PhotoDirector Beginner's Guide
Learn the workspaces, edit a first photo, and save it in the right file type.
Updated Oct. 25, 2026 · 4 min read
In a hurry? Use the beginner's quick guide instead.
Most edits in PhotoDirector follow the same short path: import a photo, pick a tool, compare the change with the original, and export a new file. Once you know the workspaces and the export settings, you can repeat it with other tools and save each photo in the file type you need.
- Open PhotoDirector and choose Guided & GenAI on the launcher.
- Drag a photo onto the canvas, or click Import Photo.
- Click a category in the rail on the left, such as Enhance, and choose a tool.
- Adjust the tool's settings, such as Strength.
- Click the compare button below the photo to see Before and After.
- Click Export at the top and save the photo as a PNG, JPG, or TIF file.
The PhotoDirector Workspaces
The launcher opens each time you start PhotoDirector. Its four cards take you into the workspaces, and the cards under Home open popular tools directly.
The box at the top of the launcher sends a request to AI Agent, which creates or edits an image from your description. Click AI Agent in the menu on the left for example ideas, and see the AI Agent tutorial for the full steps.
| Workspace | What it does | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Actions | AI analyzes the photo, applies some edits, and suggests more | A photo needs help, but you aren't sure which tool to open. |
| Guided & GenAI | Groups the tools by task in a rail on the left, including AI tools that generate new images | You know the job, such as removing an object or adding an effect. |
| Library & Adjust | Keeps your photos in a library and offers manual sliders in the Adjust panel | You manage many photos or want precise control over color and tone. |
| Design | Combines photos, text, and graphics in layers | You're building a layout rather than fixing one photo. |
Inside the main window, the tabs at the top switch between the same workspaces. The last tab, Batch Editor, applies one edit to many photos at once (see the Batch Editor tutorial).
In Guided & GenAI, the rail on the left groups the tools by job. Click a category to list its tools:
| Category | What you'll find there |
|---|---|
| Quick | Quick Actions, the same AI suggestions as on the launcher. |
| AI Creativity | Tools that generate new images and videos: Image to Video, AI Cinematic Shorts, AI Image Generator, AI Collage, and Image Fusion. |
| Edit | Tools that change what's in the frame: Crop/Rotate/Flip and Resize, Object Removal, Wire Removal, Change Focus, Object Move and Object Clone, Replace, and Extend. |
| Enhance | Fixes for soft, grainy, or dull photos: Image Enhancer, Image Upscaler, Denoise, Deblur, Auto Color Enhancement, and Adjustments. |
| Portrait | Retouching and AI looks for people: Face Tools, Body Shaper, Skin Smoother, Hairstyle, Face Swap, AI Try-On, and more. |
| Effects | Looks for the whole photo: Filter (Color LUT), Color, Glitch, Light Rays, Sparkles, Lens: Bokeh, and more. |
| Text | Text you add on top of the photo. |
| Elements | Graphics such as stickers and frames. |
| Cutout/Background | Background Remove / Replace, Product Background, and Sky Replacement. |
In Library & Adjust, you add photos to the library first. Click File at the top left, point to Import, and choose Photos for single files or Folder for a whole folder.
Steps to Edit Your First Photo
Step 1: Open Guided & GenAI
On the launcher, choose Guided & GenAI. Most of the editing tools sit in its rail, so it's a good place for a first edit.
Step 2: Import a Photo
Drag a photo from your computer onto the canvas. Or click Import Photo, or the arrow on the button to pick a source:
- From Local Drive opens a photo from your computer.
- From Library uses a photo already in Library & Adjust.
- From My Creations brings in an image you made with an AI tool.
- Stock Photos lets you pick from stock images.
Step 3: Choose a Tool
Click a category in the rail on the left to list its tools, then click a tool to open it. This example uses Auto Color Enhancement under Enhance to bring out the colors of a flat poolside photo.
Step 4: Adjust the Edit
Auto Color Enhancement applies itself as soon as it opens, at a Strength of 50. Drag the slider to make the change lighter or stronger. To remove the edit, click Clear at the bottom of the panel.
Step 5: Compare Before and After
Click the compare button, the second icon at the bottom left of the canvas, to see Before and After side by side. Click the first icon to go back to a single view.
Step 6: Export the Photo
Click Export at the top of the window. In the window that opens, name the file, choose PNG, JPG, or TIF as the file type, and save it. PhotoDirector saves the edit as a new file, so your original stays as it was.
The Result
Auto Color Enhancement made the water a deeper blue and gave the skin warmer tones.
Choose a File Format and Export Settings
Export saves the photo with default settings. For more control, click File at the top left and choose Save As (More Options).
The Photo Export window opens on its Basic tab, where you set the folder, the file name, and the size. Open the Format menu to pick JPEG, TIFF, or PNG, then click Export.
| Format | Pick it when |
|---|---|
| JPEG | You want a small file to share online or send in a message. The Advanced tab lets you trade file size for quality. |
| PNG | The photo has transparent areas, such as a cutout with its background removed. JPEG turns transparent areas white. |
| TIFF | You plan to print the photo or keep editing it in another app, and a large file is fine. |
The Advanced tab adds more settings. Under File Settings, set the Color space and drag the slider between Smaller size and Better quality to choose how much a JPEG is compressed.
PhotoDirector opens more file types than it saves, including many RAW camera formats. For the full list, see PhotoDirector's supported file formats.
Where Your AI Results Go
Tools that generate new images or videos, such as Hairstyle and Image to Video, save each result to My Creations. Click My Creations at the top right of the window to see your results, sorted by tool.
Open a tool's results, select the ones you want, and click Download to save them to your computer. There's no file type to choose here. To keep editing a result, bring it back with Import Photo > From My Creations.
We tested these steps in PhotoDirector 365 version 18.0.10 on Windows.
Don't have PhotoDirector yet? Import a photo, try a tool from the rail, and save the result as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF.
Download PhotoDirector Free →FAQ for Beginners
Pick JPEG for a small file to share online. Pick PNG when the photo has transparent areas, because JPEG turns them white. Pick TIFF for printing or more editing in another app. Choose the format in File > Save As (More Options).
No. PhotoDirector saves the edited photo as a new file, and your original stays as it was.
They're saved to My Creations, at the top right of the window. Select the results you want and click Download to save them to your computer.
