Getting Started with PhotoCraft — Fast 15-Minute Tutorial
New to PhotoCraft? Install it, learn the interface, open your first layered PSD, and make non-destructive adjustments in under 15 minutes.
Last updated: 2026-10-08
PhotoCraft is an independent, 100% Rust clean-room reimplementation of Adobe Photoshop. If you already know Photoshop, your muscle memory will transfer immediately.
1. Quick Installation#
Head to our Download Hub to get the appropriate binary for your system:
- macOS / Windows: Download and run (or extract the portable zip on Windows).
- Linux: Flatpak (
flatpak run ai.storyteller.photocraft) or AppImage is recommended. - In-Browser: Open the WebAssembly (WASM) build without installing anything locally.
2. Navigating the Workspace (60 Seconds)#
The user interface follows familiar professional raster graphics ergonomics:
- Left Toolbar: 34 tools including Marquee Selection, Lasso, Magic Wand, Brush, Eraser, Clone Stamp, Vector Pen, Type, and Hand tool.
- Right Docked Panels: Layers, Adjustments, Channels, Paths, History, and Properties panels.
- Top Menu Bar: Standard application controls: File, Edit, Image, Layer, Select, Filter, View, Window, Help.
- Command Palette (
⌘K/Ctrl+K): Quickly jump to any action, filter, or setting by typing without digging through menus.
3. Opening Your First PSD Document#
Go to File → Open and choose any real Photoshop document (.psd or .psb).
- Layers, vector masks, clipping masks, adjustment layers, and layer blend modes (Multiply, Screen, Overlay, etc.) render natively.
- PhotoCraft achieves pixel-identical rendering for 307 of 309 standard
psd-toolstest files. - You can also open TIFF, PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF, HDR, and Camera RAW files.
4. Making Non-Destructive Adjustments#
- Open your image.
- In the Layers Panel, click the adjustment layer icon (or choose
Layer → New Adjustment Layer → Curves). - Adjust the curve nodes to increase contrast. The original image data remains 100% untouched.
- Toggle the visibility eye icon to inspect before/after comparisons.
- Select the adjustment layer's mask and paint with black (
B) to selectively conceal the effect.
5. Essential Keyboard Shortcuts#
| Command | macOS | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Duplicate Layer | ⌘J | Ctrl+J |
| Deselect Active Selection | ⇧⌘D or ⌘D | Shift+Ctrl+D or Ctrl+D |
| Command Palette | ⌘K | Ctrl+K |
| Free Transform | ⌘T | Ctrl+T |
| Soft Proof Colors | ⌘Y | Ctrl+Y |
| Quick Zoom to Fit | ⌘0 | Ctrl+0 |
| Undo / Redo | ⌘Z / ⇧⌘Z | Ctrl+Z / Shift+Ctrl+Z |
6. Next Steps#
- Transitioning from an Adobe workflow? Read our Photoshop User Migration Guide.
- Encountering startup hiccups or display bugs? Check the Troubleshooting Hub.
- Curious about GPU requirements or format limits? See the Compatibility Hub.