newbie in web graphics design

[funggorgor]

i am a newbie in web graphics design
My aim is to create professional looking website for my e-business

1) what are some of the good books that teach people web graphics design?

2) which software you recommend? (which is good and powerful to create web graphics) photoshop?

3) which html editor you recommend? frontpage or dreamwaver?

thx for advice

[jusdrum]

Photoshop is great for web graphics as it is designed to work with bitmap graphics, which are the standard for web (JPG, GIF, PNG are all bitmap file formats). Although, Photoshop is best suited for the manipulation of graphics as compared to the creation of graphics.

If you want to use sophisticated drawing tools to draw graphics, use Illustrator (or Freehand, but Illustrator is more tightly integrated with Photoshop), then rasterize the graphics in Photoshop for finishing touches and optimization for the web.

If you want to paint, Painter rocks (especially if you have a drawing tablet).

If you are going to use a WYSIWYG HTML editor, go with Dreamweaver. FrontPage, like many MS programs, is loaded with all sorts of complications that make it a bad choice, which are covered in many other threads.

I've never learned anything from web graphic books that wasn't available for free on the internet.

Oh, and, welcome to Webmaster World.

[JonR28]

Profesional Webpage? WYSIWYG? Oh boy. I learned it from HTML For Dummies way back when. I'm a rarity in that I use Illustrator for my webgraphics and then move them to photoshop for final editing. If you insist on doing WYSIWYG I definetly agree with dreamweaver, but take a look at the code view every once in awhile and try to learn eventually.

[IONWeb]

The above posts are good suggestions - especially what JonR28 said about code view. Not only for learning what is going on behind the WYSIWYG, but working strictly in design mode can lead to errors at times if you are not careful.

With regards to graphics, Paint Shop Pro may be a less expensive altrernative for you (less than $100)

Good luck in your endeavors!
~MC

[Leosghost]

PSP is definately the better way to go to begin with ..and almost all the plugins that work for photoshop work with PSP ...and definately DW....if you want to go the Flash route try "swish" cheaper and actually more versatile than flash itself and still gives you .swf files....

[benihana]

i wouldnt say swish is more versitile than flash, just easier

[JonR28]

I also use PSP even though I have photoshop. Mostly because I started on PSP because it was cheaper and then learned all the key-strokes so I am alot faster and for more basic grunt work PSP gets things done really fast. I am using PSP 5.5 though... so old.

[Maylin]

1) I learned most of what I know from the internet. But sometimes, it's just nicer to read off paper. If you live in a large city or a city with a good library, check that out for some free books specific to graphic design. That way you get an idea about whether or not you'll actually enjoy doing this before you waste money. The city I used to live in had a great selection and I used books from there when I got started in photoshop and php. Some of them even had the cds that included tutorials that were loaned out with the books.

2) I mostly use Photoshop these days. Paint Shop Pro is what I started with too and is the better choice if you're just beginning in my opinion. Photoshop has a steep learning curve and will cost you over $600. I also still use an old version of Paint Shop Pro because it loads faster than photoshop and is "good enough" for certain things, but I think the new PSP is more powerful. Illustrator is good if you want to actually draw the graphics, but I'm still a newbie in that myself.

3) I don't like dreamweaver or frontpage, but don't know enough about the visual editors to have much of an opinion. I used them a few times but never stuck with either. I like writing the code out because I know my code won't be bloated and in the end it gives me more control over the site. I use notepad pro, which isn't a visual editor, but comes with lots of nice features that speeds up coding work.

[alias]

1 - Learned almost everything from Internet (Google, Tutorials etc.)
2 - Macromedia Fireworks
3 - Macromedia Dreamweaver