How to use a PSD mockup in Photoshop

ls.graphicsOctober 29, 20266 min read

To use a PSD mockup in Photoshop, open the file, find the smart object layer marked for your design, and double-click its thumbnail. Paste your design into the window that opens, fit it to the canvas, save and close it. The scene updates with your design in place, and you export the result as PNG or JPG.

What is inside a PSD mockup?

A PSD mockup is a layered Photoshop file built around one or more smart objects: special layers that hold your design and bend it to the surface of the object. Above them sit the scene's shadows and highlights, so whatever you put inside picks up the light of the scene.

Most mockup files follow the same structure in the Layers panel:

• A smart object named something like "Your design", "Screen" or "Place your design here". This is the only layer you need to open.
• Shadow and highlight layers set to blend modes such as Multiply or Screen. Leave them on top of your design.
• Color or background layers, often a solid fill you can change by double-clicking its swatch.
• The base render: the object and its setting.

The canvas is large because the file is meant for presentations and print. For example, the hanging hoodie mockup on ls.graphics is 6000 x 4500 px.

How do you put your design into a PSD mockup?

You replace what is inside the smart object, not the smart object itself. Photoshop keeps the perspective and warp applied to the layer, so your flat design comes out curved, angled or folded the way the scene needs.

1. Open the PSD with File > Open. If Photoshop asks about missing fonts or color profiles, keep the embedded profile.
2. In the Layers panel, find the smart object for your design. Its thumbnail has a small page icon in the corner.
3. Double-click the thumbnail, or choose Layer > Smart Objects > Edit Contents. The contents open in a new tab, as described in Adobe's help on editing a smart object.
4. Drag your design into that tab or use File > Place Embedded. Press Cmd+T (Ctrl+T on Windows) and scale it to fill the canvas.
5. Hide the placeholder layer under your design so it does not show through.
6. Save with Cmd+S (Ctrl+S), close the tab, and return to the main file. Your design now sits in the scene.

If your design is already a finished file, Layer > Smart Objects > Replace Contents swaps it in one step. Adobe notes that the new file keeps the transformations of the old one, but it does not resize your file to the canvas, so check the fit afterward.

What size should your design be for a mockup?

Your design should match the pixel size of the smart object's canvas, or be larger. Open the smart object and check Image > Image Size: that width and height are what the scene expects. A smaller design gets stretched and looks soft in the final render.

• Screens: export the screen at the device's full resolution so text stays crisp; the pixel sizes per device are listed in App Store and Google Play screenshot sizes.
• Print and packaging: export at the canvas size the smart object shows; if the label is 4000 px wide, a 1000 px logo will blur.
• Vector artwork: paste it from Illustrator as a smart object, and Photoshop keeps it sharp at any scale.

Keep the proportions. A design with a different aspect ratio either leaves empty edges or gets cropped by the scene.

How do you change colors and the background?

Look for the layers that are not your design. Many mockups ship with a solid color layer for the object (the fabric of a shirt, the paint of a can) and another for the background. Double-click the color swatch on that layer and pick a new color; the shadows above keep the shape.

If there is no color layer, add one: Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color, clip it to the object with Alt-click (Option-click on Mac) between layers, and set it to Multiply. To remove the background entirely, hide its layer and export as PNG with transparency.

How do you export the finished mockup?

Export a flat image and keep the PSD for later changes. File > Export > Quick Export as PNG saves the whole canvas in one click; File > Export > Export As lets you pick PNG or JPG, set the size and preview the file weight. Adobe describes both in its help on Quick Export.

• PNG: for transparent backgrounds and sharp UI.
• JPG at 80 to 90 quality: for photos of the scene on the web and in decks.
• A smaller copy: a 6000 px image is too heavy for a website; scale it down in Export As.

Why is my design not showing or looking wrong?

Almost always, the smart object was not saved, or the design sits on the wrong layer. Check these in order:

• The scene did not change: you closed the smart object tab without saving. Open it again and press Cmd+S.
• The design is blurry: it is smaller than the smart object's canvas. Export it at that size.
• The design looks flat, with no shadows: it was pasted into the main file instead of into the smart object.
• "Smart object is not directly editable": you tried to paint on the smart object layer. Edit its contents instead, as explained in what a smart object is.
• Colors look washed out: your design is in a different color profile. Convert it with Edit > Convert to Profile before pasting.

PSD mockup examples to practice on

Six scenes with different surfaces, each a good test of how smart objects handle warp and light:

• A hoodie on a hook, where the print follows the folds of the fabric
• A foil pouch, where the label picks up crinkles and reflections
• A torn glossy poster, with rips and glare over your artwork
• A glossy sticker with a peeling edge, for logos and badges
• A standing hardcover book, for cover designs
• A lightbox sign on a wooden facade, for storefront branding

More apparel scenes are in the T-shirt mockups category, and pouches, boxes and cans in packaging mockups.

Can you use a PSD mockup without Photoshop?

Yes. Photopea, a free browser editor, opens PSD mockups and edits their smart objects with the same double-click. Many ls.graphics scenes also open in the online mockup generator, where you drop your image onto the scene in the browser and export PNG or JPG with nothing to install. The first-mockup guide walks through it step by step.

FAQ

How do I make my own mockup in Photoshop?

Start from a photo or a 3D render of a blank object, draw a rectangle where the design goes, convert it to a smart object, and warp it to the surface with Edit > Transform > Warp. Then add shadow and highlight layers above it. For the basics of what makes a mockup work, see what is a mockup.

Does Photoshop have free mockups?

Adobe Stock sells mockup templates, and free PSD mockups come from design resource sites. ls.graphics has 300+ free mockups you can use in personal and commercial projects.

Can I edit several smart objects at once?

Each smart object opens on its own. If a mockup shows the same design twice, such as a front and back, the copies are often linked, and editing one updates both.

Can I use a PSD mockup for client work?

It depends on the license of the file. The free mockups on ls.graphics can be used in personal and commercial projects, including client work; you can't resell or redistribute the source files.