How to Open an Image in Krita

First, make sure you have Krita installed. You can install it from its official website: https://krita.org/en/

Most of the methods require Krita to be running, so open Krita before proceeding.

• How to Open an Application?

Data Loss Warning: like many other image editors, if you open a JPG or PNG file in Krita and save it with File -> Save, it will overwrite the file. This means you'll lose the original data. Be careful when saving files in Krita to avoid this.

• How to Save an Image in Krita?

File -> Open

The simplest way to open a file in Krita is by clicking on File -> Open on the menubar. This works just like in any other application.

• See also: How to Open a File (in General)?

Drag and Drop

You can also open a file by dragging and dropping it into Krita.

If you do this while Krita already has an image open (a document open), you'll be prompted to select what to do with the file. There will be the options:

1. Insert as New Layer: this creates a new layer in the currently opened document and copies the pixel data from the dropped file into the layer. This means if you delete the file later, nothing happens to your document because the data was already copied.
2. Insert as New File Layer: this creates a new "file layer" instead of a new paint layer. This layer doesn't "copy" the data but "links" it. This means if you delete the file, the layer will stop working, and if you change the file, the layer will change too.
3. Open in New Document: this opens the image in a new tab or view. This is the option you want if you just want Krita to open a second file just like it opened the first.
4. Insert as Reference Image: this is a special feature of Krita that creates something similar to a layer, but that can't be edited, and remains visible even outside the canvas. Krita calls this a reference image. They can be moved around with the reference images tool in the toolbox.

It's possible to drag and drop multiple files at once as well.

Download on Drop

If you drag and drop an image from a web browser, Krita will ask if you want to download the image. Sometimes this will not work because the web server only allows web browsers to access their images, and Krita isn't a web browser.

Copy and Paste as New File

Krita also lets you create an image from your clipboard.

• How to Paste as New File in Krita?

Download on Paste

If you copy an image that is also a link from the Internet by right clicking on it and clicking "Copy Image" on its context menu, Krita will give you two options:

1. Download from the Remote Source: this will attempt to download the image, which is probably going to fail.
2. Paste the Attached Bitmap: this is the option that you should choose to just paste the image you copied.