Why this is a job for the browser
Adobe doesn't make desktop Photoshop for ChromeOS. Its web version works in Chrome but needs a paid plan. The other routes are an Android app with a reduced toolset, or a Linux container running GIMP, which has its own interface and patchy PSD support.
A tool that already lives in Chrome sidesteps all of that.
Getting set up
- Open the editor in Chrome. The first visit downloads about 10 MB; after that the browser keeps it cached.
- Use File › Open, or drag a file in from the Files app.
- Optional: create a shortcut from Chrome's menu and set it to open as a window, so the editor sits on your shelf like any other app.
What a Chromebook can handle
Performance follows the hardware:
- 4 GB of memory: social graphics, screenshots, single photos, small PSDs.
- 8 GB or more: large photos and PSDs with dozens of layers.
Closing other tabs makes more difference on ChromeOS than on most systems. If the canvas ever stays blank, open the editor with the WebGL2 renderer instead.
Keyboard notes
Photoshop's Windows shortcuts apply: Ctrl J duplicates a layer, Ctrl T transforms, Ctrl Z undoes. One to watch is Ctrl W, which in Chrome closes the tab and not just the document. Save first.
School-managed devices
There is no extension to approve and nothing to install, so PSCraft usually works on managed Chromebooks unless an administrator has blocked the site. Files are processed on the device and never uploaded, and there are no accounts, which removes two common objections to classroom tools. More on that in the guide for students.