Creating a website that is dynamic, attractive and responsive, is the way forward! Visioning it as a PSD and coding that is the appropriate route! Read on to know all about how to convert PSD to HTML and #Getcoding!
There are multiple steps in the web designing process. One of the most integral though is the conversion of PSD to HTML. Whether you are doing it for the first time, or a seasoned developer trying your hand at it, we are going to make undertaking this process smoother.
Before we begin with our understanding of why a developer needs to have a PSD ready for coding, it is important that you have the following ready:
– A PSD File
– An Editor (Sublime, Notepad ++, Visual Code Editor)
– A Pre-set Framework Like Bootstrap.
– A Folder/ Directory Containing All The PSD Properties For Later Use.
Why Do You Need PSD Before Coding?
Before we learn to convert PSD to HTML, it is important to understand why you need a PSD in the first place. There are learners who would debate, why can’t we begin coding straight away?
There are many reasons for it:
1) A PSD is the graphic representation of the design, and it is easier to code when your framework is already there.
2) There is more scope for creativity while creating a PSD in terms of design, so it is easier to start working on that before you begin coding.
3) Then comes the special effects, which are hard to create, if you straight get into coding, with the help of the advanced tools in Photoshop, which you can create as an image and later convert to HTML.
4) For all the textual content, you can create that as an HTML, the graphic aspects and the look-and-feel of the website needs to be made in PSD.
What To Keep In Mind Before Converting PSD to HTML
While converting, you need to keep this checklist ready:
SEO Friendly Coding: The coding needs to adhere to the W3C Coding standards so that the entire page is aimed at being SEO-friendly. How a search engine views your web page, is important to keep in view, before converting it to HTML.
TAGS: Make sure that the tags that you are using are not left open and are not using any special characteristics.
DOCTYPE: The wrong rendering of this, will lead to errors in your display. The best way to do this is to let your browser know which type of HTML coding you are using so that it can display your file right.
Optimized Images: The PSD files shared with you are HD and High-Res, which means that they can turn the site slow. The way out is to optimize these images so that they do not put a load on your website.
Standard Fonts: We are compelled to use a volley of fonts when making websites, but the truth is, that it is the standard and the common fonts that are visible in the same uniform manner across all screens and viewers.
Naming Conventions: There are many naming methodologies and conventions that you need to adhere to, some of which include: Not putting spaces and instead of using ‘_’ and the “-“ symbols. The second common error is to use improper and irrelevant name tags.
Different Approaches to Convert PSD to HTML
There are various options that you can choose to convert your PSD file into HTML. These approaches are:
1. Self-Coding
This is the way in which you are required to use the HTML codes yourself. For this, there are front-end frameworks. These help you in saving time, making your website responsive, has a simple integration, has pre-styled components and gives you the necessary support.
Pre- Requisites:
- A Finalized PSD format design file. Any changes that are required, should be made prior to the conversion process.
- An organized system of directories, like a folder with all the images; and a folder with all the styles containing the CSS files.
The Process:
These are all the steps that you need to follow to convert the PSD to HTML. Here is what you need to do:
Step 1: Get Started:
Use the code editor of your choice, you could choose, Sublime, Notepad++, Visual Code Editor. For the purpose of this article, we are going to be using the Visual Studio Code. We use this as it is a perfect amalgamation of a simplistic source code editor and a powerful developing tool as well. But, as they say, the best code editor, is the one that works best for you.
Step 2: An Initial Layout:
This is the initial blueprint of the website, with an overall layout of the website and some barebones of the CSS styling. This is also the time that we will be checking the browser for compatibility.
Step 3: Mock Conversion:
Now, we will be doing a mock conversion of a PSD file to HTML.
These are the elements of the design:
These are the elements that we will be including in the conversion:
1) The Header
2) The Slider
3) The Services Section
4) The About Section
5) The Carousel
6) The Contact Form
7) The Footer
Let us start with one section at a time:
1) Uniform Introduction Code:
This is the basic code structure that the user needs to put before we start the body content.
2) Header:
3) Slider:
4) The Services Section:
5) About Section:
6) Carousel Section:
7) Contact Form:
8) Footer:
Let us now get to the second way of doing the conversion.
2) Automated Tools
If you do not have the time or the coding knowledge to do this on your own, you can convert PSD to HTML using the automated tools. They do a decent job but are not pixel-perfect.
Pre-Requisites:
- A PSD File That you want to convert to HTML.
- A tool or an online resource, that can help you make a quick conversion from PSD to HTML.
The Process:
- On the online tool of your choice, all you need to do is upload the PSD file.
- When you click ‘Convert’ It will present to you the required HTML and PNG’s.
- Once that is done, you just need to download the files.
The Assessment:
- The reason a user opts for an online automated tool is either because they do not have the time
or the required knowledge to code the page on their own. - As marked above, these automated tools are able to do a decent job but are still not able to
be as perfect as coding on your own. - There can be bugs that it has which can affect the functionality of the website.
- These online software work on a preset format, and therefore, you will only be able to get a conditioned result.
- The coding might or might not be SEO friendly.
These are the various routes through which one can convert a PSD to HTML.
Conclusion:
Converting your PSD to HTML is integral as a web developer and helps you find the right path to build your website. Following the right process and protocol, assists in giving the required kickstart to your web development!
We hope that this tutorial was able to help you understand the steps and ways to convert PSD to HTML. If you need further assistance, you can contact our TheHTMLCoder team on 888-363-8941.
