Have you had a graphic converted to html and css?

July 2, 2008 6:15 AM

I'm curious about companies like this one that convert Photoshop files to working HTML/CSS. If you've had an experience with one (good or bad), I'd like to hear how it went.
posted by davebush to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

I used ps2html once, it actually took a few days rather than hours and they tried to price hike after I'd already paid (because the text inputs had a background image). The quality of the code was OK but not great, it could have been much better but you get what you pay for.

I'd be wary of that site, they don't give a firm quote - just 'prices from $100' from what I can see.
posted by missmagenta at 6:46 AM on July 2, 2008

Plus, their contact form is kinda wonky in FF3. Not a good sign.
posted by missmagenta at 6:58 AM on July 2, 2008

I've never used a service like the one described, but if you do, it is vital that you be crystal clear about the requirements.

What browsers and operating systems must it support? Does the (X)HTML need to validate? If so, by what standard? What about the CSS? Are tables allowed? Inline styles? Do you have a preference for the order the content appears in the HTML?

Don't use any of the companies who are unwilling to promise you those things in writing, and don't pay for anything that doesn't meet your standards.
posted by toomuchpete at 8:06 AM on July 2, 2008

I have actually provided this sort of service to clients in the past but I can't really say what sort of service these companies provide.

For their sake and yours make sure you have tied down the exact requirements as toomuchpete mentions above. Detail exactly what you expect to be provided and get that confirmed in writing.
posted by twistedonion at 8:19 AM on July 2, 2008

That site appears to be an individual freelancer who's chosen to focus on low-end clients, and who has a very odd pricing scheme ($100 per html page, but $150 per PNG? Strange.) He might be a rockstar, he might be a drone; hard to tell. (He's got no clients; his portfolio consists of his other website and a demo mockup. Which probably means he's just starting out. Which is not necessarily bad news, everybody's got to start somewhere. To his credit, the HTML on all those sites appears to be clean and standards-based.)

I'd suggest contacting him for a real quote, give him your requirements, talk over what he can provide; you'll probably be able to get a sense of whether he knows what he's doing pretty quickly.

This type of work -- converting an existing design into functional html -- is done by many freelancers, at widely varying prices and skill levels; if you don't get a good feeling from this guy keep looking.
posted by ook at 9:21 AM on July 2, 2008

Yeah, now that I look closer: he's a university student with ambition. Good for him.

Honestly: I've seen a lot of freelancers who charge more and know less than this kid appears to. You could do a lot worse.
posted by ook at 9:28 AM on July 2, 2008