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As WebP becomes an increasingly popular image file format, more and more people are finding they have trouble editing them in Photoshop. That leaves two questions: why does Photoshop not support WebP Files, and can you do anything about it.
Photoshop doesn’t automatically support WebP files because they are still a relatively new format. Fortunately, they do offer a plug-in that you can download and install for free to enable WebP use.
If you have WebP files you’d like to edit in photoshop, but they don’t seem to be compatible, you’ve come to the right place. In our guide below, we’ll explain why you might have trouble using WebP files in Photoshop as well as what you can do about it. We’ll even give you step-by-step instructions on how to make the WebP files work. Let’s dive right in!.
What are WebP Files?
Before we dive any deeper, it would be good to get a handle on what Web P Files are in the first place.
WebP files were developed by Google in order to provide high-quality images that don’t take up a lot of space. It has increasingly become one of the most common file types found on the web.
Why Can’t I Open WebP in Photoshop?
WebP is a relatively new file format, created specifically to maintain quality but cut back on how much memory it takes up. As of right now, Photoshop doesn’t come with the plug-in to use them already installed.
How Do I Enable WebP in Photoshop?
To enable WebP in Photoshop you simply have to download and install the plug-in. This process only takes a few minutes, but it will allow you to edit the photos you haven’t been able to.
Where Can I Download the WebP Plug-In for Photoshop?
To enable WebP in Photoshop, you’ll need to know where to download the plug-in. To make things simple and easy, we’ve gathered links to both the Windows and macOS versions for you below:
Simply click on the links above and your computer will automatically begin downloading the Plug-in. They should only take a few seconds to download.
How to Install WebP Plug-In for Photoshop
Now that you’ve got the files, you just need to install them. Follow the steps below to install Photoshop’s WebP plug-in:
- Download the WebP Plug-in: First, you’ll need to actually download the plug-in. Simply click our link or go to Adobe’s website and download it there.
- Unzip the folder: Find the WebP folder. You can do this by right clicking the download box and selecting “open in folder.” Now unzip the folder by right clicking it and selecting “extract all.”
- Move the file: Move the WebP plugin file to where ever you keep your other plug-ins. If this is the first plug-in you’ve downloaded, it might be a good idea to make a plug-in folder, that way you don’t have to search for it anytime you want to use it.
- Open photoshop and find the plug-in: Go to the window tab at the top of the screen. Select “Find Extensions on Exchange.” From here you can search for the specific plug-in. When you select it you should be able to install it from there.
You can really follow these steps to install any plug-in you want. Just download and select the specific one you want. Just something useful to know for the future.
How to Convert WebP Files
Another option is to convert your WebP files to another format like JPEG. Please know, however, depending on what file type you convert it to, it may lose some of its quality.
The easiest way to do this is to use the service Cloud Convert. You simply select or drag and drop the file you want converted and select which format you want it converted to.
So Really, Why Doesn’t Photoshop Support WebP Files?
Photoshop doesn’t support WebP files if it doesn’t have the plug-in installed. This is probably in part due to the fact that they are a relatively recent file type. They optimize the image quality while not taking up as much space. Fortunately, the plug-ins are freely available online.
You simply need to download the plug-ins for either Windows or macOS and install them. Then installation should only take a few minutes. To do it, you just need to open up photo shop, go to the “window” tab, and select “Find Extensions on Exchange”. From there you can search for the plug-in and install it. Best of luck!
