Converting PSD To HTML : A Complete Quick Book

The tech-savvy era in which we are living is all about being updated each day. It demands each entrepreneur remain the fastest in his work by using the latest techniques. PSD to HTML conversion is a quick way to add interactive features to static image files.

First, you create the designs in Photoshop, a popular image editing tool. Then, convert them into HTML format. Slicing images from a PSD is not a new thing in the digital arena of today. But, the thing that matters is to do it smartly for effective results.

One can use different approaches including self-coding, automated tools, or hiring a dedicated expert from a reliable web development company. This will help accomplish this process in the most professional manner.

Use of PSD to HTML Software Converter

In PSD to HTML conversion, it is beneficial to automate the process by using relevant software. Like other software, it also comes with a drawback as you cannot get a truly custom HTML/CSS code with software automation.

Moreover, one cannot receive a pixel-perfect conversion with a PSD file that he can gain through hand-coded interaction.

It does not mean that front-end development does not rely on automated conversions. One can use them in several instances including-

• A basic Shopify-based eCommerce store
• A business website on Basekit or Squarespace

The moral of the story is to get a hosted template website and this software serves this purpose well.

Why do you Need to Convert PSD to HTML?

You have to work on numerous things to make a website. And, PSD to HTML process is one of those aspects you handle for creating an engaging and robust website. It provides you with a way to craft unmatched quality websites for your business. Therefore businesses are choosing this process to create unique websites that stand out from others.

The following are a few benefits of PSD design to HTML conversion that show why it is necessary.

• Pixel-perfect, standards-compliant, and quality code.
• Unique and customized websites.
• Responsive and fast-loading websites.
• Optimized code providing SEO-friendly websites.

Things you Must Consider Before PSD to HTML Conversion

You need to perform a few preparatory steps before converting PSD to HTML. The first thing you need is the front-end development tools. Indeed, the process you will be performing requires writing front-end code for which some tools and frameworks are required. You will need tools like:

• Notepad++
• Bootstrap
• Adobe Photoshop
• Avocode
• PNG Hat
• CSS3ps

You must ensure that the code you create meets the standards and is W3C validated. Also, the HTML template should be responsive and SEO-friendly to ensure compatibility with different devices and web browsers and a high ranking on search engines.

Use of a Front-end Development Framework

Front-end development frameworks are in demand these days. The reason is that they make development easier without the need to start from scratch. But, you are not restricted to using a specific framework for every project. It is fairly acceptable to work without any framework if you do not possess the proficiency to handle it.

The most common software frameworks in back-end coding are Laravel (PHP), and Ruby on Rails (Ruby) along with front-end frameworks that have crept into the front-end industry. Front-end frameworks majorly focus on the 3 major areas of design CSS, HTML, and JavaScript frameworks.

Pros and Cons

• There is a big dilemma as that which framework to use. If the one you have chosen is new to you, then you need to learn how to implement it with the code. This increases the time frame for the project.
• The frameworks are best known to reduce the amount of code for a page. But, they can add some complexity to your project if you have less knowledge about the syntax and the way the framework works within an application.
• If another side of the coin will be noticed, there are plenty of frameworks available in the market. So, it is tough to learn each one of them and then implement them in the design process.
• It is obvious that frameworks reduce the amount of code you need to use on a website. In parallel, coding time will also minimize if you use them in the proper manner.
• When used efficiently, frameworks can increase efficiency and in turn proactively improve the design.

And the toughest part is, it is not always guaranteed that you will get the best code. The framework must have good community support to give you uninterrupted support.

Use Different Layout Types For PSD To HTML Conversion

Before starting the conversion process, you first need to determine the layout. Commonly, you have 4 main layout types to pick from-

Responsive

“Responsive” cannot come separate from the design industry due to the beauty it gives to a website while it loads on devices of different sizes. The Responsive designs shift the layout of a web page to fit the screen. This layout can be used as the core for most of the web apps that cater to mobile devices.

Mobile Only

Few apps do not work well on desktops. So, they only need a design that will fit a tablet or a smartphone.

Fixed

These layouts are good for desktop-only designs with a static width and height. The elements that exist within the layout do not shift as per the screen size or when the user minimizes the window.

Fluid

Fluid designs are meant to be used for mobile and desktops. As the user minimizes the browser or makes use of the smaller screen, the elements within their containers tend to shift.

Components of a Website Design

Before starting the conversion, it is important to analyze the actual structure of your web pages.

In detail, they contain different components-

Logo

In general practice, you can place a logo in the header of a webpage.

Header

It is the top portion of your web page that must contain the company’s logo, image, tagline, sliders, flash animation, and a navigation menu as per the layout.

Body

This section of the website carries the textual content and user sign-in module if persists.

When you need to convert a Photoshop-based website design, you should ensure that all of these components are put together in the appropriate positions without hampering the look and feel of the page.

Step-wise Process: How to Convert PSD to HTML Code?

Once you have your PSD ready, you can move to the next step, which is converting PSD to HTML. We have broken down the process into some easy steps. You can follow these steps one-by-one to convert your Photoshop Documents to HTML/CSS code.

When you are ready with the designs in the PSD format, it is time to perform conversion through the below steps-

1. Slice the PSD

As a first step, slice the PSD file into small pieces with several layers. The advantage of using a sliced version of PSD in your HTML page is that it will help your pages load faster. The reason is, that a single PSD file will take plenty of time for the page to download.

Several slicing tools available in Photoshop can be used to slice your image. One can use different slicing options, namely:

• Normal
• Fixed Size
• Fixed Aspect Ratio
• Slices from Guides

After slicing the PSD file, make sure to save the sliced version under the “Save for the Web” menu. These images can be put in the ‘images’ directory.

2. Create Directories

It is a good practice to create the required directories so that you can manage the data in an organized way. There are the following directories one can create:

• A main folder with the website name
• A folder called ‘Images’ under the main folder to store all the images that you will do later in the site
• The folder named ‘Styles’ for CSS files or style sheets under the main folder

3. Write HTML

After creating the required folders, it is time to create the HTML page. You can use HTML page builders like Adobe Dreamweaver and other options like Komposer or Amaya. It is advisable to build a fresh file in Dreamweaver as index.html and save it in the main folder.

With HTML5, sectioning of code is easy starting from top to bottom-

• Header- The top part of any page contains the logo and other menu items.
• Hero- A big section on the top to emphasize a particular image or any offer.
• Slideshow- Easy display of the list of images that slide across the page.
• Content- Main text area including data such as images, buttons, text, etc.
• Footer- Area at the bottom of the page with contact, blog links & social media links.

4. Create Style files

When you get an HTML shell, it is better to put some styles into CSS. With a Framework such as BootStrap, there is a large scope of styling. It can be further shaped with personalization in the way you want.

You can create style files with an HTML editor and save them as styles.css in the CSS folder. In the style sheet, a few details about stylistic features of the HTML web page can be provided such as font size, font type, image position, background color, margins, and fieldset among others.

You can connect the CSS style sheet to the HTML page.

Also Read: PSD To HTML is Dead: Is it a myth or a truth?

5. Generate a Web Design Set

The next step is to create a set of designs by collectively putting all the elements together. For this, you require a code editor like Dreamweaver. After that, rely on a quick layout of HTML with CSS to get a strong foundation. Now, the body background color and images are set while keeping the main elements in a good position.

6. Allow JavaScript Interaction

When you are done with HTML and CSS shell, you must take JavaScript into account. It makes use of jQuery and related frameworks like react.js and vue.js. jQuery is a library that organizes the DOM and puts extra functionality to create dynamic layouts.

This makes it easier to code dynamic front end in comparison to raw JavaScript. Likewise, the two listed frameworks allow easy hooking of HTML elements with JavaScript data and functions.

Another popular name in the list of frameworks is AngularJS. It allows you to use MVC styles so that you can dynamically set data within your HTML layouts.

7. Make it Responsive

It is good to use different frameworks like Twitter Bootstrap, Less, Foundation, and Fluid Baseline Grid for an effective PSD to responsive HTML conversion. CSS media queries work well in adding a responsive feature to a design.

Moreover, we can do customization at each target screen to personalize output for each screen. for this, you can use different CSS screen tags for a default responsive CSS screen.

An obvious benefit here is the wide access of users through multiple platforms. This in turn maximizes search engine visibility and organic traffic to the website.

Top Front-end Frameworks for PSD to HTML Conversion

Using a front-end framework can provide many benefits when converting PSD, Sketch, Figma, Zeplin, or any other design file into HTML. Front-end frameworks can simplify coding as they come with prebuilt components and features.

The use of front-end frameworks can expedite the development process as they offer code templates that can be reused for your project. This way, you can avoid reinventing the wheel. Further, these frameworks are helpful for developing more intuitive websites and web applications because they offer features for UI development.

The following are the benefits of front-end frameworks:

• Faster development time
• Component-based coding
• Reduced length of code
• Maintainability
• Quick testing and deployment

If you want to use any front-end framework for your web development project, there are some top frameworks you can choose from.

The following are the top CSS frameworks/front-end PSD to HTML conversion frameworks that you can use to convert PSD to HTML code.

Bootstrap

Boostrap is a suitable option when you want a comprehensive front-end framework that is open-source and free. This framework is good for clean and quality code. It saves time by eliminating the need to write lots of CSS code.

It prevents repetition in multiple projects. Moreover, Bootstrap offers a lot of reusable code in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. It is good for creating responsive websites that can adapt to different screen sizes. The framework is very useful for time-sensitive web development projects.

It offers a pack of JavaScript components that make it easy to trigger alerts, open modal windows, and other features.

Tailwind CSS

Another useful front-end framework that you can choose for your PSD to HTML/CSS project is Tailwind. It has become a popular CSS framework for developing engaging websites and web apps. It can be used to build responsive and intuitive web frontends.

Tailwind CSS is positioned as a utility-first CSS framework loaded with many useful classes, including text-center, pt-4, flex, and more. It makes writing and maintaining code for your website or web app easy. By using the utility classes offered by this framework, you can eliminate the need to create custom CSS.

The key advantage of Tailwind CSS is its flexibility which allows you to ingrain creativity in your website or web app and provide unique solutions. Its utility classes let you work exactly what you need. It offers everything you need to build a website or web app in HTML and doesn’t require custom CSS.

Zurb Foundation

It is also a popular front-end framework with lots of benefits that you can leverage for your PSD to HTML conversion project. The framework offers a collection of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS code as well as good design patterns to develop engaging web apps and websites.

It is suitable for developing mobile-friendly websites and web apps that are customizable per your needs. As a free toolkit, it can be easily used for various projects, and it offers HTML and CSS-based layout constructs.

The best part of the Zurb Foundation is that it brings global CSS, common elements, and jQuery plugins into a single framework.These are the few frameworks that you can utilize for your front-end development project. Moreover, you check the comprehensive list of top front-end frameworks with detailed information to choose the right one.

How Much does it Cost for PSD to HTML Conversion?

No standard is available to determine the cost of PSD to HTML conversion because it depends on multiple factors. So, every service provider decides the cost depending on the factors that affect it. However, they can provide a quick estimation to you about the probable cost of the process. The following are the key factors for determining the cost of converting Photoshop Files to HTML:

• The number of web pages: Every website has a certain number of web pages depending on the website owner’s needs. The number of web pages you want to create affects the cost of the conversion process.
• Website nature: Market niche is also important for the determination of the cost. For instance, if the conversion is for the eCommerce domain, the cost will be higher than for basic business sites.
• The level of complexity: The level of complexity in code based on the PSD file is also a factor in determining the cost. More complex PSD will lead to complex HTML code that will cost more.
• Turnaround time: The project deadline can have an impact on the cost of conversion. Less turnaround time will have a higher cost of conversion.

Summarize

So, as you read all the above steps, you came across several technical concepts. You need to take care of each concept for PSD to HTML conversion. You might not need everything in the exact manner as illustrated above. The main motto is to perform the process as quickly as possible. This leads us to create the basic HTML needed for simple pages. With this, we want to guide you through the entire process of conversion. You can contact us for any kind of feedback, suggestion, or queries.