Sketch is a useful tool for any web designer. And it’s a great application for drumming up designs for killer WordPress themes. But eventually you’re going to be done designing and need to look for a way to convert your hard work into a final product.
If you’re looking for software to help take your design from Sketch file to responsive WordPress theme, then you’ll need to dive into the world of Sketch plug-ins. There are two basic paths to take here:
Sketch to WordPress plug-ins
Your first option is to find a Sketch plug-in that will convert your Sketch design to a functional WordPress theme. Your choices here are going to be fairly limited as Sketch to HTML plug-ins are far more common. If you’re looking less for complete conversion and more for plug-ins created to aid WordPress web designers during the creative process, then you’ll find more results. Plug-ins like Content Generator can generate useful dummy data and CSS-Buddy allows you to use CSS on Sketch layers.
Pros
- All these plug-ins are free.
- They’re generally very fast.
Cons
- There aren’t a lot of options for WordPress conversion plug-ins.
- They may also give you troublesome code, especially on larger projects.
Use multiple plug-ins
Sometimes you can combine plug-ins to get what you want. WordPress uses several programming languages (some JavaScript here, a little PHP there), but there are plug-ins that can take your HTML site to WordPress. Many Sketch plug-ins can generate at least a foundation of HTML code for you. You can use a Sketch plug-in like Launchpad to get your HTML code and then use a WordPress plug-in to convert your HTML template to a functional WordPress theme.
Pros
- Doubling up your plug-ins like this is going to be a bit quicker than hunting down the elusive Sketch to WordPress software.
- You’ll have several options to play around with if you find you don’t like the results of a specific plug-in.
- Also free to use.
Cons
- This indirect method leaves some extra room for error. Any drawbacks of plug-in conversion will be magnified when you run your design through two conversion processes instead of one.
The market for Sketch to WordPress conversion plug-ins is actually pretty sparse right now for those who aren’t able to do a significant amount of coding themselves. And the process can get pretty stressful. Though they won’t be free, a professional Sketch to WordPress conversion service like Reliable PSD is going to be your best choice for quality and a hassle-free experience.
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