1. Eye Dropper
Eye Dropper is a must-have in our opinion! This handy little tool allows you to select any colour on a web page and extract the numerical values attached to it such as the HEX code and RGB values so that you have an exact colour match. These values allow us to create creative content for clients using the correct branding, or we can pass the colour codes to a graphic designer who will input these values into a range of design platforms. We are often approached by clients who are unsure of the colours used in their logo, so again, the Eye Dropper comes into its own!
2. Image Downloader
There is nothing worse than losing track of where imagery is saved - especially when you need it again! Image Downloader is a chrome extension which allows you to extract images from any website and save them to your PC with the simple click of a button. The tool will analyse the site you’re on and establish the images on each page - you then just need to open the extension and select the ones you need. We aren’t suggesting that you start downloading images from all over the place, but this tool can be handy if you need an image from your website quickly or you’ve lost the original.
3. Google Dictionary
Hands up who has been on a Zoom meeting in the last year and been bamboozled by a new word? 18 months ago lockdown wasn’t a word we’d have been frequently using but now we have no doubt it’ll be in the most common words for 2020/2021! If you need a dictionary on the go while you’re trying to unpick an email or write an insightful piece of content then Google Dictionary is a fab option that will sit neatly within your browser.
4. Window Resizer
Okay, here’s a little more of a tech-related one, but for anyone curious about web development and the process our team go through, this is one of their must-have extensions! Window Resizer allows our team to do just that - resize their browser window to common sizes to ensure that every website that we launch looks perfect on any screen. Want to check out how your own website looks on a small iPhone screen compared to a wide-screen monitor? You need this extension!
5. Screencastify
Screencastify is a brilliant tool which allows you to record your screen quickly within your browser and then send the video file on to whoever may need it. There are lots of similar sites and apps out there, but Screencastify offers additional functionality - you can add a voiceover to your clip, draw on your screen to highlight important information and trim your videos easily too. Several members of our team often use this one to create mini tutorials should a client be struggling to edit a certain area of their website or need a few pointers on how to navigate their social media pages. Clips are also saved automatically to Google Drive to be used over and over again if needed!
6. Ad Blocker
Sick of popup ads or just ads of any kind? It’s time to erase the irritation and get yourself an ad blocker - this one’s our favourite. It will stop popups on YouTube and Facebook as well as hundreds of other popular websites - all you need to do is install it and let it do it’s thing, no need to turn it on and off all the time! Welcome to an ad-free world...bliss.
7. Evernote
Keeping important information organised can be a challenge when it’s coming in from so many places - this is where Evernote comes in. This tool allows you to save important emails, documents and even web pages to refer back to. This central folder can be shared across your devices too, no more having to email yourself documents!
8. Grammarly
We’re sure you’ve heard of Grammarly, but the Chrome extension is incredibly handy. Once installed, the tool will analyse and check your emails, Google Docs, Canva creations - anything you could need proof-reading within your browser! Grammarly will also suggest ways to improve your writing and help you get to grips with the tone of your work too - a very simple addition to your browser that will save you from many writing blunders!
9. LastPass
No matter how hard you try, some passwords just don’t stick in the brain - which then leads to an inbox full of password reset links. If that sounds a little like you, or you just want to create a secure bank of passwords then we would highly recommend LastPass. This is one the whole Purple team use every day to allow us to quickly log in to the numerous platforms we use in our work. The personal version is free and this option provides you will all the security you could need for your hundreds of passwords!
10. Picture in Picture
Now this one has endless uses...some work-related and others not so much! Picture in Picture allows you to watch videos from all the main streaming sites (Netflix, YouTube and even the BBC) alongside working all within one browser...no need to have the video open in a separate window! We use this tool a lot when following tutorials if we’re working on something new, or just if we need some background noise to fill the silence that working from home can sometimes bring! It’s as simple as finding the video then hitting the extension icon and it will appear within your screen!
Let us know if there are any extensions you can't live without, we're always on the hunt for new ones that optimise our time spent online! Need the help of our techy team? Please get in touch if you need a hand with anything web design, social media, marketing or graphic design related - we're more than happy to help if we can!