How to use PhotoCraft: a first edit

The official user guides we followed are labelled version 0.8.2, and one FAQ page is labelled 0.9.0. The latest GitHub release checked on 22 October 2026 is PhotoCraft 0.12.0, originally published on 21 October UTC. Open Help › System Info… to see your version. If a menu name below does not match, read the release notes for your version.

Download the file for your system from the PhotoCraft page on getartcraft.com or from the latest GitHub release. Windows 10 or later is required. Most Intel and AMD PCs use the 64-bit Windows installer (.msi), and Arm PCs use the Arm build. Macs use the universal DMG, which runs on Apple silicon and Intel. On Linux, choose an AppImage, a .deb or .rpm package, a Flatpak or a tarball.

Before you run the file, check it against SHA256SUMS.txt. The download safety guide shows how.

Choose File › Open… to edit an existing image, including PSD files. To start a new image, choose File › New…, then click Create. The panels you will use most are Layers, Properties and History. Every step appears in History, and you can undo it there.

Click the layer that the adjustment should sit above, then choose Layer › New Adjustment Layer and pick an option such as Curves…, Levels… or Hue/Saturation…. Change the settings in the Properties panel. Because the adjustment sits on its own layer, you can edit or hide it later.

Make a selection with the Elliptical Marquee Tool, or choose Select › Subject to let PhotoCraft pick the main subject. Use Select › Modify › Feather… for a soft edge. With the adjustment layer active, choose Layer › Layer Mask › Reveal Selection so that only the selected area shows the change. Hide Selection does the opposite.

According to the guide, smart selection runs on your computer and needs no account or cloud service.

Press T to choose the Horizontal Type Tool. Click the canvas for one line of text, or drag a rectangle for a paragraph block, then type. Set the font, size and colour in the character and paragraph controls. Add a drop shadow or another effect from Layer › Layer Style.

Type › Convert to Shape turns the letters into vector shapes. Type › Rasterize Type Layer turns them into pixels, and after that you can no longer edit the words, so keep an editable copy first.

Choose File › Save As… and pick PSD Document to share the file with Photoshop users, or PhotoCraft (.pcraft) for PhotoCraft’s own format. File › Save a Copy… writes a new file and leaves the open document as it is.

Saving a PSD again keeps the layers and the rendered result, but the file is not byte for byte the same as the one you opened, because PhotoCraft rewrites some internal records. Keep the original file.

Choose File › Export › Export As…, pick PNG, JPG, WebP, TIFF or TGA, and check the preview and the estimated file size before you click Export. Exporting makes a flat copy and leaves your layered document unchanged.

For a one-click PNG, set your options under File › Export › Export Preferences…, then use File › Export › Quick Export as PNG.

The official troubleshooting pages cover the problems below. Each entry names the fix the project gives.

• Windows with Intel graphics: if PhotoCraft closes while it starts, start it again. After a crash it picks a safer graphics mode. The troubleshooting page also describes a PowerShell workaround for advanced users.
• Intel Mac: update to PhotoCraft 0.8.2 or later. The troubleshooting page says Macs patched with OpenCore Legacy Patcher had no fix when that page was written.
• A PSD text layer jumps when you start editing it: update to 0.8.2 or later, then open the file again.
• To report a bug, choose Help › Report an Issue…, copy the text from Help › System Info…, and attach a file only if it contains nothing private.

The project says PhotoCraft is in early alpha and is not yet a Photoshop replacement for daily professional work. The gaps it lists include AI and generative features, tools that Photoshop has and PhotoCraft does not yet, depth in typography and professional workflows, and plug-in compatibility.

Test your own files before you depend on PhotoCraft for a deadline. Our comparison of PhotoCraft with other open-source editors is in the Photoshop alternatives guide.