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Are Any Plugins Capable of Converting PSD to HTML?

hey reliable - Brian Checkovich by Brian Checkovich
October 21, 2018
Are Any Plugins Capable of Converting PSD to HTML?

To create a custom website, designers often produce an example of the proposed site by relying on a PSD (Photoshop document). In turn, the company or agency building the website works with a coder to translate the resulting design into code. However, over the course of the past few years, a number of software solutions have been developed for the purpose of converting PSD documents into HTML coding automatically. Let’s take a quick look at a few of the most popular PSD to HTML plugins on the market, weighing the pros and cons of each:

 

PSDTOWEB

This service is a quick solution to build the basic html needed for simple pages, or as a piece of larger project. It enables anyone with proficiency in Adobe photoshop to generate a web page. However, it isn’t perfect. Unless you’re good with fixing bugs and know how to write front-end code, this conversion software could be more hassle than it’s worth. (And if you do know how to write code, then your time and resources would probably be best spent designing the website from scratch yourself.)

The site does offer a team of developers on hand for any projects that are too complex to be automatically converted – a resource that nearly anyone trying to build a quality custom website will likely end up wanting. Why not skip this time-consuming middle step and look for a good development team from the start?

 

PSD 2 CSS Online

Psdtocssonline.com showcases a forum of users, offering support and tips on using their service. These forums also include a gallery of projects created by their users. Quite a few of them are impressive. What makes this website unique is the sense of community. Along the margins of the site are lists of users. Their front page lists many testimonials given by users applauding the conversion service. Furthermore, the site gives users the option to pay for professional services that will optimize a PSD file for conversion.

Unfortunately, like PSDTOWEB, PSD 2 CSS Online falls short because their automatic conversion services alone are never going to achieve the error-free, highly responsive web design that every business should expect in this day and age.

 

Jadii

This website offers a number of free to use tools for anyone trying to build their online presence. From domain searches, to file comparisons, and even a mobile site maker, the options certainly do appear impressive. However, as you have probably realized by this point in the article, it’s best to approach any software promising to complete a complex, creatively-driven task automatically and for free with a bit of skepticism.

Though Jadii’s commitment to providing free tools for website developers is certainly commendable, the truth is that these services lack several important functionalities. For example, mobile sites built through Jadii are only compatible with Chrome and Safari – and the site advises users that a number of tasks will remain to be completed after the automatic portion of PSD to HTML conversion is complete. Although allowing Jadii to do half the work and then hiring a developer to come clean up may sound like a cost and time-efficient method for getting things done, the truth is that the best custom websites are built from scratch. Working on top of a poorly coded automated conversion tends to leave a number of inefficiencies, and generally results in code that is not standards compliant.

CSS3Ps

CSS3Ps is a free offline Photoshop plugin that converts your layers into CSS. Photoshop has some of this functionality built in by default but this program goes further by giving SCSS and SASS code as well. This tool is known for taking the pain out of making buttons especially when it comes to adding shadows, glows and other effects. CSS3Ps conveniently lays out a list of their supported and unsupported functions. Notably, they do not support the color overlay or pattern features of photoshop.

CSS3Ps does have more resources out there than most conversion sites. Video tutorials and instructions on both usage and installation can be found throughout the web. While this site offers some attractive functions, it leaves designers a mile from having a completed web page. This plugin only gives pieces of the site to be injected into an already built structure, but the helpfulness of what it does offer is clear.

 

Manual Conversions Are a No-Brainer!

If you are investing the time and money to build a custom website rather than utilizing an easy solution such as installing a WordPress theme, then you are likely driven by a vision of a beautiful and unique website. This simply isn’t going to happen without the input of a talented creative team – which is why free HTML to PSD software just doesn’t cut it.

Visit ReliablePSD online today to learn more about what sets us apart, and why hiring a development team is the most effective, most headache-free way of building a custom website. We have years of experience helping companies just like yours build websites that exceed their expectations and make them smile – and we’d love for you to be our next success story!

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