Export Layer Groups as PNGs and retain artboard size

...but it can be tedious to create a multitude of layer comps sometimes.

Any suggestions or has someone written a script?

 

 

By @Kristopher5E1B

The following script can be used to create a separate layer comp for each root/top-level group or artboard.

/*
Create a layer comp for each group or artboard.jsx
Stephen Marsh
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/export-layer-groups-as-pngs-and-retain-artboard-size/td-p/12394524
*/

#target photoshop

createLayerCompsForTopLevelGroups();

function createLayerCompsForTopLevelGroups() {
    if (!app.documents.length) {
        alert("No document is open!");
        return;
    }

    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    var layerComps = doc.layerComps;
    var topGroups = [];

    // Store original visibility state
    var visibilityState = [];

    // Collect only top-level layer sets or artboards
    for (var i = 0; i < doc.layerSets.length; i++) {
        if (doc.layerSets[i].parent == doc) {
            topGroups.push(doc.layerSets[i]);
        }
    }

    if (topGroups.length === 0) {
        alert("No top-level layer groups or artboards found!");
        return;
    }

    // Save original visibility of all top-level groups
    for (var i = 0; i < topGroups.length; i++) {
        visibilityState.push(topGroups[i].visible);
    }

    // Loop through each group and create a layer comp
    for (var i = 0; i < topGroups.length; i++) {
        var group = topGroups[i];

        // Hide all top-level groups
        for (var j = 0; j < topGroups.length; j++) {
            topGroups[j].visible = false;
        }

        // Show current group
        group.visible = true;

        // Create a Layer Comp
        var compName = group.name;
        layerComps.add(compName, group.name, true, true, true);
    }

    // Restore original visibility
    for (var i = 0; i < topGroups.length; i++) {
        topGroups[i].visible = visibilityState[i];
    }

    alert("Layer comps created for each top-level group/artboard.");
}

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/11/downloading-and-installing-adobe-scripts.html

Easiest the BG to use is "layer comps to files".. you need to make a layer comp of every group visible. Then export all or use selected. Pretty simple

While on this general topic, the following scripts may be worth trying:

https://github.com/antipalindrome/Photoshop-Export-Layers-to-Files-Fast

https://github.com/Paul-Riggott/PS-Scripts/blob/master/Layer%20Saver.jsx

https://github.com/Paul-Riggott/PS-Scripts/blob/master/Layer%20Saver%20Plus.jsx

https://github.com/mechanicious/photoshopCompositionComposer

Batch:
https://www.marspremedia.com/software/photoshop/save-layers

Same problem here. This would really help...

By the way, you can automate layer comps. Record action to create layer comps then export them. Collapse all groups before recording steps and before playing action. If you have different number of groups/layer comps per file then record action with two or three layer comps then play it multiple times or record action with lot of steps then exclude them from play, play only as much steps as you need.

After creating layer comps use Export > Layer Comps to Files. You can not record Export As as action step, by the way.

Not sure how to automate it at the moment, but if you solo the group (alt+click the eyeball on windows, opt+click on Mac) so that only the layers you want are visible, you then deselect all the layers, and then do a quick export as png. You can adjust your "export as" extention in "Preferences/Export" to be png. Your exported file will maintain the canvas size and layer postion.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2