Friday, June 24, 2011

PSD to XHTML Conversion - why it is important in template based design

For the purpose of building a website one of the basic needs is of layouts. It is the layout that first comes to the sight of viewers. So the layouts or the templates have to be very much attractive at the same time showing off the purpose of your business. However, in this speedy life, how many of us have time to get out website layouts custom designed? It is always better to purchase a ready template. With the ready templates there come PSD files. These files help build the site within less time just with simple PSD to XHTML conversion. The templates are also affordable.

Anyways, we have to admit that the templates need to be customized to mould them according to specific business needs. Clients come to me with a ready template. Consequently, as a freelance graphic designer, I have to do the PSD to XHTML conversion. Now while this conversion takes place the result needs to be perfect. But to achieve the perfection, there are some certain points that need to be taken care off. Let us see some of the points:

  • The pixel perfect conversion: When we designers design anything, our aim remains the best output that soothes eyes yet goes very much user-friendly. So when we or someone else does the PSD to XHTML conversion, the slicing of PSD elements (then images) need to be perfect. If there is any difference in a single pixel the look may just turn different when tested on browser.

  • Image compression: It is very important that the web pages are light weight to load fast and the viewers see the beauty of your design. So when performing PSD to XHTML conversion the images need to be compressed and these will help even compression of the XHTML. Even the image resolutions have to be proper.

  • Fresh & table less coding: When performing PSD to XHTML conversion it is very important that the coding is done preferably in DIV structure. It helps the exact conversion. At the same time the coding has to be fresh and there should not be any unnecessary DIV. If these things are done with care, the looks of the layout remains same as it was designed in the PSD.

  • Logical coding: It is not that we designers or the html coders do not want to find our work reflect the output we desired! But it is the PSD to XHTML conversion that may prevent the same result. Simply without any logic of conversion can lead everything to sea! For example, not using the external and separate file for CSS and JavaScript shows different result in the browsers.

  • W3C validation: Last but not the least is standard PSD to XHTML conversion norms. Yes, it is always expected and not unexpected that the conversion is validated according to W3C. Just following the validation you would find that PSD and XHML have gone perfect. It also provides mental satisfaction to you about the quality of work.


These are one of the major important points to remember when you are buying templates for building your website and have to go for PSD to XHTML Conversion. Most of the times you may find there is need to change the PSD also. There come some sections that do not go by the standard of XHTML. So it is always better that you buy the readymade templates from reputed designers. And to know the quality of design of any designer, you may check the web and graphic design portfolio. These will help you to judge the design sense and perfection. On the other hand it is a good decision to buy the XHTML files from the same designer. However, you may find PSD to XHTML conversion not that, much costly. Hope you find better PSD and expert coder to do the conversion to XHTML.

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