Camera RAW conversion
Convert ARW to PSD
Updated Jul 2026
ARW is the raw format Sony cameras save straight from the sensor, and PSD is the file format used for editing layered images. To convert ARW to PSD, run the raw file through a converter that develops it into a full color image and saves it as PSD. Doing this on your own computer means the photo never has to be uploaded anywhere to make the switch.
- Extension
- .arw
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Sony cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .psd
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Photoshop files
- Transparency
- Supported
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert ARW to PSD on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert ARW to PSD
- Open Morphjet and drag in the ARW files straight from your card or folder, one at a time or the whole shoot at once.
- Choose PSD as the output format.
- Convert. The PSD files land next to your originals, ready to open, and nothing leaves your machine.
ARW vs PSD: what actually changes
| ARW | PSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens directly in editing software | Only with raw-aware software | Yes, opens in any program that reads PSD |
| File size | Large, compressed sensor data | Larger, since it's stored as a full uncompressed color image |
| Quality | Lossless, full sensor data and dynamic range | Lossless, but exposure and white balance are baked in once converted |
| Adjustable after the fact | Yes, white balance and exposure can be changed non-destructively | No, those raw adjustments are locked in, though you can still edit with layers afterward |
| Transparency | No | Supported, though a straight conversion starts as one flat layer |
| Metadata (EXIF) | Yes, full camera and lens data | Yes, carried over |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert ARW to PSD when you're ready to start retouching a Sony photo in a layer-based editor, or you need to hand someone a version of the shot that doesn't require raw software to open.
Keep the ARW if you might want to revisit exposure, white balance, or highlight recovery later, since a raw file holds onto that flexibility and a PSD does not.
Why not just use an online converter?
ARW files carry the camera's EXIF data, including lens, exposure settings, and often the GPS location if it was recorded in-camera. Sending a raw photo through an online converter means that image and its embedded location travel to someone else's server first. Morphjet converts ARW to PSD on your own Mac or Windows machine, so the photo and everything attached to it stay put.
Questions
Does converting ARW to PSD lose quality?
The image data itself isn't compressed away, but the conversion has to make decisions the raw file left open, like white balance and exposure. Once it's a PSD, those choices are set, even though nothing is thrown away in the sense of lossy compression.
Will the PSD keep my camera's metadata?
Yes. The camera model, lens, exposure settings, and any GPS location stored in the ARW carry over into the PSD.
Does the converted PSD come with layers?
No, a straight conversion produces one flattened image layer. It's still a genuine PSD though, so you can add layers, masks, and adjustments on top of it right away.
Why convert instead of just opening the ARW in an editor?
Many editors can open ARW directly, but converting ahead of time is useful when you want to batch-process a whole shoot, or hand someone a file that doesn't depend on their software supporting Sony's raw format.
Can I convert ARW to PSD without uploading my photos?
Yes. Morphjet does the conversion on your own computer, so the raw files never go over the internet.
Morphjet converts ARW, PSD, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.