Adobe Photoshop vs Zeplin: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Adobe Photoshop and Zeplin

1. Purpose and Functionality: Adobe Photoshop is primarily a graphic design software used for creating and editing images, while Zeplin is a collaboration tool designed for developers and designers to work together on user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) projects efficiently. Photoshop offers a wide range of design tools, filters, and editing functions, while Zeplin focuses on streamlining the design to development workflow by providing specs, assets, and code snippets.

2. Exporting and Sharing: In Adobe Photoshop, the design files are saved in various formats such as PSD, JPEG, PNG, etc., making it easier to share and export designs. Zeplin, on the other hand, allows users to upload design files from software like Sketch, Adobe XD, or Figma, and then seamlessly shares design assets with developers through a web-based platform. Zeplin generates style guides and assets automatically, reducing the manual effort required for exporting and sharing designs.

3. Collaboration and Feedback: Adobe Photoshop lacks built-in collaboration features, requiring designers to rely on external tools or platforms to share and gather feedback on designs. In contrast, Zeplin offers real-time collaboration functionalities, enabling designers and developers to work on the same project simultaneously, leave comments, and make design changes collaboratively. This enhances communication and speeds up the design iteration process.

4. Code Generation and Integration: Zeplin provides an integrated platform for designers to generate CSS, Swift, Android, or React Native code snippets directly from design components, facilitating a smoother transition from design to development. Adobe Photoshop, while offering extensive design capabilities, lacks automated code generation features, requiring manual handoff of design specs and assets to developers, which can lead to discrepancies in the final product.

5. Prototyping and Interactive Design: Adobe Photoshop allows for creating interactive prototypes and animations through its features like Artboards and timeline animations. On the other hand, Zeplin focuses more on static design and collaboration aspects, lacking advanced prototyping capabilities. Designers using Photoshop can create clickable prototypes and preview user interactions, providing a more dynamic representation of the design compared to Zeplin.

6. Cost and Licensing: Adobe Photoshop is a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which involves a subscription-based model with varying pricing plans based on usage and features needed. Conversely, Zeplin offers both free and paid plans, with the free plan catering to individual designers and small teams, while the paid plans offer additional features and support for larger design and development teams. The cost factor and licensing model of both tools can significantly impact the choice of software based on the budget and requirements of the users.

In Summary, Adobe Photoshop and Zeplin serve different purposes in the design and development workflow, with Photoshop being a comprehensive graphic design tool, and Zeplin specializing in collaboration and design-to-development handoff features.