Quick, Easy Guide on How to Open CR2 Files in Photoshop

An easy-to-follow guide that will help you open CR2 files in Photoshop

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: February 20, 2024 Tested

Did you take a picture with your Canon camera that you want to edit in Photoshop? As long as you're using Photoshop CS6 or later, you can easily open CS2 files using a preinstalled plugin called Adobe Camera Raw. If you're having trouble opening CS2 file in Photoshop, you may just need to reinstall the plugin. This wikiHow article teaches you how to open a CR2 file in Photoshop on Mac or Windows computers.

Things You Should Know

First, try opening the CR2 file without doing anything since newer versions of Photoshop support that file format.
If you have an older version of Photoshop or can't open the file, download the Camera RAW plugin.
Convert the photo with services like Zamzar if you still cannot open it in Photoshop even after downloading the plugin.

Steps

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As long as you have a somewhat recent version of Photoshop, you can easily open CS2 files without installing anything extra. To open the file, just right-click (or Control + click) the file on your PC or Mac, choose Open with, and then choose Adobe Photoshop.
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Install the latest Camera RAW plugin. If you aren't able to open the file in Photoshop, you may need to install the Camera Raw plugin. Go to https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/kb/camera-raw-plug-in-installer.html and click to download PC or Mac version as needed.
- If you can't use the most recent version of the plugin, try version 14.3 instead. If that doesn't work or if you have an older version of Photoshop, use version 10.5.
- Click the downloaded file, unzip it, then follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
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Although the apps update automatically, you might need to update Camera Raw manually. To do this, click the chain logo to open Creative Cloud, then click Apps > Updates > Check for Updates. Click Update next to "Photoshop".^{[1]
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You can either drag and drop the CR2 file on the Photoshop thumbnail or you can go to File > Open and select your camera file.^{[2]
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Tips

If the file will not open and let you edit it, even if you have the correct plugin, try converting it first. You can use online services like Zamzar to convert the CR2 image to an editable file format like JPG or PNG.

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Check that Canon File Viewer Utility isn't preventing you from opening the file in Photoshop. Some people claim that uninstalling that program helped them, and it may help you.

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