Resize a smart object within a psd template file.

[Mattcbrown]

Hi all!

I have an issue that's driving me bonkers. My company has purchased some mockup templates of different computers and phones showing websites on them. We are a web design company, and the idea is to display our sites on these mockups.

The file resolution for these templates is quite large, so when I paste in a screenshot of one of our live websites into the smart object layer, it's much smaller than the layer size itself.

I thought, okay, I'll reduce the template file size to 50% and that should do the trick. But the size of the layer for the screenshot doesn't actually change when I change the overall file size. And if I try to reduce that layer, also by 50%, the image looks like it's 50% what it's supposed to be.

Very confusing. But the bottom line is: how can one change the size of a PSD with layers that ALSO changes the size of the various layers proportionally?

[Michael Bullo · Accepted solution]

The following example shows how you can halve the dimensions of your Smart Object...

• Open up the Smart Object by double clicking on its layer thumbnail and reduce its size by 50% by using "Image > Image Size". You can do this precisely by typing in "/2" at the end of the values within the Width or Height fields.
• When you save and close the Smart Object and return to the main composition your Smart Object should be 50% smaller.
• Now double the size of the Smart Object within the main composition by using "Edit > Free Transform". You can do this precisely by typing in "*2" at the end of the values within the Width and Height fields while in Free Transform.

[Mattcbrown]

Thank you so much. That does seem to work!

Best,
Matt

[Michael Bullo]

Excellent. Thanks Matt. Best of luck with all your designs.