---
title: "Opening or closing (releasing) a project, explained"
slug: "opening-or-closing-releasing-a-project-explained"
tags: ["Overview", "End user", "Curator for Adobe", "Photoshop", "Illustrator", "Adobe projects", "Check in and check out"]
updated: 2026-10-20T15:58:09Z
published: 2026-10-20T15:58:09Z
canonical: "help.ipv.com/opening-or-closing-releasing-a-project-explained"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.ipv.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Opening or closing (releasing) a project, explained

#### What is opening or closing a project?

A [Curator Adobe Project](/docs/adobe-projects-and-productions-in-adobe) is the Adobe .psd or .ai file. You are able to work on a project in Photoshop or Illustrator. There are two options which will help you work collaboratively on projects in Curator for Adobe:

- **[Open](/docs/open-a-project)**  = Opening the Adobe .psd or .ai (project) from Curator and working on the file in your Adobe software
- **[Save and release](/docs/close-save-and-release-a-project-file)** = Closing the Adobe Project and saving the changes back to Curator. In the Curator for Adobe panel this is the **Check in** action.

#### Some guidance on opening and closing projects

- A project is stored in Curator. When you open it, a copy is downloaded to your computer and locked to you until you save and release it.
- Open projects can be used by yourself only whilst you have the project open in your Adobe Software.
- The .psd or .ai file will be locked out from Curator. No other user will be able to work on the version you have open.
- Users are able to duplicate a project if a project is opened and locked to another user.
- After you’ve completed your work on the project, you can 'save and release’ the project back to Curator so that the project can be used/reviewed by other users/editors.