A RAW, PSD or AI file that uploaded fine but shows only the extension tile is stored and downloadable; what is missing is the preview Brault generates after the upload. That happens for one of four reasons: the file is still processing, it is a RAW format we do not decode, it is a Photoshop file saved without the flattened composite we read, or it is over the size cap for its type. The checks below go from fastest to slowest.
Give processing a few minutes
Camera RAW, Photoshop and Illustrator files are the heaviest jobs in our pipeline: we decode them on the server before we can make a preview, and we run a limited number of those decodes at once so one big batch does not slow everyone down. While the job is queued or running, the file drawer shows Your file is being processed. It will be available soon. A 100 MB PSD or a batch of 500 RAW files can take several minutes. Reload the page after a few minutes before assuming anything is wrong.
The RAW format is not one we decode
Brault decodes 13 camera RAW formats: .nef, .cr2, .cr3, .arw, .dng, .orf, .raf, .rw2, .srw, .pef, .iiq, .3fr and .gpr. Sigma's .x3f (Foveon) is not supported yet: the file uploads and stores, and we skip the preview. RAW files over 10 GB are also stored without a preview.
For a RAW we do decode, the preview is the camera's own embedded JPEG when it is at least 800 pixels on its short side, and a full decode of the sensor data when it is not. Either way the preview shows the camera's rendering, not edits you made in Lightroom or Capture One; those live in a sidecar or a catalog, not in the RAW file.
If you need a preview for an unsupported format, export a .dng or a JPEG next to the original. The full list, with size limits per type, is in What file formats does Brault support?.
The PSD was saved without a composite
Brault reads the flattened composite image that Photoshop embeds in a .psd when Maximize Compatibility is on, which is Photoshop's default. If that option was off when the file was saved, the file has layers but no composite, and we cannot build a preview from it. We keep the file and show the tile; we never mark it as failed, because a PSD without a composite is a valid save option, not a broken file.
To get the preview:
- Open the file in Photoshop and choose
File>Save As(orSave a Copy). - When Photoshop asks about compatibility, keep
Maximize Compatibilitychecked. To make it the default, go toPreferences>File Handlingand setMaximize PSD and PSB File CompatibilitytoAlways. - Upload the saved file to Brault again, or add it as a new version of the existing file.
CMYK documents are fine: we convert the composite to sRGB for the preview. PSD files over 10 GB are stored without a preview.
The AI file has no PDF-compatible content
For an Illustrator .ai file, Brault renders the first artboard. Files saved by Illustrator CS (2003) and later carry a PDF-compatible stream we read directly, and older pure-PostScript files render too. The preview shows the first artboard only, and the file's text is extracted so search finds it. AI files over 15 GB are stored without a preview.
If an .ai file shows no preview after processing, open it in Illustrator, choose File > Save As, and in the Illustrator Options dialog keep Create PDF Compatible File checked, then upload it again or add it as a new version.
The preview does not match what you see in Photoshop
The composite reflects the layers that were visible when the file was saved, in the document's color space converted to sRGB. Hidden layers, layer comps and adjustment layers that were off at save time do not appear. Save the document in the state you want previewed.
If none of this worked
Contact us from the support form and include the file name, its format and size, and roughly when you uploaded it. That's enough for us to find the processing job in the logs. We usually reply within one business day.