PSD to HTML

In general, “PSD to HTML” is a workflow. First, a web page is designed in a Photoshop Document (PSD) and then converted to code (using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). You could swap Photoshop with any other image editor (like Pixelmator, GIMP, and so on), but the principle is the same. Here’s a slightly more detailed step-by-step breakdown:

  • Design a high fidelity pixel-perfect mockup in Photoshop of exactly what you want your site to look like.
  • Use the slice tool to divide your website’s imagery and then export it for the web.
  • Write HTML and CSS that utilizes the imagery you exported from Photoshop.

At first glance, this might seem like a good idea. It can be difficult to start coding if you don’t know what the final result is going to look like, so experimenting in Photoshop first and then “exporting” it to HTML sounds like a granular and sensible process.

In Photoshop, the slices feature in the save for web dialog used to be an essential tool for designers saving assets from a PSD. It made it easy to “slice” a design into images and then layout in a web page using HTML and CSS.