Nowadays, the process of converting PSD to HTML isn’t new in the technology area. This is a quick way to add interactivity to static content. You can design first in any popular image editing tool, then convert to HTML.
There are many approaches, including automated tools, self-coding, etc. The main thing is that you understand how to do this and what you need to pay attention to first of all dealing with templates.
What is a PSD template?
PSD template is a source code that is used for the layout of a full-fledged website. Such a sample contains the initial website’s elements size, layout, and design of all pages.
If you want to create a high-quality PSD template, adhere to the following:
- Create each design element on a separate layer
- Use psd or tiff formats to save the template drawing (they support the multilayer structure of images)
- Make the background tones of all website pages uniform
- Group all layers
- Use fewer background images so as not to overload the web pages
- Make minimal changes to the text, as its distortion will increase PSD template weight
- Size the template at least 1000 pixels in width to avoid its display distortion in the browser
- Use standard fonts
PSD into HTML: layouts steps
Now, when we get acquainted with PSD layout, let’s see what stages the process of converting a PSD layout into an HTML consists of.
Layout evaluation
After creating the layout, it’s passed to the designers. They determine its complexity, how it should work, whether the page contains additional dynamic elements, etc. When the assessment is completed, it’s time to deal with the next step.
Cutting design elements
There are some nuances at this step. If you want all the elements to look good, their size in bytes or kilobytes must be small. The best way to save images is jpg, gif, or png formats.
Layout
At this stage, each designer applies a different layout method. Someone makes it semantic or first creates a frame with the main blocks, then each in detail separately. For others, it’s best to build all at once in order.
Layout adjustment
There is such a layout type as a pixel layout that is executed exactly according to the initial sample.
It would be better if you check it against the layout, even when the customer doesn’t require an exact copy.
Page cross-browser compatibility testing
You need to test your website on how the site is displayed in browsers. The most popular ones worth checking out for are Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox.
Bug fixing
There are various reasons for bugs occurring – missing code elements, typos, ignorance of the features of browsers, etc. In any case, you should test your final product to ensure there are no bugs.
Things to take into consideration when converting a PSD to HTML
Layout types
Before converting PSD to HTML, you need to decide on the type of layout. The choice depends on the device you want to display – mobile, desktop, or tablet. There are 4 types of layouts:
- Responsive – great for desktops (shifts a web page layout) and mobile
- Flexible – designed for desktops and mobile devices (when minimizing the browser or reducing the screen size)
- Fixed – suitable only for desktops, because layout elements won’t move when the window is resized
- Mobile-only
Design components
Analyze the structure of a web page: a logo, a header with an image, a navigation menu, flash animation, etc., a body with text content, and an authorization module. If you need to convert a PSD based on Photoshop, then make sure that all components are put together in a specific order and won’t distort the page appearance.
Conclusion
So now, you have a general basic understanding of the PSD to HTML conversion process. The main thing here is the quick process. However, don’t forget about the key points that will help you avoid mistakes and get the quality basic HTML code of a simple web page.
