Building Web Sites All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

Chapter 4. Introducing Web and Graphics Software

In This Chapter

• Getting your graphics software

• Looking at Web‐design software

• Taking a tour of Photoshop

• Getting to know the tools of the trade

Many tools are available to help you with the hands‐on tasks of Web site design and maintenance. Eventually, choosing the right tools can be a matter of personal preference, but we do know of a few must‐have tools for every Web designer. This chapter gives you a brief overview of these must‐have tools plus a quick‐and‐dirty tour of Photoshop CS2.

Choosing Graphics Software

So many graphics software packages are available and so many manufacturers tout that their product can do everything and anything that you might be confused when choosing graphics programs. First, figure out what kind of work you want to do and then buy industry‐standard software for that work. If you plan on creating lots of vector graphics, for instance, look for software that specializes in that; if you plan to work with photos, look for software that has tools for that. By sticking to industry‐standard software, you can ensure better compatibility with other designers, better resources, better employability as a designer, better toolsets, and with practice, better overall quality of work.

Adobe Photoshop

The industry‐standard software for working with bitmapped graphics is Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop offers a powerful set of tools that allows you to create and work with any graphics you need for your site, from concept to completion. ...