Top 10 Chrome Extensions for Designers

chrome extensions
1. ColorZilla (4.5 / 5) on Chrome Store
ColorZilla gives you access to an eyedropper tool that will grab the color of any pixel on the page. It will auto copy picked colors to the clipboard, and remember recent color history for later use. When you select a color from the page, the tool will not only show a preview of the color along with the RGB value and hex code, but it will also provide the element information such as class, id, size, etc. And as an additional bonus, you will have quick access to one of, if not the best CSS gradient generators on the web.
2. HoverZoom (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hover-zoom/nonjdcjchghhkdoolnlbekcfllmednbl?hl=en – 5.0 / 5) on Chrome Store
HoverZoom is pretty simple and very self-explanatory, but it will save you time and clicks. Whenever you hover over a thumbnail, the full size image will be displayed right then and there. No more clicking on a Google image, waiting for it to open, clicking on view original image, and waiting again… all you need to do is hover over that bad boy! You don’t need to be a designer to appreciate this one.
3. Lightshot (4.5 / 5) on Chrome Store
Lightshot is one of the easiest screen capture tools around. You can take a screenshot of anything… including video, flash and java apps! After taking the screenshot, you can mark it up with arrows, boxes, text, or even a pencil tool. Next, simply save the file as a PNG file or upload it and get a short link. Another unique feature is the ability to see, in pixels, the size of the selected area.
4. Palette for Chrome (4.0 / 5) on Chrome Store
Palette for Chrome will allow you to create a color palette from any image on the web. Just right-click on the image and select “Palette for Chrome” and choose the number of colors you want in the palette. The palette will open in a new tab displaying the image you used at the top with the colors appearing below. It will show you the RGB values and the hex code of each color.
5. PicMonkey (4.5 / 5) on Chrome Store
PicMonkey allows you to instantly grab all images from any web page and open them up in PicMonkey for editing. Just click on the little monkey and it will show you all the images loaded on that page, and from there you can select which one you want to edit. Now you’ll be able to edit the image with one of the best free photo editors on the web. Once you’re done, you can save it as a PNG or a JPG.
6. Speed Dial 2 (4.5 / 5) on Chrome Store
What do you want out of your “new tab” page? Chances are… Speed Dial 2 can give you what you want! Speed Dial is great for all users, but if you’re a designer/developer, you will love the customization. You will be able to save your favorite pages for quick access upon opening your browser. Many sites will have their logo available, but feel free to customize every icon. You can select these icons from the web, or make your own. You can also set a custom background and how many rows and columns you’d like on your screen. If you hover over the right side of the screen you can see your recently closed tabs, bookmarks, and applications… you can even search through your bookmarks and recently closed tabs to quickly find what you need. This extension does it all.
7. WhatFont (4.5 / 5) on Chrome Store
WhatFont is super simple and super awesome! Just click on the WhatFont icon and you can hover over any text and it will tell you what font is being used. If you want more information, just click on the text and you can see the font family, font size, line height, color, and even a preview of how the rest of the alphabet will look like in that font.
8. Window Resizer (4.5 / 5) on Chrome Store
If you’re designing responsive websites, Window Resizer is essential. It will allow you to view your page on any screen size you want. It comes loaded with some of the most common resolutions and dimensions, but feel free to add in your own… it’s very simple. All you have to do is click the icon and select the size you need, and your browser will resize to emulate the selected dimensions.
9. Yet Another Lorem Ipsum Generator (5.0 / 5) on Chrome Store
If you’re web designer, you’re probably always going to Lipsum or Lorem2, right? Not anymore you’re not. Just by clicking the icon, you can generate lorem ipsum titles, paragraphs, dates, etc. and it will be copied straight to the clipboard. You can even choose the length of title and paragraph you want. There’s no easier way to get you some ipsum.
10. Rooler (5.0 / 5) on Chrome Store
Okay, so admittedly there are probably thousands of measurement utilities out there… but this one is special. It will analyze the graphics on the page and automatically find the edges allowing you to quickly find distances between objects as well as the height and width of the objects themselves. It also comes with a zoom feature allowing you to really zero in on your target.