ArtCraft Guide

PhotoCraft Layers, Masks & Adjustment Layers — the Editing Core

Layers are PhotoCraft's core — the project is a clean-room reimplementation of Photoshop's layer model, including masks, adjustment layers and layer styles, and it reads and writes real PSD files. This guide walks the editing primitives you will use in every document.

Quick answer: PhotoCraft's core is Photoshop's layer model: layers, masks, adjustment layers and layer styles on real PSD files. Add a layer, paint on a mask, add an adjustment layer from the 16 types — each stays a separate, editable element. That is the entire editing model in one paragraph.

Part of the paid catalog — 1 credit to unlock (one-time, never expires). The PhotoCraft install tutorial is free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I open Photoshop files in PhotoCraft?
Yes — real PSD and PSB files open natively (along with TIFF, PNG, JPEG, WebP, OpenEXR), and layer structure including masks and adjustment layers comes through.
Are edits destructive?
No — the model is layered: masks, adjustment layers and layer styles keep everything editable. Nothing is baked until you export or flatten intentionally.
What if an adjustment type I use in Photoshop is missing?
Check the README's gap list. About 15 tools and some features are still missing in early alpha; work around them with the 16 adjustment types that exist.

More tools used in this tutorial

PhotoCraft

Open-source Photoshop replacement in pure Rust: layers, masks, adjustment layers, layer styles, text, vectors, brushes and real PSD files — free, no subscription.

LightCraft

Open-source non-destructive photo editor in pure Rust — a free Lightroom-style workflow: edit without destroying the original, agent-native.

More more tutorials

PhotoCraft install & first launch

Download, install and first-launch PhotoCraft on Windows, macOS or in the browser — with the exact official sources.

PhotoCraft adjustments & export

Grade with the 16 adjustment layer types, then export to PSD, PNG, JPEG, WebP or TIFF — with round-trip verification.