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SCSDDan
SCSDDan
Participant
Sep 1, 2017 6:44 PM UTC
Answered

HEIF / .HEIC File Support in Photoshop [2017]

Any idea when we will be seeing support in Photoshop to handle Apple's new iOS format for pictures? The HEIF, specifically the .heic image format?

 

Thank you in advance,

~Scott

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    ProDesignTools
    ProDesignToolsCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    Dec 8, 2020 3:19 PM UTC

    Photoshop added HEIC support on Windows this morning (version 22.1), relying on the operating system's codecs for this format:

     

    https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/file-formats.html#HEIFHEIC

     

    https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/ps-heic-codec.html

     

    "View and work with HEIF/.heic files in Photoshop on Windows by downloading and installing HEIF and HEVC codecs from the Microsoft Store."

     

    There is one account for all things Microsoft. So your Windows 10 login works in the Microsoft Store as well.

     

    "To successfully import HEIF/.heic files, download and install both of the HEIF and HEVC Extensions directly from Microsoft."

     

    The first codec is free and the second costs 99¢.

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    srinidhimurthy
    srinidhimurthy
    Participant
    Oct 31, 2018 5:53 PM UTC

    If you want a quick conversion from .heic to .jpeg, just email the image to yourself and save the image on Gmail.

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      mikemirabal
      mikemirabal
      Participant
      Oct 17, 2018 12:54 PM UTC

      I am able to open .heic portrait mode photos in Photoshop CC 2019 on my iMac, and I can see the depth channel. However I can’t save or export the file in the .heic file format. Does anyone know if there is a workaround for this, without losing the depth channel?

      Basically what I want is to take a portrait mode photo on iPhone, edit it in photoshop, then transfer it back to iPhone, into the portraits folder with the same file extension .heic and with the depth channel still in tact.

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      JJMack
      Community Expert
      JJMackCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      Oct 17, 2018 1:17 PM UTC

      It look like .heic is not a file format the Photoshop can save.  Try saving it as a PSD file maybe  primate or some other app on your iPhone can open the .PSD file and save a .heic file.  I do not know do not want to lose my fingers so I do not touch my wife's iPhone.

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      JJMack
      Test Screen Name
      Legend
      Sep 26, 2018 7:18 AM UTC

      If you have both the latest Windows 10 and latest Acrobat CC you can open HEIC, I read.

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      kvtdugat24
      Participant
      Sep 26, 2018 6:24 AM UTC

      would like to know how to open heic file format in photoshop,

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      graphic mac
      graphic mac
      Inspiring
      Jul 4, 2018 2:52 PM UTC

      I'm more interested in when I can use Photoshop to SAVE a file as HEIC. Apple's Dynamic Desktop HEIC file is super cool (packing multiple JPGs into the single HEIC file).

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      Wilson Laidlaw
      Known Participant
      Jul 4, 2018 3:43 PM UTC

      I downloaded a trial version of an app called Image2HEIF but decided it was pointless. The files were very little smaller than the equivalent quality JPEG and I was unable to edit them in HEIF/HEIC without converting to JPEG. I did not purchase.

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      Ole Pa
      Inspiring
      Jun 19, 2018 12:16 PM UTC

      Just updated my Lightroom Classic CC today, and I noticed it bragged about supporting .heic files.  This line comes from the "What's New"  webpage at New features summary for the October 2017 and later releases of Lightroom Classic CC

          Beginning with this release [7.4], Lightroom Classic CC now supports Apple's HEIC image file format
          on macOS High Sierra v10.13 or later.

      So I guess the licensing issue has been solved.  Now we need Photoshop to support the new image format.  Thanks Adobe!

      - Jim

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      Test Screen Name
      Legend
      Jun 3, 2018 6:49 PM UTC

      JPEG 2000 is very smart. How many people are using JPX Files today? With such high costs numbers matter.

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      Test Screen Name
      Legend
      Jun 3, 2018 4:46 PM UTC

      If I were Adobe I’d be Waiting to see if HEIC catches on, or if it’s another victory of hype and optimism like JPEG 2000 was, before agreeing to pay $25 million annual subscription for the privilege of writing their own code.

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      jays85562904
      jays85562904
      Known Participant
      Jun 3, 2018 5:47 PM UTC

      HEIC is the file format name Apple has chosen for the new HEIF standard. HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image Format, and, as the name suggests, is a more streamlined way to store image files. Using advanced, modern compression methods it allows digital photographs to be created in smaller files sizes, all while retaining higher image quality than its JPEG alternative.

      Here is some more information about HEIF:  High Efficiency Image File Format - Wikipedia

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      jays85562904
      jays85562904
      Known Participant
      Jun 3, 2018 4:12 PM UTC

      It is not in Adobe's interest to support an open format like HEIC or HEIF. They would prefer to have the proprietary format model that MSFT uses, e.g., (.doc). You can read about those formats here: https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/iphone/what-is-heic-3660408/

      If you want to join a group that is pushing for Adobe's Lightroom adoption of HEIC - consider this: https://www.facebook.com/groups/255453151688912/ 

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      k.schuster
      k.schuster
      Participant
      May 1, 2018 2:13 PM UTC

      It's easy to convert HEIC files on a Mac running High Sierra v 10.13.4 (maybe other OS version too) to a TIFF. Double-click the HEIC file to open it in Preview. Then File > Export to see a menu of formats. Presumably, the TIFF file retains most if not all of the data.

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