psd file is identified
Every .psd file begins with 38 42 50 53, "8BPS". That is what a validator inspecting content rather than the file name looks for.
How the size lands on the exact byte
Image resource blocks are skippable, so a plug-in resource (id 4000) takes the padding. The channels are stored planar, all red, then all green, then all blue, which is a classic source of broken PSD writers.
Negative testing with broken PSD files
- Invalid. Identifiable, but wrong inside, so it fails during parsing.
- Corrupted. The leading bytes are destroyed, so the
38 42 50 53identifying a .psd is gone. Same length as the valid file. - Incomplete. Truncated part-way, so it is genuinely shorter.
- Empty. Chosen under Content rather than File Condition: valid structure, no data.
Which failure to reach for, and what to assert for each, is covered in how to make a corrupted file for testing. For upload limits and type checks see testing file upload validation.
Sample PSD content
[PSD], "8BPS" header (RGB, 8-bit) + image resources + raw planar composite data.
This shows the shape of the file. Your download is generated fresh at the size you choose, so the values will differ.
How to open and verify the file
Open in Photoshop, GIMP, or IrfanView (which reads flattened PSD).
Media type image/vnd.adobe.photoshop · extension .psd · category Images
Generate a .psd file → · questions about sizes, privacy or cost are answered on the site FAQ.
Frequently asked questions about PSD files
What identifies a .psd file?
A .psd file begins with the bytes 38 42 50 53, "8BPS". Those bytes are what a content-sniffing validator looks for, and what the Corrupted condition destroys.
How can a .psd file be an exact number of bytes?
Image resource blocks are skippable, so a plug-in resource (id 4000) takes the padding. The channels are stored planar, all red, then all green, then all blue, which is a classic source of broken PSD writers.
What can go inside the PSD file?
There are 3 content options for .psd: Solid color, Gradient, Checkerboard. For PSD these are alternatives, so pick the one matching what you need to test.
Can I download several broken PSD files at once?
Yes, select more than one File Condition and you get one ZIP containing a .psd per condition, each named after its condition.
Can the PSD file use UTF-16 or a byte-order mark?
No, and deliberately. A .psd file is a container rather than plain text, so rewriting its bytes as UTF-16 would not produce a UTF-16 document. It would produce a broken file. Use a text format such as CSV, JSON or XML for encoding tests.
How do I open or verify the PSD file?
Open in Photoshop, GIMP, or IrfanView (which reads flattened PSD).