Adobe Creative Cloud Design Tools All-in-One For Dummies

Chapter 2: Free to Create

In This Chapter

• Taking advantage of layers in Fireworks
• Understanding the difference between vector and bitmap images
• Using the bitmap and vector drawing tools
• Discovering masking

You can easily import graphics into Fireworks from the other Creative Cloud applications or create your own graphics. Fireworks comes with a full set of tools for creating both bitmap and vector images. This chapter briefly discusses bitmap and vector graphics; you can find out more by reading Book I, Chapter 6.

Understanding What Happens in Layers

Create a new document by choosing FileNew. If the Layers panel isn't visible, choose WindowLayers. By default, the Layers panel contains two layers: Web Layer and Layer 1.

Web Layer is reserved for web objects, such as hotspots, slices, and other interactive objects. You can't delete, duplicate, or rename objects in this layer. You find out more about the Web Layer in Chapter 6 of this minibook.

Layer 1 is also a default layer. Everything that you create or import, whether it's a bitmap or a vector graphic, lands here, essentially becoming a sublayer of Layer 1.

You can rename both main layers and sublayers. You can also reposition, delete, and duplicate them by using the tools at the bottom of the Layers panel. (See Figure 2-1.)