Get your drawing back
A crash while saving, a power cut, a copy that stopped half-way or a cloud sync that went wrong can leave a drawing file that its app refuses to open: Clip Studio says the file is corrupted, Procreate says it is invalid, Photoshop reports an "unexpected end-of-file" or "not a valid Photoshop document". Usually most of the drawing is still in the file. This tool reads everything that survived and gives it back to you as files that open again.
| File | What you get |
|---|---|
Photoshop .psd, .psb (also Photoshop's recovery files) | A repaired copy of the file: every layer that survived copied as it is (text, smart objects, effects and adjustment layers stay editable), damaged layers with the part that survived, and the combined picture rebuilt when it is missing |
Clip Studio Paint .clip | A layered Photoshop file (PSD) with every layer that survived, in its folders with names, blend modes and masks when those survived too |
Procreate .procreate | A layered Photoshop file (PSD) with every layer that survived |
You also get the whole picture as a full-size PNG and every recovered layer as its own PNG.
See what survived first
The result page shows, before you download anything:
- a picture of what was recovered,
- what happened to the file, in plain words: whether it was cut off, where it was overwritten, which layers lost pixels and which were not affected,
- the list of recovered layers, with the ones that were damaged marked.
If nothing can be recovered, the page says why instead: for example a file that is only zeros (overwritten when it was saved) or a cloud placeholder that never held the drawing.
How it works
- Photoshop files are made of sections written one after the other: settings, the layers with their pixels, then a combined picture at the end. A save or copy that stops early loses the end first, which is why Photoshop refuses the whole file. Every section is read as far as it goes, and a new file is written from the parts that are complete.
- Clip Studio files keep the layers' pixels in 256 × 256 pixel tiles and the list of layers (names, folders, settings) in a small database written last. When the database survived, everything comes back with its names; damaged tiles are left transparent. When it didn't, the tiles are reassembled by finding the arrangement in which their edges continue into each other, and the layers come back in the order they were made, named Recovered layer 1 and up.
- Procreate files are ZIP packages of tiles and a description of the layers. Even when the package is cut off or the description is lost, the tiles that are there are put back together.
Open the result
- Photoshop, Photopea, Affinity Photo, GIMP, Krita: open the
.psd. - Clip Studio Paint: open the
.psdfrom File → Open; the layers come in as raster layers. - Procreate: send the
.psdto the iPad and use Import in the gallery.
Before you upload
- Try the app's own backups first: Clip Studio keeps copies in
Documents/CELSYS/CLIPStudioPaintData/DocumentBackup, Procreate can restore from an iPad or iCloud backup, Photoshop keeps recovery files in itsAutoRecoverfolder (those can be rescued here too). - Upload the damaged file as it is. Don't open and save it again in another program first.
Your files are only used for the rescue: uploads are deleted as soon as the job is done, and the results are deleted after 30 minutes.