Is Photopea actually free?

Yes, Photopea is indeed free to use with its full editor accessible without charge, supported by ads. Photopea Premium, available for about $5 per month, removes ads and offers additional features like cloud storage. For Etsy and print-on-demand sellers, the free version is fully functional and allows editing PSD files, compositing mockups, and performing basic image adjustments without any feature restrictions. If you are creating a 300 DPI 4500x5400 pixel print file for POD, the free tier handles such needs well. Use the free version for day-to-day tasks and consider Premium if you want an ad-free experience or cloud backups for your important projects.

Can Photopea open Photoshop PSD files?

Photopea can open Photoshop PSD files natively, including complex features like layers, masks, smart objects, layer effects, and most blend modes, with about 95% compatibility compared to Adobe Photoshop. For example, if you download a layered mockup template from Etsy in PSD format sized at 4000x4000 pixels, you can open and edit it fully in Photopea without losing layer details. Some very new Adobe-specific features, such as the latest neural filters, might not import perfectly, but for standard print-ready files and mockups, Photopea works flawlessly. It's recommended to use Photopea for editing common PSD templates before uploading files to your POD platform.

Does Photopea do batch processing?

Photopea does not currently support batch processing, meaning you can only work on one image at a time. There is no feature for batch resizing, batch exporting, or running batch actions like Photoshop Actions or Image Processor. If your Etsy shop requires processing many print files, such as resizing 50 designs to 300 DPI 2000x2000 pixel dimensions for different product types, Photopea would not be efficient. Instead, use Ratio Ready, which allows batch uploading and processing of up to 50 images simultaneously, saving significant time. For heavy volume print-ready file preparation, Ratio Ready is the better choice.

Can Photopea upscale low-resolution images?

Photopea allows basic upscaling through its Image → Image Size function, using standard resampling methods like bicubic, bilinear, and nearest neighbor. However, it does not offer AI-based upscaling techniques found in dedicated tools such as ESRGAN or Topaz, which enhance image quality by intelligently reconstructing missing details. For example, if you have a 1000x1000 pixel 72 DPI image that needs to be upscaled to 300 DPI at 3000x3000 pixels for print, Photopea will simply enlarge it without improving resolution quality. For cleaner, higher-quality enlargement suitable for POD, use Ratio Ready’s AI-powered upscaler to get better results and smoother edges.

Does Photopea generate Etsy listing PDFs?

Photopea focuses solely on image editing and does not generate Etsy listing PDFs, which are essential for product listings that include descriptions, file inventories, product sections, and SEO tags. These PDFs typically accompany digital downloads for customers in Etsy shops. For instance, if you sell wall art or clipart with multiple file formats and want a neatly formatted listing PDF of about 1-3 MB, Photopea cannot create this. Instead, use a dedicated tool like Ratio Ready, which generates a free OpenAI-powered listing PDF for every clipart, wall art, or poster job, simplifying your Etsy workflow and enhancing buyer experience.

Can Photopea preserve PSD shadow / lighting layers when compositing mockups?

Photopea can preserve PSD shadow and lighting layers when compositing mockups by accurately reading layer order, blend modes, opacity levels, and layer effects within the PSD file. For example, if you have a 4000x5000 pixel t-shirt mockup PSD with smart objects for your design and separate shadow and lighting layers above, swapping the smart object content in Photopea maintains the realistic shadows and highlights, ensuring a professional presentation. This approach mirrors Ratio Ready’s automated mockup compositing system, making Photopea reliable for Etsy sellers and POD designers who rely on dynamic, layered mockup files for product visualization.

Why would I pay for Ratio Ready when Photopea is free?

Photopea is free for the editing step. Ratio Ready charges for batch print-prep automation (5-ratio wall art, 50-image clipart batches, AI upscaling, 300 DPI stamping, listing PDFs). The free Photopea workflow takes ~2 hours per wall art bundle; the Ratio Ready job takes 60 seconds. The credit cost reflects the time saved at volume.

Can I use Photopea + Ratio Ready together?

Yes — most POD shops do. Photopea for one-off PSD edits and custom mockup-template building; Ratio Ready for the batch workflows (5-ratio wall art, multi-platform POD output, listing PDFs). They cover different parts of the workflow with no overlap. Custom Photopea-built PSD templates can be uploaded to Ratio Ready and reused on every job.

Comparison

Photopea vs Ratio Ready

Honest comparison: Photopea is a free browser-based Photoshop alternative; Ratio Ready is a batch print-prep tool. Different categories, often used together — here's when each is the right pick.

5 min read

Photopea is a free browser-based PSD editor — essentially a Photoshop clone you can use without installing anything. It's popular among Etsy sellers because it opens .psd mockup templates natively, runs free in any browser, and supports layers, masks, and smart objects. Many POD shops use Photopea as their primary mockup compositor.

Ratio Ready is a batch print-prep tool. It doesn't try to replace a PSD editor — instead it automates the parts of the workflow Photopea is slow at: 5-ratio wall art batches, multi-platform POD output, 300 DPI metadata stamping, AI upscaling, listing PDFs. This guide covers when each is the right tool, and when (often) both are.

TL;DR — different categories

Photopea wins on free PSD editing. No install, no subscription, opens .psd files natively, full layer/mask/smart-object support. The best free Photoshop alternative for browser use.
Photopea wins on one-off mockup compositing. Drop a PSD mockup template in, swap the smart object, export. Faster than installing Photoshop for occasional use.
Ratio Ready wins on batch print-prep. 5-ratio wall art bundles, 50-image clipart batches, multi-platform POD output, AI upscaling, 300 DPI metadata stamping — all automated. Photopea has no batch tooling.
Ratio Ready wins on Etsy listing deliverables. Auto-generates listing PDFs, watermarked previews, mockup variants, listing videos. Photopea generates one image at a time.
Most successful POD shops use both. Photopea for one-off PSD work, Ratio Ready for the batch jobs. Different specialisations, complementary tools.

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	Photopea	Ratio Ready
Cost	Free; Premium $5/mo (no ads, more cloud storage)	50 free Creative Credits, then credit packs / subscription
Category	Browser-based PSD editor (Photoshop alternative)	Batch print-prep tool (clipart / wall art / poster)
Native .psd support	Yes — full layer / mask / smart object	Yes — uploaded PSD mockup templates with smart-object replacement
Batch processing	No — one image at a time	Up to 50 images per upload
Multi-ratio wall art	Manual crop per ratio	5 ratios per design in one job
AI upscaling	No native upscaling	ESRGAN + alexgenovese, 2x to 10x
300 DPI metadata stamping	Manual (Image → Image Size)	Auto on every output
Listing PDF generation	No	Yes — bundled free with clipart/wall art/poster
Mockup compositing	Yes — manual smart-object swap	Yes — automated, layer-order shadow/lighting preservation
API / automation	No	Yes — Make.com / n8n integrations
Output formats	PSD, PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG	PNG, JPG with 300 DPI; ZIP packaging
Learning curve	Moderate (Photoshop-like UI)	Low (drop, configure, download)

When Photopea is the right choice

Photopea pulls ahead when:

You need to edit a PSD layer-by-layer. Adjusting smart-object positioning, changing layer blend modes, masking, free-transforming — all native Photopea operations.
You need a free Photoshop alternative. No install, no subscription, runs in any browser. Better than nothing when budget is zero.
You're doing one-off mockup compositing. Drop a PSD mockup, replace the smart object, export. 2-3 minutes total — not worth automating.
You're cleaning up clipart edges manually. Background removal with the magic wand or pen tool, edge refinement, transparency masks — Photopea handles all of this.
You need precise typography on a single design. Kerning, leading, character panel — Photopea's typography toolkit is similar to Photoshop.
You're on a Chromebook or low-spec device. Photopea runs entirely in the browser; no GPU or RAM-hungry desktop install needed.

When Ratio Ready is the right choice

Ratio Ready pulls ahead when:

You're processing 10+ designs at once. Photopea has no batch tooling — every export is manual. Ratio Ready batch-processes up to 50 designs per upload, with consistent output specs.
You need 5-ratio wall art bundles. The standard Etsy wall art bundle is 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 18x24, 24x36 — 5 crops per design. Photopea: manual crop per ratio per design (5x manual work). Ratio Ready: one job, all 5 ratios output.
Your source files are below 300 DPI / below 4096px. Photopea has no AI upscaling — you're stuck with the source resolution. Ratio Ready runs ESRGAN / alexgenovese to upscale 2x-10x cleanly before output.
You need 300 DPI metadata stamped on every output. Photopea: manual Image → Image Size dialog per file. Ratio Ready: auto on every output, no manual step.
You want listing PDFs / watermarked previews / listing videos in the ZIP. Photopea outputs single images. Ratio Ready bundles all the Etsy listing deliverables into a single ZIP.
You're automating via Make.com / n8n. Photopea has no API. Ratio Ready has full REST API + integrations.

Using both together (the practical workflow)

Photopea + Ratio Ready combine cleanly. Sample workflows:

Wall art bundle workflow

Design / refine the master in Photopea (free, browser-based).
Export master as JPG/PNG at 8000+ pixels long edge.
Drop master into Ratio Ready — get back 5-ratio variants + bundled mockups + listing PDF + watermarked previews in one ZIP.
Upload to Etsy.

Clipart bundle workflow

Clean up individual clipart elements in Photopea (background removal, edge refinement).
Export each as transparent PNG.
Drop the full set (up to 50 elements) into Ratio Ready — batch-resize to 4096px with 300 DPI metadata, get back ZIP with listing PDF.

Custom mockup workflow

Build / customise a mockup PSD in Photopea (positioning, lighting, brand-specific touches).
Save the PSD with a PLACEHOLDER smart-object layer.
Upload PSD to Ratio Ready as a custom template.
Run wall art / clipart / poster jobs through Ratio Ready — your custom Photopea-built mockup gets used automatically on every design.

If you can only use one

If you only edit / composite occasionally — Photopea (free, no batch needs). If you process volume (10+ designs / week) — Ratio Ready saves the most time. Most successful POD shops use both.

Frequently asked questions

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