Open Krita files without losing track of compatibility
A detailed format reference covering retained layers, conversion warnings, unsupported features and a safe exchange workflow.
Applies to Photo 0.9.0 on photo.et.
Krita files are import-only. Preserve your original and inspect import warnings before editing or exporting.
What this reference covers#
PhotoCraft opens Krita's native documents (.kra, and the .krz archive variant) with their layers. The browser accepts these files through File → Open and drag-and-drop. A file is recognised by its mimetype entry (application/x-krita). Krita files are import-only: Save suggests OpenRaster (.ora), which Krita opens with its layers, and .pcraft keeps everything.
Imported content#
| Krita | PhotoCraft |
|---|---|
| Paint layers, 8 and 16-bit RGBA, 8 and 16-bit gray | pixel layers, at the document's depth (a gray layer in an RGB document is converted) |
Layer position (x, y), tiles anywhere, also off-canvas | kept |
| Groups, nested; pass-through groups; collapsed state | groups; pass-through; expanded state |
| Names, visibility, opacity, lock | kept |
| Blend modes | Krita's ids, mapped as for OpenRaster (docs/ora.md); a few are approximations, reported |
| Transparency masks | the layer mask (the first one; more are reported and left out) |
| Selection masks | ignored (a layer's local selection, not part of its look) |
| The image's ICC profile, resolution | kept |
Left out with a warning per layer: vector, filter, fill, file and clone layers, filter, transform and colorize masks, layers in another colour space than those above, Inherit Alpha, per-channel blending flags (channel locks), and animation beyond the frame saved in the layer. Drawing assistants and reference images are reported as left out. Krita's merged image still shows the original look, so the result can differ where those were used.
Documents whose image colour space we don't read yet (CMYK, Lab, XYZ, YCbCr, 16 and 32-bit float) open as Krita's merged image (mergedimage.png), flagged as a preview, with a warning.
Check the imported result#
- Keep the original file and open a copy with File → Open.
- Read warnings and compare the visible image with an export from the originating application.
- Inspect layer names, groups, visibility and blend modes, not just the flattened preview.
- Download an editable .pcraft working copy before experimenting with other export formats.
A successful open establishes that this file was readable. It does not guarantee support for every version of the originating application or every feature used by that format.
Continue reading
Sources and edition notes
Adapted for the browser edition from the pinned PhotoCraft 0.9.0 source. Upstream documentation may also describe desktop workflows.
- docs/kra.md — Adapted from the upstream documentation for this pinned release.
Try it in Photo
Save your work before leaving the editor. Review the editor overview for file formats and browser limitations.
Open Photo ↗