Converting an Existing Document into an Artboard Document

In Adobe Photoshop, artboards act as independent design canvases that allow you to organize and manage multiple design elements within a single document. While Photoshop primarily uses artboards for new documents, you can also convert existing standard documents into artboard documents. This can be useful for organizing and refining existing designs or for creating multiple versions of a design.

Steps to Convert an Existing Document into an Artboard Document

To convert an existing standard document into artboards, follow these steps:

1. Open the Standard Document: Open the existing Photoshop document that you want to convert to artboards.
2. Access the Artboard Tool: Click on the “Artboard Tool” icon in the Tools panel or press the “Shift + O” shortcut.
3. Create Artboards: Click and drag in the document window to create new artboards of the desired size. You can also create multiple artboards simultaneously by holding down the “Ctrl” (Windows) or “Command” (Mac) key while dragging.
4. Convert Layers to Artboard Content: Click on the “Create>New Artboard from Layers” option in the menu bar. This will convert all the layers in the document to artboard content.
5. Arrange Artboards: Organize the artboards within the document by dragging and dropping them to the desired positions.
6. Rename Artboards: Rename each artboard to clearly identify its content or purpose.
7. Adjust Artboard Dimensions: Right-click on an artboard and select “Resize” to adjust its dimensions.

Benefits of Converting to Artboards

Converting a standard Photoshop document to artboards offers several advantages:

• Enhanced Organization: Artboards provide a structured way to organize and manage multiple design elements within a single document.
• Improved Workflow: Artboards streamline the editing and manipulation of design elements, allowing for more efficient workflow.
• Flexible Layout: Artboards enable you to experiment with different layouts and compositions without affecting the overall document structure.
• Streamlined Exporting: Artboards facilitate efficient exporting of designs to various formats, such as websites, mobile apps, or print.
• Version Control: Artboards simplify version control and collaboration by making it easier to track changes and compare different design iterations.

By following these steps and understanding the benefits, you can effectively convert standard Photoshop documents to artboards, enhancing the organization, flexibility, and adaptability of your designs.