Often, web designers prepare a site’s look in a PSD (Photoshop document) file. However, PSDs aren’t a great option for containing and translating the colors accurately, especially when deploying to a live web page.

Consequently, the vision that the designer wanted to convey to the viewers is lost and everything starts to look messy and dubious.

But ever since tools like Figma and Adobe XD hit the markets, things have started to change. Today, we can create flawless designs that do not divert from the original, intended elements, thus bridging the gap between human imagination and reality. 

In this post, we will explore the secret behind the art of pixel-perfect and color-perfect web designs. So, grab your study glasses, and let’s get to the bottom of this topic. 

Problems with PSD

PSD files were the go-to file format for web designers for a long time. This was because they could provide high pixel accuracy and make multi-layered designs with a range of effects, filters, etc.

However, since such a file format primarily operated on a CMYK color model, when the constituent designs were translated to the web’s RGB model, colors started to change.

This is because, when sliced, PSDs are converted to HTML tables rather than div tags, hence creating differences in color scheme, font sizing, styling, etc.

So, while you do have control of every pixel when working in Adobe Photoshop, as soon as you leave that ecosystem, your design loses its beauty.

Besides that, PSDs are static. Meaning, they don’t natively account for the dynamic elements of device-specific behaviors. So, in a mobile-first era, this is a huge downside of using this file format.

Plus, there’s no direct way of incorporating JavaScript or jQuery into PSD design, which halts you from weaving your designs around user functionality.

The Solution

If not PSDs, then what should web designers do to resolve their problems of achieving color and pixel perfection?

The answer is to leverage tools and software like Figma and Adobe XD that work with updated RGB color models and support dynamic behaviors. These will ensure that your designs will remain consistent from inception to deployment.

Figma and Adobe XD also boost productivity, and here’s how. Before these tools, you first had to create a design in PSD and develop HTML, CSS, and Java files according to it. 

However, now you can directly publish the designs leveraging the “web export” extension in Adobe XD. Similarly, Figma, a SaaS solution, supports real-time collaborations between developers and designers, ensuring there’s no gap between the two parties when creating and publishing the outlook of a website.

Tips for Color and Pixel Accurate Web Designs

Enough about the challenges with PSD and how Figma and XD help to resolve those problems. How about we learn some tips to create color-accurate and pixel-perfect designs?

1. Double-check Colors

Today, we have many online tools to double-check and ensure that our colors on display will look exactly like what we’ve imagined.

For instance, the Coolors tool will help you pick a diverse, customized palette for your designs. The best part? All the colors are in the RGB model, which is exactly what is used on the web.

However, legacy users who just can’t give up on Adobe Photoshop for its multi-layered design features might need to make adjustments in their workflow. For instance, they should convert CMYK to HEX form to rule out guesswork from their designs and ensure high color saturation and accuracy for web publication.

But, if a team leader has provided RGB values for a design and a designer working with PSDs needs help to figure out the exact color,. Then, they can convert RGB to HEX form to solidify their understanding of the outlook they’re tasked to create.

Designers especially color-masters love RGB values because it tells them exactly how much red, green and blue in mixed in a particular color. And when you convert RGB to HEX, it actually converts Red, Green and Blue values to HEX, and you get a HEX color code.

2. Communicate Frequently

This goes without saying that web designers and developers need to stay in touch consistently throughout the design and development phases of a website. This helps the team achieve great success in getting pixel and color-perfect outlooks.

Today, as company sizes grow and roles become more complex and convoluted, it is best to utilize some communication platform like Discord to proceed with design processes in symphony.

That said, in the end, the job of communicating and resolving any issues between the teams comes to the shoulders of the team/project lead or manager. 

If the manager successfully plays their part, there would be quite less revisions to designs and the workflow would automatically stabilize.

3. Test, Review, and Refine

Testing, reviewing, and refining (TRR) is essential in web design to ensure that your art is visible and accessible to all types of users.

This step should involve multiple browsers, screen sizes, and operating systems so that you are aware if there are any mistakes in the design to be corrected.

When all the tests are concluded, it is time to deploy the designs online and let the world be amazed by your creativity.

Final Words

The shift from PSD files to modern design tools like Figma and Adobe XD has significantly improved the accuracy of web designs. 

While PSDs posed challenges due to their static nature and color model discrepancies, these new tools offer real-time collaboration and compatibility with RGB.

However, to achieve optimal results, designers should double-check colors, maintain open communication with developers, and rigorously test their designs across various platforms before launch.