The main goal of any Digital Asset Management (DAM) is to be the searchable repository for your digital assets that you can access from wherever you are.
Now it is possible to do that using Pics.io integration with Adobe CC tools, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and InDesign.
Access and pricing logic for Adobe plugin
The Pics.io plugin for Adobe Creative Cloud tools is available for everyone to explore before adding it to the subscription.
You can install it, log into your Pics.io account, view your library, search for assets, and navigate collections without purchasing anything upfront.
NB: To unlock actions like placing assets into documents or uploading files back to Pics.io, your team needs to activate the Adobe plugin add-on.
Here’s how access works depending on your plan:
Solo and Micro plans – available as a paid add-on ($100/mo), activated via the Billing page or support team
Small plan – full access to all plugin features, including Links panel (InDesign) and Local Files panel across all Adobe plugins
Legacy Small and Micro plans – access to previously available features remains, but newer functionality like Links and Local Files panels is locked. If your team is on one of these older plans, you can contact our support team to activate the updated plugin
If the add-on is not active, you’ll see a modal window when trying to use locked features like “Place in Document” or “Save to Pics.io”. The window will prompt you to activate the plugin via Billing.
How can I use the Pics.io extension for Adobe tools?
Get full access to your Pics.io library without the need to download and upload files via your desktop computer manually.
Search for assets right in Adobe apps using different search filters (except Keywords and Custom fields) or Advanced search.
Navigate through your collection tree to locate assets.
Open assets from Pics.io as new documents or add them as layers (for Photoshop and Illustrator).
Upload final versions back to Pics.io collections, without leaving the Adobe interface (for Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign);
More information can be found on our YouTube channel.
You might also be interested in learning how to download Adobe Illustrator pages separately within Pics.io
How to install the Pics.io extension to Adobe CC tools?
You can install the plugin regardless of your current plan. Plugin functionality will adjust based on your subscription and whether the Adobe plugin add‑on is active.
We currently have 2 plugin versions:
CEP plugin (.zxp): available for Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro, InDesign, and Photoshop 24 (and older versions). You can download it as a .zxp file, a .zip file, or install it directly from Adobe Marketplace.
UXP plugin (.ccx): available only for newer Photoshop versions (25 and higher). You can download it as a .ccx file or as a .zip file, or install it directly from Adobe Marketplace.
💭 Why are there two versions?
💭 Why are there two versions?
Adobe is transitioning from CEP to UXP plugins. The UXP version is built to run natively on modern systems, including Apple Silicon devices.
For macOS users with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4):
The CEP plugin requires running Adobe apps in Rosetta mode to work correctly
The UXP plugin runs natively and does not require Rosetta mode, but is currently available only for Photoshop
So if you are using Apple Silicon:
Use the CEP plugin for most Adobe apps (Rosetta mode required)
Use the UXP plugin only for Photoshop (no Rosetta needed)
Installing a CEP Plugin (.zxp file for most Adobe apps and older versions of Photoshop):
There are 2 ways to install the Pics.io ZXP plugin for Adobe CC tools:
1. You can download and install it from Adobe Creative Cloud. After installation, Pics.io plugin can be found in ”Window” -> ”Extensions”.
NB: for macOS users with Apple Silicon processors:
Adobe tools are already optimized for Apple Silicon. However, the Pics.io plugin is not fully compatible with native Apple Silicon mode yet.
Because of this, you may not be able to install the plugin directly from Adobe Creative Cloud.
As a workaround, you can install the plugin using the ZXP file and run Adobe apps in Rosetta mode. This allows the plugin to work correctly.
Here’s how to launch Adobe apps in Rosetta mode:
2. The second way involves the following steps:
Download the Pics.io.ZXP installer on your desktop computer;
Download the free Adobe CC extension manager;
Pull the Pics.io.ZXP file into the Extension Manager window;
Open the Adobe app and follow the Window - Extensions - Pics.io path;
Once you've installed the plugin, open it and fill in the login credentials associated with your Pics.io account to see files residing in Pics.io directly in the Adobe CC tool.
Installing a UXP Plugin (.ccx file for newer versions of Photoshop):
Double-click the
.ccxfile.Adobe Creative Cloud should automatically open and prompt you to install the plugin.
Once installed, the plugin will appear in Photoshop as a separate window.
How can I save files edited in Adobe tools to Pics.io?
The main goal of the integration between Pics.io and Adobe tools is to allow you to directly transfer files from your Pics.io library to the Adobe tool, so you are able to work with them without downloading them from the cloud.
In addition, you're able to save new files (stored locally) to Pics.io through the plugin as well. For that, just open a new file in the Adobe tool, make the changes, and save it as a new file through the plugin. This way, such files will be uploaded to your Pics.io library in their original format as if you uploaded them through the Pics.io website.
NB: Please note that, as of now, you can save new files in their original formats only while saving them to Pics.io.
If you need to change the format of a file while saving it to Pics.io, you will need to export the file in the preferred format locally, and then drag and drop it back into the Adobe tool. This will ensure that the file is transferred to Pics.io in the format you desire.
Once you finish designing assets in Photoshop, you need to click on the 'Save as Asset' or 'Save as revision' button and select the collection where you would like to save these assets. Your newly edited assets will appear in this collection right after that.
NB: If you have set any required fields for uploading new files, they won't be available in the Pics.io addon while saving the edited files back to your Pics.io library.
There are two ways of saving PSD /AI files to Pics.io from Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator. You can either save the edited file to Pics.io as a new asset or upload it as a revision for the asset. To do the latter, just click on the 'Save as Revision' button and a new revision will appear in the Activity panel of this asset.
NB! It's not possible to save the edited files back to Pics.io via the plugin for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro. This functionality is available for Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign only.
How to start working with the Pics.io plugin for Adobe?
Once you log in to the Pics.io plugin, you get access to your library where you can locate the necessary asset using search or collection tree navigation. After that, you may add Pics.io assets to your project by pressing the ‘Place’ button on thumbnails.
NB! All the Pics.io files you’re working on within the plugins for Adobe have to be stored locally. You need to choose the default working folder on your computer where the assets will be saved. If the working directory is not chosen, you will see the corresponding error message at the bottom of the Pics.io plugin.
After an asset is saved to your local folder, you may add it to your project and continue working with the app.
How to add images to my project in the plugin?
To save the final result back to your Pics.io library, you need to do the following:
Press Cmd (Ctrl) + S on your keyboard to save the file locally;
After that, the file name will appear at the top of the Pics.io plugin;
Click on the ‘Save as Asset’ button;
Navigate to the necessary collection and pre-fill the required fields (except keywords and custom fields) if there're any;
Click on ‘Save’.
It may take some time to generate a thumbnail for a newly uploaded file, it will appear in your Pics.io account.
NB: Files updated in the Adobe tools are saved back to Pics.io in the original format only. It's not possible to convert them to a different format.
How to work with existing INDD files?
If you have already INDD files in your Pics.io library and you want to make some changes to them, it’s possible to save the updated version back to Pics.io.
You need to click on the ‘Save as revision button’ and save the file locally before uploading it to Pics.io.
To open an asset in Pics.io just click on the ‘Open in browser’ button.
Working with Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro apps
If you're working with video files and animations, you may be interested in Pics.io integration with Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro applications. It is possible to add assets right from your Pics.io library to the projects in your After Effects and Premiere Pro apps.
To use the Pics.io extension for Adobe AE, you need to perform the following steps (for macOS) :
Open your Adobe app and click on 'Window' -> 'Extensions' -> 'Pics.io';
Log into your Pics.io account;
Create space for your project on your computer: click on 'File' -> 'Save as', type the name of your project and select the destination you'd like to save it to;
Relinking Files using the plugin
In Adobe products like Premiere Pro, files can be imported into projects and become linked to the timelines within the software. If you move a linked file from its original location, you may encounter an error when working with the file in Premiere Pro. The software will notify you of the broken link and prompt you to relink the files. During the relinking process, Premiere Pro searches the entire system to locate the relocated file and reestablishes the connection.
Our plugin does not provide the functionality to perform the file-relinking process. This feature is inherent to Adobe Premiere Pro and cannot be replicated or controlled by our plugin.
Assets added via our Premiere Pro plugin are missing
If the assets you added using our Premiere Pro plugin are missing, moved, or deleted from the plugin's working folder, you may encounter an error when opening your project. This occurs because the files added to your project no longer exist in their original physical location.
To resolve this issue and continue working on your project, follow these steps:
Locate and download the missing files from their original source or a backup if available.
Save the downloaded files in the same or a new location on your local drive (where the plugin is installed).
Open your Premiere Pro project and navigate to the timeline or bin where the missing files were originally added.
Right-click within the timeline or bin and select "Link Media" or "Import Media" from the context menu.
In the file browser dialog, navigate to the location where you saved the downloaded files.
Select the files and click "Open" or "Import" to add them back to your project.
By following these steps, you will successfully reestablish the connection between the files and your Premiere Pro project. You can then resume editing and working with the assets as before.
Links panel and Local Files panel
The updated Pics.io plugin includes two new tools that expand your editing workflows inside Adobe apps:
Links panel (InDesign only): Keeps connections between INDD documents and their original linked assets. When you download and open INDD files from Pics.io, all linked content will now be included, making it easier to reuse and edit InDesign projects without needing to manually reattach files.
Local Files panel (available in all plugins): Allows you to access and manage your working directory directly from within the plugin, helping you organize and relink local assets during editing.
Teams on legacy plans will see these panels, but won’t be able to use the functions unless they upgrade their plugin access.
Troubleshooting Pics.io extension for Adobe products
ERR_NOT_FOUND
If you encounter the error message "ERR_NOT_FOUND" when attempting to upload files from a specific folder to your Photoshop or Premiere Pro, it may be due to a configuration issue. Please note the following information to resolve the problem: our Photoshop Plugin requires the working folder to be located on the same drive where the plugin is installed. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the "ERR_NOT_FOUND" error.
In the context of a Premiere Pro plugin, a working folder refers to a specific directory or location on the local drive where the Pics.io plugin is installed. It is the designated folder that the plugin relies on to access and interact with files during the editing process.
When selecting a working folder for your Photoshop/Premiere Pro plugin, ensure that the folder is on the same drive as your plugin. For example, if the plugin is installed on drive D, your working folder should also be on drive D.
Additionally, please note that the working folder cannot be connected to external drives.
Other malfunctions
1. Check whether you have the latest version of the plugin installed (refer to the "How to install Pics.io extension to Adobe CC tools?" section).
2. Clean your system cache according to the following instruction:
Mac:
- Select the Finder menu > Go > Go To Folder... (Shift+Cmd+G)
- Paste: ~/Library/Caches/CSXS/cep_cache/
- Delete all folders that contain Pics.io
- Examples: IDSN_16.1.0_Pics.io or PHXS.21.0.3_Pics.ioWindows:
- Navigate to C:/Users/<USERNAME>/AppData/Local/Temp/cep_cache/
- Delete all folders that contain Pics.io
- Examples: IDSN_16.1.0_Pics.io or PHXS.21.0.3_Pics.io
- Please restart your computer to complete the process
Have any questions? Book a product demo with our expert.
Also, you may be interested in other Pics.io integrations:
Google Drive integration
Slack chat
Integration with other apps using Zapier