Does PhotoAIA upload my files?

No. Your files stay in your browser. PhotoAIA does not store your documents on its servers, and nothing is uploaded unless you explicitly choose to attach it to a feedback or bug report. Editing, saving and exporting all happen on your own device.

Does PhotoAIA use my images for AI training?

No. PhotoAIA does not use your files, images or artwork to train AI models.

Can browsers really handle CMYK?

Yes, with the right architecture. PhotoAIA runs LittleCMS — the same color engine many desktop tools build on — compiled to WebAssembly, so separation happens through an actual ICC profile with selectable rendering intents and black point compensation, not an approximation. What a browser cannot do is drive a calibrated proofing display pipeline end-to-end; soft proofing shows the conversion, your monitor profile is still up to your OS.

Is browser image editing secure?

Your files are processed inside the browser sandbox on your own machine and are never uploaded, which removes the biggest risk of web tools: server-side copies of your work. The remaining considerations are the ordinary ones — keep your browser updated and be deliberate about extensions, which can read pages you use.

Can PhotoAIA replace Photoshop?

For print-focused raster work — layers, masks, adjustment layers, real CMYK separation, PSD round-trips, press-ready TIFF and PDF — often yes. For 16-bit editing, RAW development, video, 3D, plugins or the breadth of Photoshop’s filter set, no. The /photoshop-alternative page walks through exactly who can switch and who should not.

Why use TIFF instead of JPEG or PNG for print?

TIFF is lossless, supports CMYK with an embedded ICC profile, and is what print workflows expect. JPEG recompresses your artwork; PNG cannot carry CMYK. PhotoAIA writes press-ready TIFF (LZW, Deflate or uncompressed; strips or tiles) and its output is validated against independent readers including libtiff and tifffile.

What happens to my files when I close the tab?

Saved work is whatever .paia, PSD, TIFF or image files you downloaded — those are on your disk. Unsaved changes are protected two ways: the browser warns you before closing a tab with unsaved work, and autosave keeps a per-tab recovery snapshot in your browser’s local storage that is offered back on your next visit. Nothing is on any server either way.

How accurate is the ICC conversion?

The conversion itself is LittleCMS through your chosen ICC profile — the numbers are the profile’s numbers, with your selected rendering intent and black point compensation applied, and they do not drift between sessions or tools. The honest limitation is depth, not accuracy: PhotoAIA edits at 8 bits per channel, so extreme adjustment stacks can band where a 16-bit editor would not.

Which PSD features are supported?

Opening: raster layers, groups, masks, opacity and blend modes stay fully editable; text, shapes, adjustment layers and layer effects arrive already rasterized (baked into pixels), and the import report tells you exactly what changed. Export writes six effects (drop shadow, inner shadow, outer glow, inner glow, color overlay, stroke) back out as live, editable PSD effects. Neither direction is claimed to be full PSD fidelity.

Yes — free, with no ads and no account required. It is currently in Public Beta.

Can PhotoAIA open PSD files?

Yes, with limitations. Pixel layers, groups and nesting, layer names, visibility, opacity, blend modes, layer masks, clipping masks and document resolution are preserved. Text, shapes, Smart Objects and adjustment layers arrive as pixels rather than as editable objects, and a report after import tells you exactly what changed.

Can PhotoAIA export PSD files?

Yes, with limitations, and it shows a compatibility report before writing. Pixel layers, groups, masks and clipping masks stay editable. Drop and inner shadow, outer and inner glow, colour overlay and stroke are written as editable Photoshop effects. Text, shapes and Smart Objects are flattened, and adjustment layers are not written as adjustment layers.

Does PhotoAIA support CMYK?

Yes, genuinely. It separates RGB to CMYK through a real ICC profile using LittleCMS, supports all four rendering intents and black point compensation, soft-proofs the result and lets you inspect each ink plate. It is 8-bit only.

Can PhotoAIA export TIFF?

Yes — 8-bit RGB or separated CMYK, with LZW (default), ZIP-Deflate or uncompressed storage, strips or 256×256 tiles chosen automatically, and the ICC profile and resolution embedded. A 16-bit TIFF you imported and only losslessly edited (crop, rotate, flip) exports back sample-exact. The output has been independently validated with libtiff and the UTIF decoder. PhotoAIA can also open TIFF files, though not BigTIFF or planar layout.

Can PhotoAIA export PDF?

Yes. It exports a single-page print PDF with bleed, crop and registration marks, correct TrimBox and BleedBox, and an embedded ICC OutputIntent. The artwork is flattened, so text is not editable and vectors are not preserved as vectors.

Is the PDF export PDF/X-4?

It is not labelled PDF/X-4. It writes PDF/X-4 structure and passes a sixteen-requirement internal conformance check, but no PDF/X conformance validator has certified it — veraPDF has no PDF/X profile, and certification requires Acrobat Preflight or callas pdfToolbox. Rather than claim a standard nothing has verified, PhotoAIA calls it an ICC-tagged print PDF.

Does PhotoAIA support ICC profiles?

Yes. You can load your own RGB or CMYK profiles, a real press profile ships with the app, and profiles are embedded in TIFF exports and in PSD exports where the colour space matches the written pixels.

Does PhotoAIA work offline?

After the first visit, yes. A service worker caches the application shell, so repeat loads work offline; the first visit still needs a connection. Once loaded, editing itself always happens entirely on your device.

Does PhotoAIA support 16-bit images?

Editing is 8 bits per channel throughout — that has not changed. What has changed: an imported 16-bit TIFF keeps its original samples through lossless operations (crop within bounds, 90°/180°/270° rotate, flips) and exports back sample-exact. Any other edit drops the 16-bit data, with a warning.

Can PhotoAIA open RAW camera files?

No. Supported input formats are .paia, .psd, .tif, .tiff, .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .webp, .svg, .gif and .bmp.

People who need a capable editor without installing anything — especially anyone who wants a real CMYK, soft-proof or plate check in a browser, works on a locked-down machine, or prefers that client files never leave their device. It is not a replacement for Photoshop or Affinity for professional photography.

Does PhotoAIA have AI features?

No generative AI — no generative fill, background removal or upscaling. The name refers to the developer, AIA Systems, not to AI image generation.

PhotoAIA is developed by AIA Systems. Users retain ownership of the files and artwork they create or edit with it.

Editor › FAQ

What do I need to know about PhotoAIA before using it?

PhotoAIA is a free browser image editor built for print. Your files stay on your device, it does real ICC CMYK, and it edits at 8-bit (with lossless 16-bit TIFF passthrough) with no RAW support.

Questions

Does PhotoAIA upload my files?: No. Your files stay in your browser. PhotoAIA does not store your documents on its servers, and nothing is uploaded unless you explicitly choose to attach it to a feedback or bug report. Editing, saving and exporting all happen on your own device.
Does PhotoAIA use my images for AI training?: No. PhotoAIA does not use your files, images or artwork to train AI models.
Can browsers really handle CMYK?: Yes, with the right architecture. PhotoAIA runs LittleCMS — the same color engine many desktop tools build on — compiled to WebAssembly, so separation happens through an actual ICC profile with selectable rendering intents and black point compensation, not an approximation. What a browser cannot do is drive a calibrated proofing display pipeline end-to-end; soft proofing shows the conversion, your monitor profile is still up to your OS.
Is browser image editing secure?: Your files are processed inside the browser sandbox on your own machine and are never uploaded, which removes the biggest risk of web tools: server-side copies of your work. The remaining considerations are the ordinary ones — keep your browser updated and be deliberate about extensions, which can read pages you use.
Can PhotoAIA replace Photoshop?: For print-focused raster work — layers, masks, adjustment layers, real CMYK separation, PSD round-trips, press-ready TIFF and PDF — often yes. For 16-bit editing, RAW development, video, 3D, plugins or the breadth of Photoshop’s filter set, no. The /photoshop-alternative page walks through exactly who can switch and who should not.
Why use TIFF instead of JPEG or PNG for print?: TIFF is lossless, supports CMYK with an embedded ICC profile, and is what print workflows expect. JPEG recompresses your artwork; PNG cannot carry CMYK. PhotoAIA writes press-ready TIFF (LZW, Deflate or uncompressed; strips or tiles) and its output is validated against independent readers including libtiff and tifffile.
What happens to my files when I close the tab?: Saved work is whatever .paia, PSD, TIFF or image files you downloaded — those are on your disk. Unsaved changes are protected two ways: the browser warns you before closing a tab with unsaved work, and autosave keeps a per-tab recovery snapshot in your browser’s local storage that is offered back on your next visit. Nothing is on any server either way.
How accurate is the ICC conversion?: The conversion itself is LittleCMS through your chosen ICC profile — the numbers are the profile’s numbers, with your selected rendering intent and black point compensation applied, and they do not drift between sessions or tools. The honest limitation is depth, not accuracy: PhotoAIA edits at 8 bits per channel, so extreme adjustment stacks can band where a 16-bit editor would not.
Which PSD features are supported?: Opening: raster layers, groups, masks, opacity and blend modes stay fully editable; text, shapes, adjustment layers and layer effects arrive already rasterized (baked into pixels), and the import report tells you exactly what changed. Export writes six effects (drop shadow, inner shadow, outer glow, inner glow, color overlay, stroke) back out as live, editable PSD effects. Neither direction is claimed to be full PSD fidelity.
Is PhotoAIA free?: Yes — free, with no ads and no account required. It is currently in Public Beta.
Can PhotoAIA open PSD files?: Yes, with limitations. Pixel layers, groups and nesting, layer names, visibility, opacity, blend modes, layer masks, clipping masks and document resolution are preserved. Text, shapes, Smart Objects and adjustment layers arrive as pixels rather than as editable objects, and a report after import tells you exactly what changed.
Can PhotoAIA export PSD files?: Yes, with limitations, and it shows a compatibility report before writing. Pixel layers, groups, masks and clipping masks stay editable. Drop and inner shadow, outer and inner glow, colour overlay and stroke are written as editable Photoshop effects. Text, shapes and Smart Objects are flattened, and adjustment layers are not written as adjustment layers.
Does PhotoAIA support CMYK?: Yes, genuinely. It separates RGB to CMYK through a real ICC profile using LittleCMS, supports all four rendering intents and black point compensation, soft-proofs the result and lets you inspect each ink plate. It is 8-bit only.
Can PhotoAIA export TIFF?: Yes — 8-bit RGB or separated CMYK, with LZW (default), ZIP-Deflate or uncompressed storage, strips or 256×256 tiles chosen automatically, and the ICC profile and resolution embedded. A 16-bit TIFF you imported and only losslessly edited (crop, rotate, flip) exports back sample-exact. The output has been independently validated with libtiff and the UTIF decoder. PhotoAIA can also open TIFF files, though not BigTIFF or planar layout.
Can PhotoAIA export PDF?: Yes. It exports a single-page print PDF with bleed, crop and registration marks, correct TrimBox and BleedBox, and an embedded ICC OutputIntent. The artwork is flattened, so text is not editable and vectors are not preserved as vectors.
Is the PDF export PDF/X-4?: It is not labelled PDF/X-4. It writes PDF/X-4 structure and passes a sixteen-requirement internal conformance check, but no PDF/X conformance validator has certified it — veraPDF has no PDF/X profile, and certification requires Acrobat Preflight or callas pdfToolbox. Rather than claim a standard nothing has verified, PhotoAIA calls it an ICC-tagged print PDF.
Does PhotoAIA support ICC profiles?: Yes. You can load your own RGB or CMYK profiles, a real press profile ships with the app, and profiles are embedded in TIFF exports and in PSD exports where the colour space matches the written pixels.
Does PhotoAIA work offline?: After the first visit, yes. A service worker caches the application shell, so repeat loads work offline; the first visit still needs a connection. Once loaded, editing itself always happens entirely on your device.
Does PhotoAIA support 16-bit images?: Editing is 8 bits per channel throughout — that has not changed. What has changed: an imported 16-bit TIFF keeps its original samples through lossless operations (crop within bounds, 90°/180°/270° rotate, flips) and exports back sample-exact. Any other edit drops the 16-bit data, with a warning.
Can PhotoAIA open RAW camera files?: No. Supported input formats are .paia, .psd, .tif, .tiff, .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .webp, .svg, .gif and .bmp.
Who is PhotoAIA for?: People who need a capable editor without installing anything — especially anyone who wants a real CMYK, soft-proof or plate check in a browser, works on a locked-down machine, or prefers that client files never leave their device. It is not a replacement for Photoshop or Affinity for professional photography.
Does PhotoAIA have AI features?: No generative AI — no generative fill, background removal or upscaling. The name refers to the developer, AIA Systems, not to AI image generation.
Who makes PhotoAIA?: PhotoAIA is developed by AIA Systems. Users retain ownership of the files and artwork they create or edit with it.

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