Adobe Fireworks CS4 Classroom in a Book

Adobe Fireworks CS4 Classroom in a Book

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Released April 2009
Publisher(s): Adobe Press
ISBN: 9780321639615

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Book Description

This self-paced guide to Adobe Fireworks CS4 is ideal for beginning users who want to learn key Fireworks concepts and techniques, while readers who already have some experience with Fireworks can use this book to learn Fireworks CS4's more advanced features and newest tools. Using step-by-step, project-based lessons, each chapter walks readers through the creation of a specific project, with successive chapters building on the reader's growing knowledge of the program.
With Fireworks CS4, users can collaborate with other Adobe Creative Suite applications to design and mockup basic Web pages or interfaces for rich Internet applications. Demo a design live for a client, or export the design as an interactive PDF and email it to them. Fireworks sports a new user interface, shared in common with other applications in Creative Suite 4. Export complete Web page designs as web standards-compliant CSS-based layouts, or as PDF

Table of Contents

  1. Copyright
  2. What’s on the Disc
    1. Lesson files ... and so much more
  3. Getting Started
    1. About Classroom in a Book
    2. What’s in this book
    3. Prerequisites
    4. Installing Adobe Fireworks
    5. Starting Adobe Fireworks
    6. Copying the Classroom in a Book files
    7. Additional resources
  4. 1. Getting to Know the Workspace
    1. Lesson overview
    2. Getting started in Adobe Fireworks
      1. Preparing the canvas
      2. Drawing a vector shape
      3. Saving the file
    3. Using the Tools panel
      1. More tools than meet the eye
    4. Using the Property inspector
    5. Configuring panels and panel groups
      1. Customizing panel arrangements
      2. Creating custom workspaces
    6. Working with multiple documents
      1. Creating a floating document window
      2. Dragging and dropping between floating windows
    7. Undoing steps
    8. Review questions
    9. Review answers
  5. 2. Working with Bitmap Images
    1. Lesson overview
    2. Resolution and file size
    3. Cropping an image
      1. Cropping a single bitmap image in a design
    4. Managing images on the canvas
      1. Adjusting the watch position
      2. Hiding and locking objects
      3. Working with guides
    5. Importing images
    6. Distortion-free bitmap scaling
      1. Scaling the “old” way
      2. Avoiding distortion with the 9-slice Scaling tool
    7. Adjusting tonal range
    8. Using the Align panel
      1. Grouping objects together
    9. Adjusting brightness with the Dodge and Burn tools
      1. Lightening with the Dodge tool
      2. Darkening with the Burn tool
    10. Applying the Unsharp Mask Live Filter
    11. Repairing areas with the Rubber Stamp tool
      1. Retouching on a separate bitmap object
      2. Instant face-lift
    12. Review questions
    13. Review answers
  6. 3. Working with Selections
    1. Lesson overview
    2. About selecting objects and selection tools
    3. Selecting and modifying with the Magic Wand tool
      1. Getting started
      2. Creating the selection
      3. Using the Magic Wand tool with keyboard modifiers
    4. Selecting with the lasso tools
    5. Converting a selection to a path
    6. Review questions
    7. Review answers
  7. 4. Working with Vector Graphics
    1. Lesson overview
    2. About vectors
    3. Basic vector drawing techniques
      1. Deleting shapes
      2. Adding guides
      3. Measuring distances between guides
      4. Placing an object using guides
      5. Resizing vectors
    4. Changing the appearance of basic vector shapes
    5. Scaling vector objects
      1. Scaling the “old” way
      2. Distortion-free vector scaling with the 9-slice Scaling tool
    6. Adding text to your design
    7. Working with Auto Shapes
    8. Understanding paths and the Pen tool
    9. Editing paths
      1. Adding points with the Pen tool
      2. Editing paths with the Subselection tool
    10. Creating custom shapes
      1. Importing and resizing a vector object
      2. Drawing the shape
    11. Customizing fills and strokes
      1. Adding a gradient fill
      2. Customizing the stroke
    12. Review questions
    13. Review answers
  8. 5. The Layers Panel—Your Best Friend
    1. Lesson overview
    2. About layers
      1. Getting started with layers
    3. Identifying objects
    4. Naming objects
    5. Rearranging objects within a layer
    6. Adding and naming layers
    7. Moving objects from one layer to another
    8. Creating sub layers
    9. Protecting layers
    10. Review questions
    11. Review answers
  9. 6. Masking
    1. Lesson overview
    2. About masks
      1. Bitmap masks
      2. Vector masks
    3. Designing the banner ad
      1. Creating the document
      2. Adding the background
      3. Editing gradient colors
      4. Editing gradient direction and angle
      5. Importing assets
      6. Using the Auto Vector Mask for quick fades
      7. Importing Photoshop images
    4. Creating and editing masks
      1. Creating a vector mask
      2. Changing vector mask attributes
      3. Converting a bitmap selection to a mask
      4. Editing a bitmap mask
      5. Applying Live Filters to a masked image
      6. Adding the silhouette
      7. Extra credit: Create a vector silhouette
    5. Final touches
      1. Adding text
      2. Adding the cast names
      3. Styling the text
      4. Creating a custom style
      5. Styling the first names
      6. Tweaking the background
      7. Image positioning
    6. Review questions
    7. Review answers
  10. 7. Working with Text
    1. Lesson overview
    2. Text basics
      1. Creating an auto-resizing text block
      2. Creating a fixed-width text block
      3. Editing text
      4. Flowing text within a vector shape
    3. Anti-aliasing
      1. Changing anti-aliasing
    4. Special text effects
      1. Attaching text to a path
      2. Skewing text on an angle
      3. Using text as a mask
      4. Adding Live Filters to a masked object
    5. Review questions
    6. Review answers
  11. 8. Optimizing for the Web
    1. Lesson overview
    2. Optimization basics
      1. Web graphic formats
      2. About the Optimize panel
    3. Optimizing a single image file
      1. Setting preferences
      2. Working with previews
      3. Choosing optimization settings
      4. Exporting the file
    4. The Fireworks web tools
    5. Creating and optimizing slices
      1. Creating slices manually with the Slice tool
      2. Optimizing a sliced image
      3. Adding more slices
      4. Optimizing illustrations
        1. Reducing illustration file size
      5. Slicing tricks for working with multiple items
      6. Optimizing the navigation slice
      7. Naming slices
    6. Creating hotspots
    7. Adding interactivity
    8. Exporting composite designs
      1. Exporting HTML and images
        1. Exporting states
      2. About CSS
      3. Exporting CSS and images
    9. Review questions
    10. Review answers
  12. 9. Using Symbols
    1. Lesson overview
    2. What are symbols?
    3. Graphic symbols
      1. Creating graphic symbols
        1. The universal Common Library
      2. Adding a graphic symbol to a document
      3. Editing graphic symbols
      4. Adding prebuilt symbols from the Common Library
    4. Button symbols
      1. Creating button symbols
      2. Editing a button symbol
      3. Adding more buttons
      4. Testing rollovers
      5. Completing the design
    5. Animation symbols
      1. Creating animation symbols
        1. Onion skinning
      2. Optimizing the animation
      3. Altering animation settings
      4. Exporting the animation
    6. Review questions
    7. Review answers
  13. 10. Prototyping Basics
    1. Lesson overview
    2. Exploring the Pages panel
      1. Isolating the Pages panel
      2. Master pages
        1. Renaming a master page
      3. Comparing page designs
      4. Page stacking order
    3. Creating a page for a multipage mockup
      1. Copying a page
      2. Creating a master page
      3. Adding more pages
      4. Sharing layers to pages
    4. Adding hotspots for interactivity
      1. Creating hotspots
      2. Creating a shared a Web Layer
      3. Adding interactivity to the master page
      4. Testing the links
      5. Emulating state changes
      6. More hotspots!
    5. Creating a secure, interactive PDF
    6. Review questions
    7. Review answers
  14. 11. Advanced Prototyping
    1. Lesson overview
    2. Prototype orientation
      1. Master page
      2. Content pages
      3. Fleshing out the prototype
      4. Creating the master page
      5. Adding more pages
      6. Slicing the banner
      7. Banner navigation
      8. Customizing page dimensions
    3. Image rollover effects
      1. Adding a rollover state
        1. Creating the rollover effect
        2. Creating the rollover slices
      2. Name your slices
      3. Adding rollover behaviors
      4. Emulating pop-up windows
    4. Emulating a Spry data table
    5. Working with behaviors
      1. Adding the behaviors
      2. Editing JavaScript behaviors
    6. Completing the prototype
      1. Populating the last pages
      2. Exporting the prototype
    7. Review questions
    8. Review answers
  15. 12. Improving Your Workflow
    1. Lesson overview
    2. Getting started with Adobe Bridge
    3. Batch processing and customizing using Bridge and Fireworks
    4. Importing and resizing images
      1. Importing the images
      2. Cropping individual bitmaps in a design
    5. Cool shortcuts
      1. Exporting a specific area
      2. Changing rectangle corners independently
    6. Thinking ahead: future-proofing your projects
      1. Metadata
        1. Adding metadata
        2. Creating a metadata template
      2. Photoshop Live Effects
        1. Applying a Live Effect
        2. Saving your file for Photoshop
        3. Customizing Photoshop Export options
    7. Review questions
    8. Review answers
  16. 13. Going Further
    1. Lesson overview
    2. Interaction review
    3. Creative and corrective techniques
      1. Blending modes for image correction
      2. Stroking rendered text
    4. Working with Adobe AIR
      1. Adding AIR events
      2. Creating an AIR prototype
      3. Installing the prototype
    5. Flex skinning
      1. Creating a Flex skin
      2. Adding additional button states
      3. Exporting the skin
    6. Fireworks and Dreamweaver
      1. Copying and pasting to Dreamweaver
      2. Roundtrip editing
      3. Three-slice technique for content containers
    7. Fireworks and Flash
      1. Preparing files for Flash
      2. Importing Fireworks documents into Flash
        1. What are my import options?
        2. Importing a Fireworks PNG
      3. Importing a flattened bitmap
    8. Review questions
    9. Review answers
  17. Contributor
  18. Production Notes
    1. Team credits

Product Information

  • Title: Adobe Fireworks CS4 Classroom in a Book
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: April 2009
  • Publisher(s): Adobe Press
  • ISBN: 9780321639615