CR3 is Canon's in-camera RAW
CR3 is the raw sensor data a Canon camera writes at the moment of capture. It's produced by the camera's own hardware and firmware — software can read it, but nothing can manufacture a genuine CR3 from a finished PSD.
Looking to turn a PSD into a CR3 file? Here's the honest answer — and what actually works instead.
You can't convert PSD to CR3. CR3 is a camera's own RAW format — it only ever comes out of the camera.
CR3 is the raw sensor data a Canon camera writes at the moment of capture. It's produced by the camera's own hardware and firmware — software can read it, but nothing can manufacture a genuine CR3 from a finished PSD.
Your PSD is a developed, final image. The extra sensor information a CR3 carries — wider dynamic range, full color depth, untouched highlights — was discarded when the photo was first saved, and can't be put back.
CR3 is proprietary to Canon. Even other RAW formats (NEF, ARW, RAF…) aren't interchangeable with it — there is no universal "save as RAW" that produces a real CR3.
Every real RAW file is one of these camera-maker-specific formats, written by the camera itself:
PSD is Photoshop’s native format, preserving layers, masks and effects for non-destructive editing.
How to open PSD opens in Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP and Photopea.
Full PSD format guideCR3 is Canon’s newer, more efficient raw format used by recent EOS cameras — smaller than CR2 with the same flexibility.
How to open CR3 opens in recent Lightroom, Photoshop, Canon DPP and modern raw editors.
Full CR3 format guideLossless and uncompressed — ideal for editing, archiving and print.
PSD → TIFFLossless with transparency — perfect for graphics, logos and screenshots.
PSD → PNGA small, universal photo format that opens everywhere.
PSD → JPGConvert your CR3 and other camera RAW files to JPG, PNG or TIFF.
Open the converter