Opening images

How to get a photo into the image editor: uploading, drag and drop, sample images, how HEIC, TIFF and camera RAW files are converted in your browser, how very large images are resized, and what happens when you replace or clear an image.

Everything described here happens on your own device. The file is read and converted by your browser and is never sent to a server. For the bigger picture, see Privacy and determinism.

Ways to load a photo

Upload from your device

There are three upload buttons, and they all open the same file picker:

The drop zone in the middle of the empty editor ("drop an image or click to browse").
upload at the left of the bottom toolbar (on mobile the tab is called add).
The + icon, Upload image, in the canvas tools at the top left (desktop only).

Pick a file and it loads straight onto the canvas.

Drag and drop

When no image is loaded, drag a file from your desktop or file manager onto the drop zone. The zone highlights while you hold the file over it. Drop it and it loads exactly as an upload would.

Note: Drag and drop works on the empty-state drop zone only. Once a photo is on the canvas, use one of the upload buttons to swap it. Pasting an image from the clipboard is not supported in the image editor.

Try a sample

Click try a sample on the empty screen to load one of fifteen sample photos, chosen at random. Samples are handy for learning the tools before you bring your own work.

Samples behave a little differently from your own uploads:

On a free plan you can download a sample as a vector SVG, which is otherwise a Pro feature.
The upgrade prompt that normally follows a watermarked download is skipped for samples.
Raster downloads of samples still follow your plan's watermark and size rules. See Exporting.

Supported formats

The file picker accepts these types:

Group	Extensions
Common web images	`.jpg`, `.jpeg`, `.png`, `.webp`, `.gif`, `.bmp`, `.avif`, `.svg`, `.ico`
Apple photos	`.heic`, `.heif`
TIFF	`.tif`, `.tiff`
Adobe DNG	`.dng`
Camera RAW	`.cr2`, `.cr3`, `.crw` (Canon), `.nef`, `.nrw` (Nikon), `.arw`, `.srf`, `.sr2` (Sony), `.raf` (Fujifilm), `.rw2` (Panasonic), `.orf` (Olympus), `.pef`, `.ptx` (Pentax), `.srw` (Samsung), `.x3f` (Sigma), `.3fr`, `.fff` (Hasselblad), `.mrw` (Minolta), `.mef`, `.mos` (Mamiya and Leaf), `.kdc`, `.dcr` (Kodak), `.erf` (Epson), `.rwl` (Leica), `.iiq` (Phase One), `.raw`

Common web formats load directly. The other groups are converted first, as described below. For a list that covers every workspace, see Supported files.

How conversion works

Browsers can't display HEIC, TIFF or camera RAW files on their own, so Bitgrain decodes them into a high quality JPEG before anything else happens. While that runs, a small card at the top of the screen shows progress:

Format	Card title	Card subtitle
HEIC, HEIF	Converting HEIC image	Decoding Apple format to JPEG
Camera RAW, DNG	Converting RAW image	Decoding camera RAW to JPEG
TIFF	Converting TIFF image	Decoding TIFF to JPEG

When it finishes, the card switches to "Conversion complete" and "Loading your photo…".

HEIC and HEIF

iPhone photos are decoded and saved as a JPEG at 92% quality. The file keeps its name with a .jpg extension.

TIFF

The first image in the TIFF file is decoded and saved as a JPEG at 95% quality. If your TIFF holds several pages or layers, only the first one is used.

Camera RAW and DNG

RAW files are developed in the browser and saved as a JPEG at 95% quality:

For .dng files, Bitgrain first looks for the largest ready-made preview image stored inside the file (at least 256 pixels on each side) and uses that if it can.
Otherwise, and for every other RAW format, the file is developed with a RAW decoder that uses the camera's own white balance and produces an 8-bit image.

RAW development is heavier than a normal upload, so large files can take a few seconds. If a file can't be decoded, the progress card finishes but no photo appears on the canvas. Try exporting a JPEG or TIFF from your camera software instead.

Size normalization

To keep the editor fast and within browser memory limits, any image whose long edge is larger than 8192 pixels is scaled down so the long edge is exactly 8192 pixels, then saved as a JPEG at 95% quality. The aspect ratio never changes. Images at or below 8192 pixels on the long edge are used as they are.

GIF and SVG files skip this step.

Tip: 8192 pixels is far more than the effects need. The look is computed on a smaller working grid controlled by the resolution slider, which is explained in Adjustments. Your export is then scaled back up toward your photo's original size.

After the image loads

When a new photo lands on the canvas:

The look resets to the defaults: halftone as the main effect, colorize on, no palette, no grade, and the default slider values listed in Adjustments.
Compare view is switched off.
The image info card at the bottom left shows the dimensions, aspect ratio, megapixels, file size and format.
Your photo is kept in your browser's storage, so if you reload the page or come back later on the same browser, it is still there.

Note: Only the photo is remembered between visits. Your look settings (effect, sliders, palette, grade) start from the defaults on each page load. To keep a look, save it as a preset, copy a recipe link, or save a .btg project. See Presets and recipes.

Replacing an image

To work on a different photo, use any upload button while an image is loaded. The new photo replaces the old one and the look resets to defaults, as described above.

If you want the same look on a new photo:

Before switching, save the current look as a preset (open presets, then Save current as preset) or copy a recipe link from the export panel.
Upload the new photo.
Apply your saved preset, or open the recipe link.

Opening a .btg project

A .btg file saved from the image editor holds your image and its main settings. To open one, click Load .BTG project (the upload arrow icon in the canvas tools at the top left) and choose the file. The image and its effect, dither, adjustment, palette, grade and haze settings are restored. .btg import and export are free on every plan.

Cropping before you edit

Click Crop in the canvas tools (or the crop icon on mobile) to trim the photo. Drag a corner handle to resize the box or drag inside it to move it, then click Apply crop. Reset brings back the full frame. The live readout under the image shows the size of the box in real image pixels, so it matches the size of the file you'll get.

Cropping replaces the working photo with the cropped version. The cropped photo is saved to browser storage, so it's still there after a reload, and exports use the cropped size. Cropping isn't part of undo, so to get the full frame back, upload the original again.

Clearing the canvas

Click Clear (the bin icon) to remove the image. This also removes the stored copy from your browser and returns you to the empty state.