PhotoCraft is an open-source image editor for working with layers, masks, text and image adjustments. It belongs in a workflow where you want to keep parts of a composition separately editable, such as a photograph, a headline, a logo and a background.
AI image creation can help with a different part of that project: developing an illustration, exploring a new setting or trying a photo variation. This guide explains how to choose between those tasks and combine them in a practical composition. For the generative step, ShimmerPic's AI photo editor provides a separate workspace for supported image models.
What PhotoCraft is
The PhotoCraft project repository describes a native image editor written in Rust, with layers, masks, adjustment layers, typography, vectors, brushes and layered PSD support. It links to the project's downloads and to PhotoCraft on ArtCraft.
Use those project links to identify the software and its current release. Several websites use the PhotoCraft name, so check the project behind a download or browser-hosted version rather than assuming every similarly named site provides the same build.
Decide which parts of the image must stay editable
Imagine a flyer for a community reading night. The illustration can be exploratory: an open book, a linen cloth and warm light. The event title, date and venue need to be exact. The studio logo should remain the real logo.
That suggests a useful division of work. Create the visual atmosphere as an image, then arrange the final words and logo as separate elements in a layered editor. If the date changes, you can update the date without asking an image model to recreate the whole flyer.
Before opening an app, write down the parts of the deliverable:
- A background illustration or photograph.
- A headline with approved wording.
- A date, time and venue.
- A logo or other supplied artwork.
- A final crop for the place where the image will appear.
The list becomes a simple editing plan. It also tells you which elements should survive later revisions without being regenerated.
Check an existing PSD before building on it
PhotoCraft's repository documents PSD opening and saving. For your own project, begin with a working copy and compare it with a reference export from the original document. Check the text, layer visibility, masks, effects and overall appearance before making a substantial edit.
Pay particular attention to elements you might overlook in a thumbnail. A substituted font can change line breaks. A different crop can move a logo too close to the edge. An effect that looks subtle at full size may make small text harder to read after export.
Make a small change and save a separate version, then reopen it in the application where the next person will use the file. This gives you a project-specific compatibility check instead of relying on a general file-format claim.
Create an image asset that leaves room for the layout
For the reading-night flyer, the image brief should reserve space for text instead of trying to include all the final wording inside the illustration:
Create an atmospheric illustration for a community reading night. Show an open forest-green book on a navy linen cloth beside a small brass reading lamp, with warm light from the left. Keep the upper third quiet and mostly cream-colored for a headline. Place the book in the lower half, with clear separation from the background. Use a restrained palette and gentle painted texture. No text, logos or extra objects in the headline area.
You can adapt this original brief in Nano Banana Pro or choose another supported option from the ShimmerPic model directory. Select an available ratio that suits the flyer, review the displayed credit cost and inspect the result before refining it.
If the book is useful but the top is crowded, keep the next instruction focused:
Keep the book, cloth, lamp, lighting and painted style. Simplify only the upper third into a quiet cream background with space for a headline. Do not add lettering or move the main subject.
Download the version you want to use, then bring it into your layered composition. Keep it separate from the title, date and logo so that each can be adjusted independently.
Finish the composition with clear layer roles
Name layers by their job. “Background illustration,” “Event title,” “Date and venue” and “Studio logo” are easier to navigate than several unnamed copies of the same image.
Arrange the headline where the illustration leaves space, then check the information at the size people will actually see. A flyer that looks balanced on a large display may have a venue line that disappears on a phone. Leave enough room around the outer edge for the final crop.
Use a mask when you want to hide part of an image while keeping the underlying pixels available. Keep a copy of the layered working file before making a flattened delivery version. The editable document and the image you publish serve different purposes: one supports revisions, while the other is the finished view.
When to use PhotoCraft and when to use an AI editor
Use a layered editor when the main task is arranging existing material, preserving exact wording, adjusting a mask or preparing a document for someone else's revisions. Those tasks benefit from keeping the components under direct control.
Use a generative image workflow when you want a new visual interpretation: a different environment, an original illustration or a variation of a reference photo. State what should remain recognizable, make one useful change at a time and compare the result with the source.
The two approaches can meet in the same project. A product photograph can remain an approved asset while a generated background supplies atmosphere. A generated poster concept can guide the composition while the final text is set separately. Our AI poster generator provides another starting point for exploring that visual direction.
Common questions
Can PhotoCraft work with Photoshop files?
The project documents layered PSD support. Check the specific document you need to exchange, including its fonts and effects, and keep the original file available. A successful check with your own file is more useful than assuming all documents behave alike.
Is ShimmerPic a hosted version of PhotoCraft?
ShimmerPic offers its own image-generation and editing workspace. Use PhotoCraft's project links for PhotoCraft itself. The workflow above connects separate tools through an image asset; it does not require an app integration.
Should I generate the final headline inside the illustration?
If the headline is exploratory, you can try it as part of a concept. If the wording needs frequent revisions or must be exact, keep it as editable text in the composition. Check spelling and spacing in the final export either way.
Start with the part of the project that needs a new image. Explore a photo edit in ShimmerPic, or make a visual concept and bring the selected image into your layered layout.