Workflows & Integrations

Working with Photoshop

Import NSS exports into Photoshop without black backgrounds or colour loss.

The quick answer

Export from NSS as PNG. Open it in Photoshop with File → Open (not Place). You should see a checkerboard pattern behind your subject — that means the transparency is working correctly.

Why NSS exports work in Photoshop

Photoshop expects straight alpha (also called unassociated alpha). NSS always exports straight alpha — the RGB values of each pixel are the actual, un-multiplied colour values, and the Alpha channel records opacity separately.

Many other background removal tools export premultiplied alpha by mistake, which causes the famous "black background in Photoshop" problem. NSS verifies straight alpha on every export before delivering the download. See Why does my export show black in Photoshop? for the technical explanation.

Step-by-step import

Export your image from NSS as PNG (recommended) or WebP
In Photoshop: File → Open → select the file
The image opens as a single layer with the checkerboard indicating transparency
Optional: double-click the layer to unlock it (converts "Background" to a regular layer)
You can now composite it over other layers, adjust it, etc.

Using as a Smart Object

For non-destructive workflows:

Open your main Photoshop document
File → Place Embedded → select your NSS PNG
The cutout becomes a Smart Object layer you can transform, mask, and apply Smart Filters to

Checking the alpha channel

To verify the alpha channel is correct:

Open the file
Go to Window → Channels
Click the Alpha 1 channel
You should see the mask: white = opaque, black = transparent, grey = partially transparent
Grey areas (soft edges) confirm straight alpha with smooth transitions

If the Alpha channel is binary (only black and white with no grey), the export may be treating soft edges as hard. Make sure "Preserve soft edges" is on in NSS Edge Refinement before exporting.

Colour profiles

If your image was photographed in Display P3 or AdobeRGB, NSS detects the ICC profile and preserves it. When you open the file in Photoshop:

If Photoshop's colour settings match the embedded profile, colours will be accurate
If there's a mismatch, Photoshop will ask whether to convert or keep the embedded profile — choose Use Embedded to maintain the original colours

See Colour accuracy and ICC profiles for more detail.

AVIF in Photoshop

AVIF support in Photoshop varies by version. Photoshop 25.x and newer support AVIF via the Camera Raw plugin. If your version doesn't support AVIF, export as PNG instead.

Common workflows

E-commerce product photo:

Export white-background JPG: NSS → Replace Background (white) → Export with background → JPG
Or: export transparent PNG → open in Photoshop → flatten onto a new white Background layer