That’s exactly what this guide is about. The process is fully automated, and it’s all handled by a Photoshop plugin called the Batch-Replace Smart Objects plugin.
To start, here’s the basic setup: I have a folder with 100 artwork images, and I have 10 different PSD mockup templates I want to use. Using this setup, I can generate 1000 mockup images—one for each combination of artwork and template—by clicking two buttons inside Photoshop. Once the operation finishes, the entire set of mockup images is organized in the output folder, ready to go.
This whole process is fully automated mockup image creation. I didn’t sit there opening files, pasting in artwork, resizing layers, exporting, and renaming each file. If I had done this manually, it could have easily taken eight hours—or an entire day—of tedious, repetitive work. Even at one mockup every 30 seconds, you’d still be spending over 8 hours just clicking around in Photoshop.
Instead, with automation, the job is done in minutes.
How Does It Work?
The plugin that powers this is the Batch-Replace Smart Objects plugin for Photoshop. It’s available on the official Adobe Exchange, and once installed, it adds a control panel to Photoshop that allows you to automate mockup creation in Photoshop.
The concept is simple: the plugin works with PSD mockup templates that contain at least one smart object layer. It detects the smart object, replaces it with an artwork image from your folder, and exports the result as a new mockup file. You can run this with either a single PSD file or a full folder of mockup templates.
Once your setup is ready, just click “Run” and the plugin takes over. No manual steps required.
Setting Up a Mockup Operation
- Select your PSD mockup file
- Choose your input folder (where all your artwork files are stored)
- Select your output folder (where the mockups will be exported)
The plugin even has an option to automatically stretch images to fit smart objects. This is useful when your input images are different sizes or aspect ratios. With this setting enabled, every artwork image will be perfectly resized to match the smart object dimensions—no weird stretching or off-center placements.
You can also choose whether to export in PNG or JPEG format and control the save quality or compression level depending on whether you want high-quality images or smaller file sizes.
That’s really all it takes. Configure your settings, click “Run This Now,” and Photoshop does the rest.
Save Time with Saved Operations and Workflows
Beyond real-time use, the Batch-Replace Smart Objects plugin allows you to save operations for reuse. You can name an operation (like “Room Mockup Images One”), and it’ll show up in the Batches tab. Later, just click “Run Batch” to recreate your mockups with the exact same settings—without needing to reconfigure everything.
This is especially useful if you have repeating projects or clients that need mockups on a regular basis.
When you run the operation, the plugin opens each artwork file, resizes it if needed, inserts it into the smart object, and exports the final result. All of this happens while you’re free to do other work—it’s entirely hands-free.
Folder Mode: Process an Entire Folder of PSD Templates
If you’re working with multiple PSD mockup templates, the plugin has a folder mode. You just toggle the option and point it to a folder containing all your mockup PSDs. The plugin will go through each one in sequence—processing all your artwork images with the first PSD, then the second, and so on.
It automates the creation of mockups for every combination of artwork and template, eliminating the need to configure each PSD as its own separate step.
You still set your input and output folders the same way, choose your file type and quality settings, and then either run it immediately or save the operation for later.
Use Multi-Step Workflows to Automate Everything
You can take it a step further with multi-step workflows. A workflow is a sequence of saved operations. Give your workflow a name (like “Make All My Mockup Images”), and then add steps like:
- Step 1: Use PSD Folder One
- Step 2: Use PSD Folder Two
One step might use a full folder of PSDs, another might use a single PSD template. The plugin is flexible and stores each step’s settings—smart object stretching, file format, save location, and all.
Once your workflow is ready, you’ll see it under the “Workflows” tab. Just click “Run,” and the plugin will execute the full sequence—step by step—automatically.
Everything runs on autopilot.
One Final Setup Tip: Multiple Smart Objects
When setting up your mockup templates, there’s one final important detail to get right—especially if your PSD file contains multiple smart object layers. In those cases, before running the operation, you need to make sure the correct smart object layer is selected in the Layers panel.
If no layer is selected and the plugin detects more than one smart object, it will display an error message letting you know that it doesn’t know which layer to use. It’ll prompt you to manually select the smart object layer you want to use for the operation.
So before you hit run, simply click to highlight the smart object layer you want the plugin to act on. Once selected, the automation will proceed with no issues.
If your PSD file only contains a single smart object layer, you can skip this step entirely. The Batch-Replace Smart Objects plugin is smart enough to detect that and will automatically use it without needing any manual input.
Advanced Use Case: Using Multiple Smart Objects at Once
The plugin also supports more complex mockup scenes. For example, let’s say you’re a logo designer and your template includes two smart object layers—maybe you want to show the same design in two positions or on two surfaces. In that case, you can select both smart object layers before running the operation.
Once selected, the plugin will apply the current image to both smart objects in the file, export the result, and move on to the next image in your folder. We tested this in our demo and it worked exactly as expected—each smart object was updated and exported cleanly.
This is a useful feature if you want to display multiple views of a design (e.g., front and back of a business card, or logo on two mockup angles) using the same input artwork.
Final Thoughts
The Batch-Replace Smart Objects plugin for Photoshop is an incredibly powerful tool for automating mockup creation in Photoshop. It transforms what used to be a painfully repetitive, manual process into something you can do with just a couple of clicks.
Instead of opening files one by one, placing your artwork, resizing, exporting, and repeating that hundreds of times, the plugin handles the entire flow for you. Whether you’re generating ten mockups or a thousand, the process is the same—select your files, click your two buttons, and let the plugin do the heavy lifting.
Hope you found this guide helpful. If you did, leave a comment to let us know! Nothing beats some sweet, sweet validation from some anonymous internet strangers. Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next time!
