Extract text from Photoshop contours (SHC)
To convert SHC contours to another format, you need Adobe Photoshop or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "Graphics Preset" file type, you need software like Adobe Photoshop or a similar tool.
The .SHC file extension is primarily associated with Adobe Photoshop Contours. These are proprietary settings files used to define the mathematical curves (contours) for Layer Styles, such as Drop Shadows, Bevels, Satins, and Outer Glows. Unlike standard image files (.JPG, .PNG), an .SHC file does not contain a visible picture; it contains the instruction for how light and shadow should roll across a surface.
Users often confuse .SHC files with Custom Shapes (.CSH), but they serve different purposes: .CSH files define vector geometry, while .SHC files define the profile of effects applied to that geometry. Because these are binary configuration blobs, you cannot "convert" them directly to a PDF or image using a standard file converter. To view or use the content, you must load the file into the Adobe Photoshop Preset Manager. For archiving or sharing the visual result, you must apply the contour to a layer and then save that canvas as a standard image format.
A secondary, less common use is for FreeCommander, where the .SHC file stores custom keyboard shortcuts. These are configuration text files used to migrate user preferences between installations.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SHC file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SCH, PG, CCX and ATN files.
If you want to convert SHC file to CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI, CFG, CONF, DAT, DB or SQL, you can use Adobe Photoshop or similar software from the "Graphics Editor Settings" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to SHC, try Adobe Photoshop or another comparable tool in the "Graphics Editor Settings" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our SHC converter.