Importing from Sketch

Whether you're switching from Sketch and want to move all your designs to UXPin or simply want to use UXPin with Sketch for its superb prototyping and collaborative benefits – we're making it very easy. Our Sketch import allows you to quickly import your files, pick up where you left off, and edit all layers with all their bits and pieces.

The maximum allowed size for uploaded files is 350mb. If a Sketch file has a lot of objects, you may encounter issues when importing it into UXPin. However, this happens rarely.

Drag and Drop Files

The fastest way to import your Sketch design to UXPin is to simply drag and drop it inside an open project. The design will be imported as a new UXPin prototype with its Sketch name. If you go back to your original file in Sketch, edit and import it — UXPin will save it as a new prototype. In other words, any following changes won’t overwrite the file you have already imported.

Supported Features

Artboards and pages

To import correctly, your pages in Sketch must have artboards, and these artboards can’t be symbols. They will then turn into separate pages in UXPin. Elements that aren't a part of an artboard on the Layers list in Sketch will not be imported. If an element overlaps or partially overlaps with an artboard and is a part of it — it will be imported.

Symbols

After the import, all Symbols in your Sketch file will become groups.

Text

You can edit the text imported from Sketch. However, make sure that the fonts used in your Sketch file are installed on your computer – otherwise, they will be replaced. We also recommend using the desktop app, especially when importing from Sketch.

Shapes

All Shapes imported from Sketch are fully editable.

Images

All images from your Sketch designs will be imported and you can edit them in UXPin. But remember that the more images you use, the bigger your Sketch file will be and it may take longer for the prototype to preview. As the maximum file size limit for imports is 350 MB, it’s best to reduce the size of large images beforehand.

Compatibility with Sketch

Whenever you import a design from Sketch, you must pay attention to some details. Check the tables below to see which features are partially supported or unsupported.

Exporting from Sketch

You can use our Sketch Plugin to export all Artboards or selected Artboards directly from Sketch to UXPin. However, the plugin is an alternative only if you want to send your design for review as all artboards will be flattened and all your layers will be imported as image files.

Installing the plugin

To download the most recent version of the plugin:

1. Click your avatar in the top right corner of the Dashboard and go to Account Settings.
2. Go to the Integrations section.
3. Click the Get plugin button.
4. Double-click on the downloaded file and install the Plugin.

Please note to use the .zip format. You can also download the latest version here.

Importing Sketch files

To import your designs from Sketch:

1. Go to Plugins in Sketch.
2. Choose UXPin and select one of the options. You can export selected artboards or all of them at once. You will also be asked to log in if you haven't already.
3. Select the project. You can choose to add your Sketch design to an existing Prototype or upload it as a new Prototype. A new one will have the same name as the Sketch file. Also, if you have access to multiple UXPin accounts, you can choose where you want to export your designs.

When exporting your Sketch designs using the Plugin, there will be a checkbox at the bottom of the export window that says Flatten artboards but export specs for each layer. If checked, this option turns your each Artboard into an unclickable image. If it's not checked, every layer on an Artboard will import as an image, but you will be able to select them. Let us explain what it means in detail and in which case you should check it or leave it unchecked.

• Check it if you want to use hotspots and transitions on your prototype or share it with others so that they can access information about measurements or colors in the Spec mode.
• Leave it unchecked if you want to animate layers separately, don’t select the checkbox. The layer structure will be preserved, but the export may take a bit longer.

4. Click Export design if you're exporting as a new Prototype, or Update design if you're updating an existing Prototype.

5. Once the export is finished, you can open or preview your design in UXPin.

Uploading Designs

If you made changes to your design back in Sketch, you can easily update the design that's in UXPin.

To resync, simply export the design again. Remember to select the Prototype you want to update and to use the Plugin as your export method.

The previous version of the prototype will be saved as an iteration, so you’ll be able to preview, edit, and restore it if needed.

All your existing interactions and changes will be preserved. If you're updating a prototype with interactions, make sure to uncheck the Flatten artboards checkbox.

File upload vs Sketch plugin

If you want to import your Sketch designs to UXPin but you’re not sure about which way to choose, the Sketch drag-and-drop upload or the Plugin, we have created this comparison for you.