How to Fix 'Invalid JPEG Marker' or 'Not a Valid Photoshop Document'

An invalid Photoshop (PS) file can be opened and fixed. Do not trash a file that instead of opening gives either of these error messages: 'could not complete your request because it is not a valid Photoshop document'; 'could not complete your request because an unknown or invalid JPEG marker type is found'. After using an easy one-step solution, you will be able to open and use the PS file (whether it's a JPEG, PSD, or PNG).

In brief, two main reasons exist as to why a file becomes invalid: 1) the file was saved with an extension that does not match its format (Fig.1); 2) the file consists of layers but was saved as a jpeg. These reasons are explained in detail later so that future errors can be prevented. The solution is explained first. The virtual example used throughout this tutorial is 'volcano.jpg'.

How to Fix 'Not Valid Photoshop Document' or 'Invalid JPEG Marker Type'

When a PS file or image won't open, right-click on the icon of the invalid file and from the scroll-down menu, select 'Get Info'. You will instantly see the problem. In this virtual example, the 'Get Info' window will show our 'volcano' file with a jpg extension ('volcano.jpg') and with 'Adobe Photoshop file' as the 'Kind'. The extension and the 'Kind' therefore do not match. This mismatch is the reason why the file is invalid. This means the extension must be changed from jpg to psd so as to match the 'Kind' in order for the file to open. To alter the extension, simply type psd in the icon label of the invalid file. In this case, 'volcano.jpg' is renamed to 'volcano.psd'. The file will open.

Instead of the direct method above, you can use trial-and-error by simply changing extensions until one of them allows the invalid file to open. In either case, your problem is solved-unless the format in which the file opens is not what you want. For example, if our 'volcano' file opens in the Photoshop format (with the matching psd extension) but a JPEG is needed-perhaps for uploading to a social network-then the psd file must be altered to a valid jpeg file. See the next instruction.

How to Create a JPEG from a PSD File

Whether a psd file is flat or has layers, the method of creating a jpeg is the same. Simply take these steps in the 'Save As' window: 1) change the extension in the file name to jpg; 2) select the 'Format' as JPEG; 3) click on 'Save'. A valid jpeg file is always flat and is always saved with the JPEG 'Format' (see Fig. 2). To test the file's validity, close the file and try to re-open it. The same file that would not open before with a jpg extension will now open with a jpg extension.

NOTE: When saving a file with layers as a jpeg in this manner, the Photoshop program automatically flattens the image and saves the jpeg image as a fraternal copy of the psd file. To see this happen when saving a file, look for the yellow triangles-each with an exclamation point-in the 'Save As' window. They are alerts. The first triangle sits near the 'Layers' check-box and shows the Layers have been flattened (the check-mark is removed from the 'Layers' box). The other triangle sits near the message ' File must be saved as a copy with this selection'. Thus, there are now two files: the psd and a jpeg. The multi-layered psd file can be discarded or-more likely-retained for possible future alterations.

How to Learn If an Invalid File is Flat or Has Layers

As in the easy one-step solution first mentioned, right-click the file icon and from the scroll-down menu, select 'Get Info'. Under the second section, you will see the layers itemized (Fig. 3). If just a 'Background' is listed, the file is likely flat-unless the padlocked background was duplicated and then deleted, thus leaving an unflattened 'Layer' Background.

How to Learn If a Valid File is Flat or Has Layers

1) Use the 'Get Info' window as instructed above.

and/or 2) With the file open, select 'Window' from the Photoshop menu bar. From the scroll-down menu, select 'Layers'. If the 'Layers' window displays only the 'Background' layer with a padlock symbol, then the file is flat. If it shows multiple layers-or a single layer that is not the padlocked 'Background'-then the file is not flat.

and/or 3) With the file open, select 'Layer' from the PS menu bar and from the scroll-down menu, select 'Flatten Image'. If the feature is unavailable (un-clickable), then the image is flat. If the feature is available (clickable), then the file has layers-and the file should be flattened.

Reasons for a 'Not Valid Photoshop Document' or 'Invalid JPEG Marker Type'

Reason 1. The Photoshop file was made invalid when it was saved with an extension that did not match its format name. This often happens when the PS user chooses a file name without ensuring that the extension matches the 'Format' in the 'Save As' window.

For example, an invalid version of 'volcano.jpg' would be created by saving the file with the jpg extension and with a 'Format' of Photoshop (psd). Hence, the name and the extension do not match. To create a valid version of 'volcano.jpg', save the file with a jpg extension and with the 'Format' of JPEG. Hence, the file extension in the name matches the file format.

Reason 2. The Photoshop file was made invalid when it was saved in the wrong format. For example, if our 'volcano' image consists of either multiple layers or just one unflattened layer, an invalid version of 'volcano.jpg' would be created by saving the unflattened file with the jpg extension (.jpg) but with the 'Format' of Photoshop file-or by saving it with a psd extension and the JPEG 'Format'. To create a valid version of 'volcano.jpg', save it with the jpg extension and JPEG 'Format' (keeping in mind that that Photoshop automatically flattens the layers).

Bonus information: How to Create Duplicate Files: How to Flatten a Photoshop File

How to create a duplicate of a file in its current state. In the 'History' window, click on the first of the three icons at the window base. A new window of the file automatically appears.

How to flatten a Photoshop file with layers. Select 'Layer' from the PS menu bar. From the scroll-down menu, select 'Flatten Image' and click on it. Whether the file has multiple layers or just one unflattened layer, this action will create a 'Background' with a padlock symbol. All visible layers are merged; any invisible layers are discarded.

This completes the topic of invalid PS documents and the solutions. Here is a review:

The extension in a file name must always match the 'Format' in order for a PS file to open-even in the Preview program. A valid JPEG file is always flat. A PSD file can be flat but typically has one or more unflattened layers. Use the 'Get Info' window to see what the format of the invalid file is. Then, change the extension of the file's label to match the format. The file will open.

Extras: other reasons as to why files will not open (PS and other types)

Extra 1. Whenever any file type won't open, there are a few typical reasons why: A. The file has the wrong extension in its name. B. The extension is missing from the file name and thus needs to be inserted. C. The software program required for opening the file is not installed on the computer. For example, if trying to open a Microsoft (MS) Word document on a friend's computer or a copy center computer, you will only be able to open the MS document if the computer has MS Word installed.

Extra 2. A couple of other reasons why a file won't open are:

A. If you create a file in a new software version of a program and then try to open it on a computer with the old software version, the file will not open. However, the reverse is not true. For example, you can open an old MS Word document in the latest software version and even upgrade the document to the new version. Warning: Do not choose the upgrade option if your personal computer does not have the new software. The upgraded file will not open with the old software program.

B. On a rare occasion, a file is corrupt. A corrupt file will never open and should be trashed. However, first ensure the problem is not something else that is fixable. A file can become corrupt on a jump drive if the jump drive is removed before the file was saved properly. It also becomes corrupt if transferred from the computer to faulty media-such as an outdated defective floppy disk-or if the media although not initially damaged becomes so.

^{_{Source: Professional Experience; Information is based on Photoshop 11.0.2}}