Image Formats

It's frustrating when you come across images on the internet that won't open on PSE. However, it's important to respect copyright laws and intellectual property rights. While it's true that many images are posted on the internet for free use, it's always best to double-check the usage rights and permissions before downloading or using them. Adobe does not have any plans to circumvent copyright laws or offer solutions to open copyrighted images. As a responsible internet user, it's important to respect the rights of content creators and only use images that are legally available for use.

I understand all about so called copyright but I post my images regularly and they are free for people to relate to or use. I use images to type in fun comments and post them on.  ... If an image is on my screen, its mine, if I want it! Same as Farcebook, thousands of images get post daily. About 2-3 years later I get a note telling me it either false (really??) or copyright owned.

By @elbmek

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@elbmek,

Copyright is a legal matter.  There's no "so called" about it.  If you're stealing images, you could be fined or worse, sued for copyright infringement which is no small thing.  International courts always side with the copyright holder and never with the violator.

Digtal watermarking or barcoding as it's sometimes called, encrypts ownership info directly into the image. Digital Watermarks are invisible to humans but not software.  Digimarc services cost extra and there is a free Photoshop plugin for it.  It provides an extra layer of copyright protection for digital content creators & artists who post their work online.  Digital watermarking won't prevent theft but it makes it harder for bad actors to steal images and get away without being detected. 

If you want to use images to create funny Memes, I urge to source your assets from royalty-free image houses like Adobe Stock, iStock, Shutterstock, Dreamstime or Unsplash.  If you keep using other people's content without a proper license or permission, it could come back to bite you.  Be safe, don't put yourself at risk for any legal fallout later.

I have noticed that there are increasing numbers of images on the internet that will not open on PSE. I refer to those that are labelled webpagefile etc.

Browsers support these standard web image  formats  -- JPG, PNG, SVG, GIF, and the newer WebP which can be both static or animated. 

Photoshop CC recently added support for WebP.  I don't know if Elements supports it (never tried it).  SVG is a math-based vector graphic.  As such, SVGs should be opened with a vector graphics app like Illustrator or (free) Inkscape.

Q: When is an image not an image? 

A: When it's scripts.

Some pseudo-graphics and animations that you see on the web are combinations of HTML, JavaScript, JSON or XML data and CSS styles.  You would need a code editor like Adobe Dreamweaver or MS Visual Studio Code to work with the various parts.

I hope that helps.