If you’re creating custom mockup images using PSD templates with smart objects, you already know how painfully repetitive the process can be. Typically, it goes something like this: open the PSD, step into the smart object, locate your artwork image, paste it in, position it, save the changes, flatten the file, export it as a JPEG, and type in a filename. And that’s just for one image.
Now imagine doing that for five images. Or ten. Or hundreds. Manually exporting mockups one by one quickly turns into a soul-crushing workflow that eats up your entire day. Sure, if you only need a mockup or two, you might just power through. But if you’re working with multiple artwork files, product variants, or mockup scenes, it becomes a tedious and error-prone mess.
Speed Up Your Workflow with Automation
This is where automation comes in. In this guide, we’ll show you how to export a batch of mockup images in Photoshop using the Batch-Replace Smart Objects plugin. It’s a powerful add-on available through the official Adobe Exchange, and it lets you automate the entire mockup generation process—from artwork placement to final export.
Step-by-Step Setup (Single PSD Mode)
The plugin gives you two options: you can either use a single PSD file or select an entire folder of mockup templates. For this walkthrough, we’re starting with a single PSD file to demonstrate the basics.
We selected a room mockup PSD, then chose an input folder containing 75 artwork images. The plugin has a handy setting called “Stretch images to fit smart objects.”
If your artwork images vary in dimensions, aspect ratios, or DPI, it’s recommended that you leave this box checked. This ensures that every image is automatically resized to perfectly fit the smart object—avoiding issues like misalignment or images spilling over the mockup edges.
Since our demo artwork files were all the exact same size and aspect ratio, we unchecked this option to speed up processing.
Custom Export Settings
Next, we chose an output folder for the exported mockups. You can export in either JPEG or PNG format and control the quality settings as well. High-quality exports give you better image fidelity (with larger file sizes), while lower quality reduces the size for faster loading—great for web use. It’s worth experimenting to find the right balance for your workflow.
Running the Operation
Once everything was set, we clicked “Run This Now.” Behind the scenes, the plugin processed each image in the input folder, inserted it into the smart object, and exported the updated PSD as a final mockup—mockup after mockup, in rapid succession.
This batch included 75 images, and before we even finished explaining what was happening, the process was already complete. That’s how fast this plugin can go.
Why It Ran So Fast
A couple quick notes:
- We used a fast computer, which helps.
- We also used a simplified PSD mockup file—just 3MB in size, compared to many online mockup templates that are bloated with effects and can hit hundreds of megabytes.
- Our PSD was also resized to the exact target export size, avoiding unnecessary processing on oversized 8000x8000px files.
So yes, your performance may vary depending on your setup. But even with heavier PSDs, the Batch-Replace Smart Objects plugin still gets the job done efficiently.
The Bottom Line
Instead of slogging through mockup creation one image at a time, you can now fully automate mockup image creation in Photoshop. It’s faster, more consistent, and eliminates hours of boring, manual Photoshop work.
Automate Entire Folders of Mockup Templates
Now let’s switch over to the other mode—the one that really takes your time savings to the next level. Instead of just using a single PSD mockup file, this mode allows you to select an entire folder of PSD files and run them all in one go.
This is where the real power of automation kicks in. Think about it: if you’ve got a bunch of room mockups or multiple product variants—like different frame colors, product styles, or room environments—doing them one by one manually would take forever. Instead of spending six hours clicking around in Photoshop, why not just click a couple buttons and let the plugin handle everything?
Folder Mode: Batch All Variants in One Click
For this example, we selected a folder containing:
- Four product mockup variants (one plain canvas and three framed styles)
- Five different room mockups to showcase the artwork in various environments
Once that folder of PSDs is selected, the Batch-Replace Smart Objects plugin is ready to go.
How It Works
The plugin works its way through each PSD file in the folder. For each mockup:
- It cycles through every artwork image in your input folder
- Generates mockups using the current PSD template
- Exports all results to your chosen output folder
Once it finishes one PSD, it moves to the next—and repeats the process until everything is complete.
Resize Flexibility for Varying Image Dimensions
To demonstrate the resizing functionality, we purposely added some incorrectly sized artwork images to the input folder—some 4x5s and 3x4s, even though the mockups were designed for 2×3 dimensions.
With the “stretch images to fit smart objects” box checked, the plugin automatically resized each artwork to fit perfectly. This feature is especially handy when your source images don’t match your mockup dimensions—ensuring polished, aligned mockups every time.
Slight Delay, Big Benefit
Yes, enabling the stretch-to-fit option slows the operation slightly due to an intermediate step where the plugin opens each image, calculates dimensions, and resizes the artwork to match. But it’s a small tradeoff for mockups that actually look clean and professional.
Organized Results, Ready for Use
Once the operation completed, we opened the output folder—and everything was done. All mockups were:
- Neatly organized
- Grouped by artwork filename
- Ready to send to clients or upload to your storefront
Photoshop Performance Optimization
Another thoughtful feature of the plugin: it closes each PSD file after it’s finished processing. That may sound minor, but it’s a huge deal when you’re dealing with dozens or hundreds of files. Without this, Photoshop could slow to a crawl—or crash entirely—from having too many mockups open at once.
The plugin handles this gracefully by closing files as it finishes them, leaving only the last PSD open so you can continue from where you left off if needed.
The Bottom Line
This mode lets you automate bulk mockup generation in Photoshop using an entire folder of PSD templates—completely hands-free. No dragging, no exporting, no busywork. Just select your folders, click a button, and let the automation do the rest.
Save Operations and Automate Multi-Step Workflows
In addition to running operations in real time, the plugin also lets you save individual operations and set up multi-step workflows. This is a major win if you’re working with a consistent setup—same PSD mockup files, same artwork input folder, and same output destination. It saves time and helps eliminate user error by removing the need to reconfigure settings each time.
Once your operation is configured, just give it a name—something like “Make My Canvas Mockups”—click Save, and the plugin will remember:
- Which PSD or folder of PSDs to use
- Your input and output folder paths
- Export format and save quality
- Whether or not resizing is enabled
Later on, you can just go to the Batches tab, click Run Batch, and let it execute the full operation automatically.
Chain Together Multi-Step Workflows
If your workflow is more complex—say you manage automated mockup creation in Photoshop across different product types or clients—you can create a multi-step workflow. Think of it as a checklist of saved operations where each one runs in sequence. For example:
- Step 1: Export mockups from a folder of framed canvas templates
- Step 2: Run a different mockup template for a specific client
- Step 3: Process mockups for an alternate scene or product format
You can mix and match modes in each step. One step might use a single PSD, another might use an entire folder. Each step can have its own input/output folders and settings. Once saved, just hit Run Workflow and the plugin will run the full sequence from start to finish—completely on autopilot.
Working with Multi-Smart-Object PSD Files
When setting up your mockup templates, there’s one thing to remember: if your PSD contains multiple smart object layers, you need to manually select the target smart object layer in the Layers panel before running the operation.
If no layer is selected and the plugin detects multiple smart objects, it won’t know which one to use and will display an error.
In simpler templates with just one smart object, you don’t need to worry—the plugin will detect and use it automatically. But in more advanced scenes, make sure to highlight the correct layer first.
Need to update multiple smart objects at once? Just select all the target smart object layers before launching the operation. The plugin will use the same input image to replace each one—perfect for business card mockups, multi-angle product views, and more.
Bonus Tip: Preserve Layer Selection for Saved Operations
If you’re saving operations or workflows for future use, Photoshop won’t always preserve layer selection unless it detects a meaningful file change. To make sure the right smart object stays selected after saving:
- Make a small superficial change, like renaming a layer
- Then hit Save—Photoshop will now preserve your layer selection
The Bottom Line
The Batch-Replace Smart Objects plugin is a game-changer for anyone looking to fully automate mockup image creation in Photoshop. Whether you’re generating 12 mockups or 1,200, this plugin replaces hours of tedious, repetitive work with just a few clicks.
You can find it on the official Adobe Exchange. Once installed and paired with properly optimized PSD files, you’ll wonder how you ever created mockups without it.
Hope this guide helped! If it saved you time or taught you something useful, feel free to drop a comment to help more designers and creators discover it. Thanks for reading!
