Groot Publisher setup

Groot Publisher is a Photoshop plugin that helps you save, export, and publish your work with clean, consistent naming - no more manual versioning. It is central to PPID & web export. It is still in beta and will continue to improve over time.

Caution

Ensure Photoshop 27.7 and Groot Publisher v1.x.x are installed. Maintain this specific version through end-of-year. Version consistency is critical for pipeline stability when handling CG assets, OCIO color management, and custom plugin dependencies across all production teams.

Install

1. Download the plugin file (groot-publisher_v1.x.x.ccx).
2. Double-click the file and Adobe will install it automatically.
3. Open Photoshop and go to Window → Plugins to find it. Once enabled, it appears on the right side.

What it does

• Saves your work with smart names based on folder structure and product info.
• Automatically versions your exports (_v01, _v02, etc.).
• Publishes approved images into special folders for team handoff.

Main buttons

• Save Work: saves your PSD/PSB with the right name based on the folder.
• Version-Up: exports images with version numbers, tracked via groot_tracker.json. The optional Proof Grey Background toggle auto-adds a neutral grey background to all versions for review.
• Publish: pushes approved versions into their destination _published folders.

Configure: folder-based behavior

Groot Publisher adapts based on where you are working.

In regular folders, Save Work creates a clean PSD/PSB name, Version-Up adds version numbers (_v01, _v02, etc.), and Publish creates a _published folder and puts the approved file there.

Special folders change the behavior:

Folder	Purpose	Save example	Export example	Publish example
/app_shot	app shots	pd-25518-bk_app_shot.psd	pd-25518-bk_app_shot_v01.jpg	pd-25518-bk_inglorious_pub.jpg
/concept_img	concept work (mid-journey)	pd-25518-bk_concept_img_name.psd	pd-25518-bk_concept_img_name_v01.jpg	-
/renders	read-only folders	Overwrites only	Versioned export	-
/web_thumbnails	web export flow (PPID images)	pd-25518-bk_front_web.psd	Goes to /web_thumbnails	UPPERCASE files go to /ppid, /filtered, /unfiltered
/versions	edited approved angles for photography	pd-25518-bk_front.psd	pd-25518-bk_front_v01.jpg	pd-25518-bk_front_pub.jpg
/cam_solve	camera perspective solves	pd-25518-bk_cam_solve.psd	pd-25518-bk_cam_solve_v01.jpg	pd-25518-bk_cam_solve_pub.jpg

For the full per-folder naming guide (the /web_thumbnails PPID export flow in particular), see PPID & web export.

Protected folders

• /originals: no saving via the plugin. Clean uploads only for raw camera photography.
• /_published: only written via the Publish button when a shot is approved.

Export settings

Version-Up always exports JPEG; the format checkboxes below apply only to Publish in the non-PPID workflow. When you use Publish there, tick at least one export format:

• JPG
• PNG
• AVIF

For the PPID-triggered workflow (web thumbnail, web unfiltered, web appshot), the Publish button now exports directly to AVIF by default.

The plugin keeps track and auto-versions for you, and Iconik shows the latest version for review.

Naming rules

• PSD/PSB files do not get version numbers - only exports do.
• Dashes and other symbols in names are converted to underscores automatically.
• The Publish button adds a _pub suffix.
• The plugin asks before overwriting anything.

Verify

Run Save Work → Version-Up → Publish on a test file in a /web_thumbnails folder and confirm the uppercase outputs land in /ppid, /filtered, and /unfiltered.