01Layer separation basics
Splitting an image into layers means taking one flat picture — where every pixel is permanently fused together — and rebuilding it as a stack of independent transparent layers. Typically the main subject, the background, any text, and logos or graphics each become their own layer. Because the layers stay aligned to the original canvas, you can move, hide, recolour or replace any single element without touching the rest. It is the difference between editing a photograph and editing the design file the photograph was made from.
A PSD is Adobe Photoshop's native document format. A flat PSD contains a single merged image layer: opening it gives you one picture and nothing to rearrange. A layered PSD stores each element on its own named layer with its own transparency mask, so text, subjects, shadows and backgrounds can be selected and edited individually. Both files look identical on screen when opened. The difference only appears when you try to change something — a flat PSD forces you to repaint, a layered PSD lets you move the piece.
Background removal returns two things: your subject and transparency. You get a cut-out, and the original background is gone forever. Layer separation returns a whole stack: the subject, the background as its own intact layer, plus text, logos and other elements, all still registered to the same canvas. Background removal answers the question 'how do I isolate this object'. Layer separation answers 'how do I edit this design'. If you only need a transparent PNG, background removal is enough; if you need to change wording, swap a product, or move a layout block, you need layers.
Yes, with limits. Modern layer-decomposition models analyse the image for distinct visual regions — foreground subject, background plane, typography, logos, product areas — and output each as a separate RGBA layer with its own alpha mask. Results are strongest on images with clear separation and distinct elements: product shots, posters, flyers, UI screenshots, AI-generated art. They degrade on heavy visual clutter, very soft focus, or when two elements share identical colour and texture. Treat the output as a strong first pass you refine, not as a perfect reconstruction.
Background reconstruction means generating pixels that were hidden behind an object. AI may approximate those areas, but it cannot know the original unseen content. Simple backgrounds are easier than detailed patterns or hidden text. Check for gaps, invented details and seams before moving or removing a separated object; a complete background is not guaranteed.
PNG, JPG/JPEG and WebP are accepted, up to 30 MB per file and at least 262,144 total pixels. Rasterise SVG, PDF or AI in another editor first. Separation produces raster layers, not original vector or font objects.
No. A merged JPG or PNG does not store its source layer structure. AI creates new raster layers from visible content. Fonts, vectors and original masks cannot be recovered, and a base image may still contain objects that need manual cleanup after moving a layer.
02How to separate elements
Upload a PNG, JPG/JPEG or WebP (up to 30 MB and at least 262,144 pixels in total), describe the elements you want separated, and optionally mark important regions. After processing, inspect the layers and export a layered PSD or individual PNGs. The result contains reconstructed raster layers; original fonts, vectors and hidden details are not recovered exactly, and processing time varies.
A PNG stores a single image with optional transparency, not an original Photoshop layer stack. Upload it to Png2Psd to infer separate raster layers and export PSD. Check soft edges and shadows: generated transparency can differ from the source. Renaming the extension does not create layers or editable font text.
Upload the JPG/JPEG and run AI layer separation, then inspect the result before exporting PSD. JPEG contains neither layers nor an alpha channel; new transparency and boundaries are inferred. Compression artifacts and missing details cannot be guaranteed to disappear. Use the least compressed original available.
Export the generated image as PNG or JPG, upload it, and describe which subject, background or text regions to separate. AI can infer visible elements as independent raster layers, making it easier to hide, move or replace them. It does not recover original editable font text, vector paths or component structure. Recreate wording as new text when needed, and inspect generated edges and details. Recognition and separation quality vary by image and script.
Describe or mark the text block you want isolated, then replace its wording by adding new text in an editor. AI can infer visible elements as independent raster layers, making it easier to hide, move or replace them. It does not recover original editable font text, vector paths or component structure. Recreate wording as new text when needed, and inspect generated edges and details. Recognition and separation quality vary by image and script.
You do not need Photoshop installed at any point. Run layer separation in the browser, then either hide the background layer and place your own image behind it, or keep the reconstructed background and edit it. Because the subject layer carries a real alpha mask, compositing it onto a new backdrop takes seconds in any editor — including free ones like Photopea — or you can simply export the subject as a transparent PNG. Nothing is installed and no account with Adobe is required.
Export the Figma frame as a clear PNG first; if you still have the original design file, use its existing structure instead. Upload a PNG, JPG/JPEG or WebP (up to 30 MB and at least 262,144 pixels in total), describe the elements you want separated, and optionally mark important regions. After processing, inspect the layers and export a layered PSD or individual PNGs. The result contains reconstructed raster layers; original fonts, vectors and hidden details are not recovered exactly, and processing time varies.
Export your Canva design as PNG or JPG, then use Png2Psd on that flat image; Canva text objects will not survive as editable font text. Upload a PNG, JPG/JPEG or WebP (up to 30 MB and at least 262,144 pixels in total), describe the elements you want separated, and optionally mark important regions. After processing, inspect the layers and export a layered PSD or individual PNGs. The result contains reconstructed raster layers; original fonts, vectors and hidden details are not recovered exactly, and processing time varies.
Upload a clear screenshot as PNG and specify the cards, icons or panels you need as separate assets. AI can infer visible elements as independent raster layers, making it easier to hide, move or replace them. It does not recover original editable font text, vector paths or component structure. Recreate wording as new text when needed, and inspect generated edges and details. Recognition and separation quality vary by image and script.
Not in the posterisation sense. Layer separation is semantic, not chromatic: it groups pixels by what they depict — a person, a background plane, a heading, a logo — rather than by matching hex values. If you genuinely need one layer per colour, for screen printing or a colour-count-limited design, that is a different operation usually called colour separation or posterisation, and it is done with indexed colour mode or a dedicated screen-printing tool. Choosing semantic separation when you wanted colour separation is a common and avoidable mistake.
First generate separate raster layers, then open the browser editor to select, rename, hide, reorder, move, scale or rotate them and adjust opacity. Inspect the full composition before exporting PSD; rasterized text does not become editable font text automatically.
Output size and layer count depend on the source and the model result; they are not fixed at 1.5K/2K or at 4/16/30/50 layers by credit pack. Check the canvas dimensions and actual layer list in your result. A larger source can help, but AI can change details and cannot guarantee exact source resolution or recovered quality.
Images with clear visual separation do best: e-commerce product shots on plain or gradient backgrounds, marketing posters and flyers with distinct blocks, UI screenshots and app mockups, AI-generated illustrations, and collages made of discrete cut-out elements. Strong local contrast between elements and unambiguous edges are the two biggest predictors of a clean result. High resolution helps as well, which is why exporting design files at 2x or 3x before uploading consistently beats uploading a 1x export.
Be realistic about four cases. Heavily blurred or badly compressed images, where there are no crisp edges to segment. Complex scenes with many overlapping organic elements, such as a crowd or dense foliage, where the boundary between objects is genuinely ambiguous even to a human. Images where two elements share identical colour and texture, since there is no visual signal to split on. And low-resolution files, where there simply are not enough pixels to build clean alpha masks. For these, region selection on a small area usually beats a full automatic pass.
Clean edges are not guaranteed: inspect hair, fur, glass, smoke and shadows against both light and dark backgrounds. AI can infer visible elements as independent raster layers, making it easier to hide, move or replace them. It does not recover original editable font text, vector paths or component structure. Recreate wording as new text when needed, and inspect generated edges and details. Recognition and separation quality vary by image and script.
Background reconstruction means generating pixels that were hidden behind an object. AI may approximate those areas, but it cannot know the original unseen content. Simple backgrounds are easier than detailed patterns or hidden text. Check for gaps, invented details and seams before moving or removing a separated object; a complete background is not guaranteed.
Processing time varies with image size, complexity, model availability and network conditions. Follow the task progress rather than relying on a fixed completion time. Png2Psd does not promise a 15-second result, a priority GPU queue or batch processing based on the credit pack you buy. If a task fails, review its error message before retrying.
You can submit images containing Chinese, Japanese, Korean or other scripts, but accurate text isolation is not guaranteed. AI can infer visible elements as independent raster layers, making it easier to hide, move or replace them. It does not recover original editable font text, vector paths or component structure. Recreate wording as new text when needed, and inspect generated edges and details. Recognition and separation quality vary by image and script.
The PSD export stores the generated elements as separate raster layers; verify them by toggling visibility in a PSD editor. AI can infer visible elements as independent raster layers, making it easier to hide, move or replace them. It does not recover original editable font text, vector paths or component structure. Recreate wording as new text when needed, and inspect generated edges and details. Recognition and separation quality vary by image and script.
05Formats & compatibility
You do not need Photoshop to generate a PSD with Png2Psd. To inspect the downloaded raster layers, use a PSD-compatible editor such as Photoshop or Photopea; other editors can differ in their handling of PSD features. Test your target application before relying on the file. Import into Figma or Canva is not promised to preserve layers.
Exporting or downloading an existing available project does not consume generation credits again. You can download a layered PSD, individual transparent PNG layers or a PNG ZIP. Save your own copies because permanent project availability is not guaranteed. Creating a new separation task is charged separately when it succeeds.
The output is RGB with full transparency — the correct working space for screen, web and social delivery, and the format most PSD-compatible tools handle most reliably. For commercial print you convert to CMYK at the end of the process, in Photoshop or your RIP, after the layer work is finished. That sequence is normal practice anyway: separating and editing in RGB and converting once at output avoids repeated colour-space conversions, which accumulate clipping in saturated colours.
Output size and layer count depend on the source and the model result; they are not fixed at 1.5K/2K or at 4/16/30/50 layers by credit pack. Check the canvas dimensions and actual layer list in your result. A larger source can help, but AI can change details and cannot guarantee exact source resolution or recovered quality.
Only upload images you are authorised to send to a cloud service. Png2Psd uses an external AI provider for separation and Stripe for payment. For confidential client assets or NDA restrictions, ask support for confirmed data-handling terms first. This FAQ does not promise automatic one-hour deletion or that all processing occurs exclusively on this website's servers.
The current application does not implement a guaranteed one-hour automatic file deletion policy. Download your files and keep your own backups; account history is not a promise of permanent storage. For a deletion request or a required retention period, contact support and obtain a confirmed response before uploading sensitive material.
We cannot make an unconditional no-training claim for the entire processing chain from the current implementation alone. Images are sent to an external AI provider, whose data-use terms also apply. If your organisation needs a written no-training commitment, ask support to confirm the applicable terms before uploading; do not infer a contractual guarantee from this FAQ.
Layer separation does not grant new copyright or commercial-use rights. Your use must comply with the source image licence, permissions for brands or people, and the AI provider's terms. Upload only authorised material. Copyright or content-policy rejections may block processing; contact support for disputed cases rather than repeatedly uploading the same image.
Png2Psd does not add a brand watermark to exported PSD or PNG layers. Existing marks in the source are not automatically licensed for removal. Layer quality depends on the image and model result, not a promised watermark-removal upgrade.
New accounts receive 50 signup credits without a credit card. Successful generation consumes credits based on actual output layers and input pixel count; failed tasks do not consume credits. There is no separate guaranteed free-tier layer count or output resolution. Try your own image and inspect the result before purchasing more credits.
Credits are deducted only after successful PSD generation, based on actual output layers. Each layer costs 2 credits for input up to 2,610,000 pixels, or 4 credits above that threshold. Failed tasks and downloads do not consume generation credits. A new generation is a new charge; rerunning a result you dislike is not automatically free.
Credit packs are one-time purchases with no automatic renewal. The current packs are Starter: $9.90 / 500 · Creator: $29.90 / 1,900 · Studio: $59.90 / 4,000. Purchased credits are valid for 6 months; signup credits do not expire. Check the current pricing page before buying. Refund requests are handled by human support; this page does not promise a refund amount or deadline.
Failed separation tasks do not consume generation credits. Read the error to distinguish insufficient credits, network/provider failures and copyright/content restrictions. If the image is rejected by policy, do not repeatedly retry the same upload. Refunds for purchased credit packs and billing disputes must be reviewed by human support, with no automatic refund promise.
Exporting or downloading an existing available project does not consume generation credits again. You can download a layered PSD, individual transparent PNG layers or a PNG ZIP. Save your own copies because permanent project availability is not guaranteed. Creating a new separation task is charged separately when it succeeds.
Public examples can be viewed without an account. Processing your own image requires sign-in and sufficient credits. New accounts receive 50 signup credits once; this is a limited trial, not unlimited free separation.
Yes: separate the product, shadow and background to prepare new compositions, while checking product fidelity and marketplace rules. Background reconstruction means generating pixels that were hidden behind an object. AI may approximate those areas, but it cannot know the original unseen content. Simple backgrounds are easier than detailed patterns or hidden text. Check for gaps, invented details and seams before moving or removing a separated object; a complete background is not guaranteed.
Yes, with one clarification that saves wasted effort. If you need one layer per ink colour, that is colour separation, a different operation. What layer separation gives a print workflow is a clean editable master: the artwork, the background and the text as independent elements, so you can resize a design for a different garment, remove a background for DTF transfer film, or re-letter a shirt for a new client without redrawing anything. Final colour separation for the press still happens in your RIP or dedicated separation software.
Yes: isolate the headline, create replacement text in the target language, and review line length, fonts and the reconstructed background. AI can infer visible elements as independent raster layers, making it easier to hide, move or replace them. It does not recover original editable font text, vector paths or component structure. Recreate wording as new text when needed, and inspect generated edges and details. Recognition and separation quality vary by image and script.
Generative images arrive flattened, which makes them almost impossible to correct. Once separated you can fix the specific things generators get wrong most often: garbled or misspelled text, extra fingers or stray objects, an unwanted watermark-like artefact, or a background that does not match the brief. You can also extend the workflow — recompose the subject against a different scene, animate individual elements, or iterate on one layer without regenerating and losing a composition you already liked.
Yes, particularly when the design file is missing or out of date and only a screenshot survives. Separating the screenshot gives developers individual assets — icons, illustrations, background panels, text blocks — as transparent PNGs at their original canvas positions, rather than one flat mockup they have to eyeball. It is not a substitute for a real design system, and it cannot recover measurements, spacing tokens or component names. Think of it as asset recovery from a visual reference, not as design-to-code.
Layer separation can help update a flyer image, logo or price when the source design is missing; verify that property details remain accurate. AI can infer visible elements as independent raster layers, making it easier to hide, move or replace them. It does not recover original editable font text, vector paths or component structure. Recreate wording as new text when needed, and inspect generated edges and details. Recognition and separation quality vary by image and script.
Not automatically. It can help isolate a character or props, but eyes, mouth parts, hair groups and hidden areas generally need manual art preparation. Png2Psd does not export meshes, deformers, animation parameters or a Live2D rig.
