Adobe Photoshop is one of the most convenient tools for web design. In fact, it's also useful for working with code. However, there is no doubt that the available technical capabilities and features of the application are not always efficient when it comes to workflow optimization. In other words, a lot can be done, but it's often tedious and time-consuming.

That’s why using plugins and extensions — specially created to simplify and speed up the work of webmasters and designers — can be a practical solution. In this article, we’ll review some of the most unusual and useful extensions for Photoshop. Some of them are free, others paid. Whether you want to pay or download from third-party sources is your choice.

Installation of extensions largely depends on which version of Photoshop you have. Sometimes, even great free plugins simply won’t work. However, you can often fix compatibility issues manually by editing plugin files. We'll touch on such details at the end of the article.

So, let’s begin.

Renamy

A powerful plugin that simplifies bulk layer operations within a single Photoshop document. You can download a free demo version or buy the full version. It supports Photoshop CC 2015 and newer for both Windows and Mac.

For example, you can rename multiple layers with just one click — extremely handy when working with large documents or repetitive elements, or when you're planning to duplicate certain layers into a new document for further editing.

The plugin can also identify a group of layers with the same name and modify their properties all at once. It even features autocomplete: while typing a layer name, you'll see suggestions and color highlights. All changes made in Renamy are instantly applied in the Layers panel, and vice versa. You can see the plugin in action on the developer’s website or via a video tutorial.

Pixel2Vector

Another small but very useful plugin that drastically reduces the amount of manual work for web designers when preparing graphics or creating vexel-style artwork. Pixel2Vector is free and supports Photoshop CS5, CS6, and CC.

The Orange Box company created a tool that allows one-click conversion of pixel-based artwork into vector graphics. Now you can draw something with a brush or pencil and convert it into a vector directly in Photoshop by pressing a single button. The result will be a vector shape that can be edited with the Pen Tool, scaled without quality loss, and more.

In our example, we took a brush pattern and converted it to vector. A new layer was created, and we added anchor points using the Pen Tool and adjusted one of the curves.

Retinize It

A simple and lightweight plugin designed for quick asset creation from layers and groups. Retinize It is free and works with Photoshop CS5, CS6, and CC.

Whether you’re working with a smart object, shape, or image, you can export it in 100%/200%/300% scale with compression and color profile settings for proper display on iOS devices and Retina screens.

So if you’re creating a mobile version of a website or adding variously sized icons, this plugin is just what you need.

Velositey

This extension is probably one of the most interesting for building fast and convenient website mockups. It’s free and supports Photoshop CS6, CC, and CC 2014. It doesn’t work with newer versions like CC2015 and above — unless you manually edit registry or version files.

Lightweight yet functional, it allows you to design a layout in just a few clicks. It includes templates for footers, main sections, top menus, and more. By combining different blocks, you can create a full site layout, then refine it by adding text, images, design elements, buttons, etc.

Below you can see how to create a layout from a blank document using the “New Template” button and add a modular grid. There are many layout options, and everything is easily replaceable. There’s also a video tutorial available on the developer’s website.

SuperPNG

A minimalist and convenient plugin for working with PNG format. SuperPNG is free and compatible with all versions starting from Photoshop CS3.

What makes it unique is that it doesn’t replace the standard PNG export window — instead, it appears as an additional option in the file format list. You can choose channels, transparency, compression level, and more. While PNG is a lossless format, most editors — even Photoshop — apply slight compression, which reduces quality.

SuperPNG helps reduce file size without compromising image quality.

TinyPNG

An alternative to SuperPNG, built on the same API. This plugin is paid, and no demo version is available. Its advantage lies in batch processing — if you need to compress many PNGs, TinyPNG is more efficient. It also offers more settings and a more polished interface.

TinyPNG supports JPG as well, works with layers, and allows exporting selected layers by clicking “Export selected layers.” Pressing “Show instruction” opens a large PSD with a built-in tutorial.

CSS Hat

A very handy and simple (though paid) plugin. Unfortunately, there’s no demo version, but over the years it’s become extremely popular. It generates clean CSS3 code for any layer or object. You can copy this code into your site or any other editor. Whether it’s a rectangle, button, icon, or text block — it doesn’t matter.

CSS3 code is generated automatically as soon as you draw an object and open the plugin. If you change the color (for example, of a rectangle), the CSS updates automatically. It also supports text layers and can generate code for multiple selected layers — perfect for front-end developers.

So for web designers unfamiliar with HTML/CSS, this plugin is especially useful.

CSS3Ps

A free alternative to CSS Hat, supporting various Photoshop versions. It works online via cloud. Just select a layer or object, click the CSS3Ps button, and a browser tab opens showing the generated CSS3 code. Since CSS3Ps is a script rather than a traditional plugin, you’ll find it under File → Scripts.

Whether this is more convenient than CSS Hat depends on your workflow. Some prefer offline tools; others like the browser-based approach.

HTML Block

A plugin for Mac OS X users — there’s no Windows version. HTML Block is free and helps convert layers and objects into HTML using the WebKit engine. You’ll see the live HTML output in a separate window, giving you a preview of how it would appear in a browser.

The plugin also lets you choose fonts, create scalable UI elements, and more. A detailed video tutorial is available on the developer’s website.

Extension and Plugin Installation

The easiest way to install Photoshop extensions is via Adobe Extension Manager CC (CS5/CS6 etc.). It’s free and available from Adobe’s site — but only works if the plugin is in ZXP archive format.

Otherwise, you need to install manually to C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\CEP\extensions (for Win64) or refer to the developer’s guide, as folder paths vary across Photoshop versions and builds — especially if you have multiple versions installed. Some plugins (like CSS Hat, TinyPNG) have their own install paths. There’s no universal method.

Some plugins don’t support the latest Photoshop versions. For instance, Velositey 2 doesn’t work with CC2015+. But since it's open-source and hosted on github.com, community solutions exist. You just need to know your Photoshop version. For CC2015, we tweaked the CSXS\manifest.xml file (adapted from a GitHub comment).

This fix made it work without issues. The same applies to other open-source plugins not updated by their creators. This doesn’t mean you’re pirating — these tools were open-source from the start, so editing them is fair. Developers may simply have stopped releasing new builds because there are no major bugs or changes.

Most importantly, extensions will only work if the Window → Extensions menu is present in Photoshop. If it’s missing, go to Edit → Preferences → Plug-ins and enable support. Otherwise, your Photoshop version may be a stripped-down one. Sadly, those do exist.

Conclusion

Of course, these aren’t all possible plugins — just the ones we found most useful and interesting for web designers. When considering paid tools, always ask yourself how essential they are for your work, and whether you’ll need future updates and support. Often, free alternatives exist — we’ve covered a few of them here.

We intentionally didn’t cover illustration or retouching plugins, as that’s a separate topic.

We hope you’ve discovered something new and useful from this list!