How To Use PSD Mockups WITHOUT Photoshop! Video Tutorial

How to use PSD mockups without Photoshop

Mockup templates can give your designs a real-world appeal. Although these templates are intended for Photoshop, a simple web-based application will allow you to use PSD mockups without Photoshop. In this post I’ll be demonstrating exactly how to do so.

PSD Mockups

PSD mockups are pre-made Photoshop templates that are intended to give your designs a real-world look and feel. All you have to do is open the PSD template with Photoshop, drop your own design into the Smart Layer, then let the template work its magic in applying your design to the product.

An example of a PSD mockup

You’ve probably noticed that I make good use of them on my own portfolio

Logos By Nick portfolio

Depicting your design work in a real-world context adds a layer of intrigue. It makes your design look more professional, authoritative, and helps to “sell” it to potential clients. It gets them excited about the buying process because they’re envisioning what it would be like to have their own logo embroidered onto a hat or hanging from a large sign above their storefront.

Where To Download PSD Mockups

You don’t have to look very far to find mockup downloads; they’re all over the internet. There’s two different places I like to get my templates from — one for free templates and the other for premium templates.

Graphic Burger

Graphic Burger logo

A site for free design resources; mainly PSD mockups. Of all the different sites I’ve downloaded free mockup templates from, Graphic Burger seems to have the highest quality designs. They’ve also been very trustworthy in my experience so far.

You always have to be careful when downloading things on the internet, and PSD mockups are no exception. I’ve found that a lot of sites only have something free to offer if you’re willing to comply with their malicious conditions. Graphic Burger doesn’t employ such unscrupulous tactics though.

Creative Market

Creative Market logo

Creative Market is an online marketplace for premium user-generated design resources, including PSD mockups.

Their mockup templates are premium products of the highest quality, so you’ll have to fork over some cash for them. Fortunately they’re not too expensive (I’ve gotten some great templates for as little as $3,) and it’s a great investment if you’re using them to entice clients who might hire you for $800 logo projects.

You also may want to consider purchasing premium mockups if you’re looking for something really specific that you can’t find for free, like a giftcard mockup for example.

The Problem with PSD Mockups

The number one problem with using PSD mockups is that they’re intended for use with Photoshop, and since the majority of you who follow my content use open source software like GIMP and can’t justify Photoshop’s price tag, you’re left with no other option.

PSD files can be opened with GIMP, but GIMP can’t make use of Smart Layers, which is required to apply your design to the mockup. Same with Krita — Photoshop-generated smart layers are usually incompatible.

Fortunately, there’s a free web-based alternative to Photoshop known as Photopea.

Photopea

Photopea is, from what I can tell, a near clone of Photoshop that works within your web browser.

Photopea screenshot

I tested it out with some PSD mockups and, sure enough, it works exactly as well as Photoshop does. And just so you know, I am in no way sponsored by or affiliated with Photopea. It’s just a website that I happened across when researching ways to use PSD mockups without Photoshop.

How To Use PSD Mockups Without Photoshop

That being said, let’s get started! Feel free to watch the video tutorial below if you’d prefer more in-depth instructions.

Step 1: Open Your PSD Mockup with Photopea

Go to File > Open and locate your PSD file to open it with Photopea.

Opened PSD file

Step 2: Open The Smart Layer

Locate the placeholder layer in the Layers menu to the right of the screen, then double-click it. The layer will open in a new tab.

Smart layer location

Opened Smart Layer

Step 3: Place Your Design In The Smart Layer

In the layers menu to the right of the page, turn off the visibility of the current layer in order to get rid of the placeholder design. Now click and drag your own design onto the canvas.

Replaced design

Make sure to scale it up or down accordingly.

Step 4: Save The Smart Object

Now to go to File > Save (Smart Object) then close out of the tab.

Once you close the tab you will be taken back to the original tab where the mockup template will be, only now it’ll have your design superimposed!

Applied mockup

From there you can export and download your mockup by going to File > Export As and choosing your desired format.

And that is how you can use PSD mockups without Photoshop! If you have any questions simply leave a comment below, and as always, thanks for watching!

Get Started with GIMP!

Want to learn more about how GIMP works? Check out The GIMP Series – a comprehensive collection of over 60 videos where I go over all of the major tools, features and function in GIMP and explain what they do, how they work, and why they’re useful.

Master The Software

Want to learn everything there is to know about your favorite design apps? Check out our interactive video courses and private community for getting help when you need it!

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A comprehensive series of 60+ videos where I explain every tool and feature in Inkscape.

Affinity Designer Master Class

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The Illustrator Explainer Series

A series of 100+ explainer videos where I go over every tool and feature in Adobe Illustrator.

The Logo Design Academy

An 18-part video series teaching my entire creative process for designing logos, from start to finish.

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Nick Saporito

Hi, I'm Nick— a Philadelphia-based graphic designer with over 10 years of experience. Each year millions of users learn how to use design software to express their creativity using my tutorials here and on YouTube.

25 thoughts on “How To Use PSD Mockups WITHOUT Photoshop! Video Tutorial

  1. Wow, thanks man. My version of PS does not work with my new M1 Mac ( I didn’t know this before I bought the M1) and I would have been screwed without your article. I just played with Photopea (pronounced Photo Pia) and it works perfectly! Many, many thanks!

  2. Hello sir, I tried using photopea, but once I bring in my design to the 2nd layer, my design will appear upside down and reversed mirror. The output didn’t copy the mock up. I tried with another phone and it was same problem. Please help me guys.

  3. Hi, thanks for the video. Some things have recently changed in photopea and it doesn’t seem to work the way you show it anymore. I can’t figure it out. Can you help with that, please?

  4. Oh my gosh, you should see the smile on my face that finally replaced the tears of hours and hours of effort to figure this out. THANK YOU so much.

  5. I just can’t thank you enough.
    Whenever I search for PSD mockups some websites that have better SEO but less relevant content shows up ( I don’t even know about GraphicBurger ).
    Photopea is a great help too.
    The Internet needs more people like you 🙂

  6. You are a freaking life saver! I usually need mockups for stickers and postcards and have been making the mockups myself (thanks to another of your tutorials). I wanted to bring a different vibe to my Etsy listings, and this was the perfect way. Thank you for explaining how to use the mockups. As someone who has only ever used GIMP, I had no idea how smart objects work. You just saved me a ton of frustration. Thank you again!

  7. Thank you so much Nick, I’ve figured that you’re definitely the go-to-guy with everything about graphic design. You have no idea how much you’ve helped me out!

  8. Hi Nick, thank you, once again you have come up with the goods! I am just discovering mockups with my logo designs. One question: How do you go about choosing the right mockup for each logo? I guess some are obvious, but other not so. Also, would you consider including mockups in your logo design course.

    1. I’m not sure, I just go with what looks best based on how the style of the logo complements the style of a PSD mockup. As for adding it to my logo course – that course is just meant to be about the design principles of logo design. Mockups would have to do more with arranging your portfolio and marketing your services.

  9. Thank you! This is just what I was looking for.

    Just so you know, I think your tutorials are the best that I’ve ever seen. You speak clearly and precise and teach in a way that easy to understand. Thank you and keep it up!

  10. Thank you so much! You know that for all of us who use Inkscape and GIMP mockups have always been a problem. You are a lifesaver!

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