Most of us know that Photoshop is an excellent software which comes with lots of options to edit each and every pixels of the image. Even lots of image editing softwares are available in the market but Photoshop still makes its position at the top of all the available applications. PSD is the layered file format recognized by the Photoshop. Windows doesn’t have the codecs for previewing the thumbnails of the PSD files in its explorer. Here is the tutorial which help you for photoshop users to enable thumbnail for your PSD files.
Adobe with its earlier version of Photoshop they provide the codecs along with the installer which makes the explorer to view the thumbnails of the PSD files. But after the version of CS2 Photoshop stopped the psicon.dll file which responsible for making preview of PSD thumbnails in the windows explorer. Due to some unfixable bugs, they removed it in their later versions. This created users to face problem in viewing the thumbnails of the PSD file on explorer. Adobe created the Adobe Bridge especially for explore and view the PSD files. Adobe Bridge is a stand alone additional application added along with the Photoshop by default. It fulfill the user requirement but it lacks flexibility.
Professional designer or a part time designer may not willing to open a additional application to view the PSD thumbnails due to some of the reason like memory consumption, comfort and interface they are working with. Most of the users like to view thumbnails in the explorer (Open Dialog Box of the Photoshop) itself to view the pre-designed template or design.
Windows also fail to add the PSD codecs with it Operating System. User may face lots of difficulties without viewing the thumbnails of the PSD files in the explorer. Even it is not a big issue but it may really annoying at some point, I personally annoyed most.
You can fix this issue manually by editing the registry content or by installing some third party PSD codecs on your PC.
Manual Method to View the PSD thumbnails in Windows Explorer
Download the psicon.dll from here.
Copy it to the location C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Shell
Note : if “Shell” folder doesn’t exist create it manually
Download the PSD.reg from here. Run and merge it with the registry.
Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
Want to try some other third party tools? Read on!
Third Party application which make the explore to show thumbnails of PSD files
Lots of freeware and paid versions are available in the market to make the windows explorer to show the thumbnails of the PSD files
Freeware
Sagethumbs
A simple project by Google which make your explorer to show the thumbnails on your PSD files. You have to download and install this application to view the thumbnails of PSD files. It also support AI, PS, EPS file formats. Require Windows Xp Minimum. The only problem with Sagethumbs is preference setting which seems clumsy. Apart from that it’s an excellent project from Google.
Mystic Thumbs
Another application act like a plugin for windows to make the PSD thumbnails visible in the windows Explorer. Pro version of this plugin is also available with some of the extra features. Mystic Thumbs seems little bit slower in making the thumbnails of the large sized PSD files. Except that its working pretty good.
Pro / Paid Version
PSD Codec
I tried some of the pro PSD thumbnail viewers and finally admired with the PSD Codec as it is light weighted and easy to use and also compatible with the Windows 7 /8. Its really awesome and pretty fast in displaying the thumbnails of PSD with large file size. Its very easy to download and install. Click here to download the PSD Codecs Software Trial Version
Fastpictureviewer
Apart from PSD files Fast picture viewer support EXR, TGA, DDS, HDR, Maya IFF, SGI RGB, JPEG 2000 and more, as well as RAW formats too.
Its also pretty good in making the preview of PSD file. Kindly let us know your valuable suggestion and doubts via comments.
Dear Sir,
Thank u so much for your information.
I will keep in touch
Karthik
I though the manual method would be foolproof, but it just didn’t work for me : /
It didn’t work for me either… windows 8.1 / Photoshop CS3
Does not work in Windows 8.1 with CS6. Please update your references.
Try psd codec am already used. sure it will work
your manual directions do not work in Windows 8.1 with Photoshop cs6.
Does not work using windows 7 64b and photoshop cc.
Use Psd Codec it fits Everything and its light weighted too
Please never reduce your tipps or tutorials to “download and run xy.z”
This policy works among friends but not in the web.
At the same time people like me spend time fixing compromised systems of friends.
I desperately try to tell people not to run software they download from websites they don’t know well.
(Apart from that, Irfan Skiljan’s “IrfanView” is lighning fast other than Adobe Bridge, has a built-in thumbnail browser, and will show .psds in full resolution if embedded.)
Ah, and only Windows users restart their PC after installing or updating software.
It’s of course enough to restart the explorer process.
Thanks for this article. The grammar could use a little proofreading, but the information was really helpful! I bought the Fast Picture Viewer codec, which was only $9 and it’s perfect. That right there just solved a whole range of issues I run into every day as a professional designer.
U r welcome
Thanks, work fine on me, OS Windows 8.1 64 bits with Mystic Thumbs
Do Not Work For Windows 8.1 64bit.
Manual Method (.dll and .reg) is working fine for me. I am running Photoshop CC on Win7 32bits. Thanks bro 🙂
Sagethumbs works like a charm thanks a lot.
The manual method did not work. I’m using a Wacom Cintiq Companion 1, Windows 8.1 Pro and CS6. Why does it not work? …
it depends up on the windows version and architecture. Better try the listed apps for best result.
Not working, very poor.
Now the registry is exposed to you, that is what you wanted.
Hi Erez Rothem,
Don’t blame us for the registry. and we cant able to see your registry which you modified in your local machine. May be not working bcoz of your registry edit. Try some other freeware..
Can you explain how to “merge (the PSD.reg file) with the registry”?
Thanks.
Just double click the PSD.reg file.
I will automatically merge itselft with the windows registry.
“Download the PSD.reg from here. Run and merge it with the registry.”
How do I run and merge?
Just double click the PSD.reg file.
I will automatically merge itselft with the windows registry.
yaaaaah it’s working with PSD Codec
Tried the .dll into the suggested folder and the registry merge, these had worked prior to the return of the problem these months later, but the sage thumbs download soled the problem on this occasion, thank you so much formyourmadvice.
Tank you for the tuttorial.
I have been using Mystic Thumbs for some time now. If you are a proffessional and willing to pay for this feature, look for something else (there are cheaper and better options). Not recommended.
Is there any way to use the registry option in 2021? The one mentioned in the article doesn’t work anymore.
Is there any way to use the registry option in 2021? The one mentioned in the article doesn’t work anymore.
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