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Guide on How to Use Animated mp4/GIFs in Photoshop Mockups

The Power of Mockups

In the world of a designer, there's a common visual gap. You pour your heart into a design, only to present it on a plain white background, leaving it feeling flat and lifeless. It's not because the design itself is lacking, but because it's missing a crucial creative step: showing how the design would truly come to life in the real world. This is where mockups work their magic, serving as a powerful tool for visual validation in the design process.

 

At their core, mockups are an essential part of a designer's toolkit. They provide a tangible validation that a design works in its intended environment. A high-quality design mockup helps people understand a design's purpose in a concrete way, and more importantly, it allows you to see if the design successfully achieves its goals in a real-world context.


It's important to remember that design validation isn't limited to static images. While most people are familiar with JPG or PNG mockups, a modern approach is to use video mockups in MP4 or GIF format to show your design in action. In this article, we'll explore the power of motion mockups and how they can elevate your design validation process.

Matching Your Mockup to Your Design.

Let's get back to basics. The world of design can be broken down into eight main categories: Brand Identity, Advertising Design, Publishing Design, Web Design, Packaging Design, Motion Graphics Design, Environmental Graphic Design (EGD), and Product Design. Each of these categories requires a different approach to design validation.

For example, when you're creating a design for a website or a mobile app, a standard static mockup might not be enough. You need a way to show how the design will actually function in its intended environment. A flat image can't capture the fluidity of a user's experience. This is where a motion mockup becomes essential.


The core challenge is this: can a general mockup truly represent how your design works in its specific world? To answer that, you need a medium that validates your design's movement, as if a user is truly interacting with a website or app.

This is why we're going to show you how to take your video, MP4, or GIF designs and seamlessly place them into a PSD mockup. This process will transform your static presentations into dynamic, realistic previews that perfectly match the design category you're working in.

Getting started

How to Open MP4 and GIF Files in Photoshop and make it to smart object, there are two different methods for opening your video and GIF files in Photoshop.

1. Method 1: For MP4 Files

  • Open Photoshop. Go to File > Import > Video Frames to Layers…
  • Select your MP4 file.
  • Make sure the "Make Frame Animation" box is checked, then click OK.
    Mockup Video Guide. by Mockup Flock
  • Open the Timeline window. Go to Window > Timeline.
  • In the Timeline window, click the "Convert to Video Timeline" icon.

  • In the Layers window select all layers. Use the shortcut Command+Option+A (on Mac) or Ctrl+Alt+A (on Windows).

  • In the Layers window, right-click on any selected layer and choose Convert to Smart Object.

2. Method 2: For GIF Files

  • Open Photoshop. Go to File > Open.
  • Select your GIF file and click Open.
  • Open the Timeline window. Go to Window > Timeline.
  • In the Timeline window, click the "Convert to Video Timeline" icon.

  • In the Layers window Select all layers. Use the shortcut Command+Option+A (on Mac) or Ctrl+Alt+A (on Windows).
  • In the Layers window, right-click on any selected layer and choose Convert to Smart Object.

Inserting Your Video into the Mockup

  1. Open your PSD mockup file. Double-click the design layer Smart Object thumbnail in the Layers panel. A new tab will open.
  2. In this new tab, paste the video file you previously converted into a Smart Object. Select that Smart Object layer and use the keyboard shortcut Command+C on Mac or Ctrl+C on Windows to copy it.
  3. Return to the new Smart Object tab you opened in the previous step. Paste the video file by pressing Command+V on Mac or Ctrl+V on Windows.
  4. Adjust the size of the video using the keyboard shortcut Command+T on Mac or Ctrl+T on Windows. Resize it as needed and press Enter to confirm.

  5. Go to the Timeline window and click Create Video Timeline. To ensure the video is working correctly, press the Spacebar on your keyboard.
  6. Once you've confirmed the video is playing, save the file by pressing Command+S on Mac or Ctrl+S on Windows. Then, close the design tab by pressing Command+W on Mac or Ctrl+W on Windows.
  7. Return to your main mockup file tab. Your mockup design should now be replaced with the video.

Finalizing and Exporting Your Video Mockup

  1. In the Timeline window, click Create Video Timeline. At this stage, it's crucial to ensure that every layer in the mockup has the same duration as your video file. To confirm this, zoom out on the timeline and open any layer groups to inspect them.
  2. Once you have completed these steps, you can export your mockup as an MP4 or GIF.

Exporting as MP4

  1. Go to File > Export > Render Video.
  2. Choose your preferred format and size.

  3. Click Render.

Exporting as GIF

Exporting as a GIF can be a heavy process, so it's best to reduce the artboard size first.

  1. Go to Image > Image Size.
  2. Set the size to HDV 1080p or a custom size like 1440x1080px, then click OK.
  3. To export the file, go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy).
  4. Select the GIF format and click Save.

Device Compatibility

Before you start using videos in your mockups, it's crucial to check for device compatibility. Some older or less powerful devices may struggle to render video files smoothly. To handle this issue, we recommend reducing the size of your mockup's artboard.

For example, we suggest downsizing from a standard 1080x1440px to a smaller 510x680px. Attempting to render a video at the same large size as the mockup can cause your Photoshop application to force close. Adjusting the artboard size ensures a smoother and more reliable rendering process.

Conclusion

Video mockups are a logical breakthrough for validating a design's functionality. By following this comprehensive guide, you can leverage mockups that are perfectly suited to their intended category. Remember that using the right mockup not only enhances the visual appeal of your designs but also serves as a crucial form of validation—providing tangible proof that your design works in the real world.