How to Convert your PSD Files to WordPress and Joomla Templates?

Building a full-fledged website is a tough task that includes generations of innovative ideas and requires the author to manage a ton of information in a well-organized way. The best way to manage content as well the brand value of a business is by adopting a reliable content management system. It gives a robust platform to people to build and manage their websites with ease. You can customize the overall design as well as the functionality of the site in a matter of few minutes.

When it comes to the best CMS platforms on the web, WordPress and Joomla are the two tools that hit my mind. Both the platforms allow site owners and webmasters to create a highly interactive site, or blog, along with a navigational menu, image galleries, sliding images, hover images and other effects to offer their visitors a rich user-experience. And, the best part is that you don’t need to be a programmer or developer for creating your own site.

In fact, you can also create a visually-appealing design for your web project either on paper or in a PSD file. After creating your PSD file, you need to convert it to a well-developed website. You can either convert it into the WordPress template, or Joomla template – completely depends on you. But both the platforms vary in terms of flexibility and functionality.

WordPress VS Joomla: Difference between these two platforms

Although WordPress and Joomla are the powerful CMSs, both have common differences in terms of usability, reliability, and functionality.

WordPress pages are merged from a number of blocks: each and every component is stored separately and utilized in a specific case. After making changes to an element (such as tweaking background image for a menu), it takes effect instantly everywhere it is utilized. With the help of such modular systems, you can complete your complicated project faster and quicker. Also, you can create a set of elements and combine them as per your requirement.

On the other side, Joomla uses a completely unique method.  It manages each page as a separate set of components. It means if you want to use any identical item on every page, you will need to embed a separate component to each page. And if you change the element on a web page, changes won’t affect the other parts of your site.

Every template should include all the essential code that allows you to use every single module type, such as text, images, authentication, video and navigation of a site with ease. So, it depends on you whether you want a WordPress site or a Joomla one.

In this blog post, we will explore the four easy steps to help you convert your PSD files to WordPress and Joomla templates. Let’s take a look at the following steps:

1.    Analyze your Web Project

Divide your web projects into different parts (such as separate pages and items – images, galleries, text blocks, menu, etc), and see which of them can be materialized by the means of Content Management Systems.

In fact, WordPress and Joomla websites usually contain a menu, header, footer and main block. So, it will be a good idea to stick with these modules to make your job a lot easier.

2.    Slice PSD Images into Elements

In this step, you’ll need to slice the PSD image into elements, such as triggers, buttons/icons, and decorations.  Plus, CMS allows you to save images in certain folders for the system to access it swiftly. But now, you have to manage components as separate parts and make them more interactive.

3.    Make Every Component Work With the CMS

It is a crucial step where you need to make each and every component work with the CMS of your choice. You just need to assign each component on the page and set up the way it works.

4.    Run your Site

Now, you can run your website and create a unique brand on the web. But before this, don’t forget to check your code to avoid any unnecessary elements. You can also optimize its memory and connection usage with ease.

Conclusion

These are the simple steps to help you convert your PSD files into a well-developed, fully-functional WordPress or Joomla template.