If you’ve ever loved the old-school Photoshop feature where you could rename a layer to icon.png or banner.jpg and Photoshop would magically export it for you — you’re not imagining it. That feature is called Generator, and it’s still alive (but a little hidden) in Photoshop 2025.
Here’s a quick guide on how to get it working again.
Step 1: Enable Generator in Settings
In Photoshop 2025, Adobe renamed “Preferences” to “Settings,” so things have shifted slightly. To enable Generator:
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Go to Photoshop > Settings > Plugins
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Check the box for Enable Generator
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Click OK or close the window
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Restart Photoshop to apply the change
✨ Step 2: Turn On Image Assets
Once Generator is enabled:
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Go to File > Generate > Image Assets
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Make sure it’s checked Now the magic begins.
♀️ Step 3: Rename Your Layers
To export layers automatically, just rename them with the format and file type you want. For example:
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logo.png -
header@2x.jpg -
button.png, 200%(exports at 2x scale)
Photoshop will create a folder next to your PSD named [your filename]-assets, and the exported files will appear inside like clockwork.
Pro Tip:
This works with layer groups too — just name the group like homepage.jpg and Photoshop will flatten and export everything inside it.
Troubleshooting
If you’re not seeing the “Generate” option:
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Make sure Enable Generator is still checked after restarting
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You may need to update Photoshop if you’re on an older version
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Occasionally, third-party plugins can interfere with Generator
This hidden gem can seriously speed up your workflow — especially if you’re exporting multiple graphics for web or UI projects. I keep this trick in my back pocket (or now, right here on the blog) for when I need quick exports without the hassle.
Hope it helps!