Select File > Open, choose a DICOM file, and select Open.
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Open DICOM files
Last updated on
Sep 28, 2026
Configure frame display, adjust windowing settings, and control metadata visibility when opening medical imaging files in Photoshop.
DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) files contain multiple slices or frames representing different layers of a scan. Photoshop supports files with .dc3, .dcm, .dic extensions, or no extension, and automatically converts 10-bit and 12-bit files to 16-bit during import.
Select and configure DICOM frames
Before you begin, you need Photoshop with DICOM file support.
In the DICOM File Import dialog, select the frames to import by Shift-clicking for contiguous frames or Ctrl-clicking (Windows) / Command-clicking (macOS) for noncontiguous frames.
Under Frame Import, choose Import Frames As Layers to place each frame on a separate layer, or select N-Up Configuration and enter values in the Rows and Columns boxes to display frames in a grid on a single layer.
Under DICOM Dataset, select Anonymize to overwrite patient metadata, or select Show Overlays to display annotations, curves, or text embedded in the file.
Select Show Windowing Options to adjust image contrast and brightness:
- Drag the Window Level tool vertically for brightness or horizontally for contrast
- Choose a preset from the Window Preset menu: Default, Lung, Bone, or Abdomen
- Select Reverse Image to invert brightness values if needed
Select Open to complete the import.
Navigation tips
Scroll through frames using the mouse wheel (Windows) or the arrow buttons below the preview.
Zoom using the Select Zoom Level menu or plus/minus buttons.
Pan by selecting the Hand icon and dragging
Measurement scales
Photoshop automatically imports embedded measurement scales. Without a scale, Photoshop defaults to 1 pixel = 1 mm. For details on working with measurement scales, see Set the measurement scale.
Edit and save DICOM files
After opening a DICOM file, use any Photoshop tool to edit, annotate, or measure the image:
Add comments with the Notes tool
Mark specific areas with the Pencil tool
Remove artifacts with the Dust and Scratches filter.
Measure anatomical features with the Ruler or selection tools.
Saving options
- 8-bit DICOM files: Save in any format supported by Photoshop
- 16-bit files: Use DICOM, Large Document Format (PSB), Photoshop (PSD), Photoshop PDF, Photoshop Raw, PNG, or TIFF to preserve bit depth
When you save as DICOM format, layer styles, adjustments, blend modes, and masks are discarded. To preserve these elements, save a copy in PSD format before exporting as DICOM.
To import a sequence of multiple single-frame DICOM files into a single multilayered document, see Import image sequences.
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