I am really glad that Adobe integrated Smart Objects into DreamWeaver after doing away with GoLive. Having used this functionality with Golive occasionally, I can see how it might have limited uses. HOWEVER: it is really bad advice to keep telling designers to make website comps in Photoshop or Illustrator.
Close to a decade's worth of experience says that you need to be showing your prospects WEB PAGES in WEB BROWSERS. Anything else is just asking for a world of hurt--severe compromise of your vision at the very least.
Look, the days of slicing and dicing images for websites went out with Netscape 4. The days of image-text even earlier than that. The whole idea that you could comp up your web pages in Photoshop was just a ruse to lure print designers in a thin job market.
If you are weak in web development skills, then your design will consequently be weak too. Take some time to learn HTML and CSS, and perhaps a little scripting too. Lay out your comps in Dreamweaver first, post them to a web server where your prospect will be able to see it and interact with it. You are doing both of you a service this way. Photoshop and illustrator are good for creating elements--don't stretch them past their use for vainglory.
Submitted by TMacFarlane on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 13:15.
The post "Bad Advice" makes some excellent points about relying on Photoshop too much. Web design is very different from print design and trying to use print design techniques for Web design almost always ends in frustration.
However, if you understand what is possible with CSS and HTML, then programs like Photoshop, Fireworks and Illustrator are indispensable tools for rapidly generating design comps for clients. Building a page design in CSS and HTML can take a lot of time--creating three complete, working designs in CSS and HTML for a client is really just a waste of time. The client will only pick one (if you're lucky) so you end up wasting many hours tweaking your CSS and HTML for a basic design review.
I use Photoshop and Fireworks all of the time--you can quickly generate design ideas that you can then (later) turn into real CSS and HTML. If you know what CSS and HTML are capable of, then you can make sure that your Photoshop designs don't promise more than you can deliver, while at the same time letting you quickly (well sort of..design does take time, you know) generate design comps for client review.
Of course, once a design is approved, you won't just slice up your Photoshop document into lots of image files. As the previous poster mentioned--that's just now how Web design is done these days since that technique produces slow loading and difficult to maintain Web pages. Much of the design from the Photoshop file will need to be recreated in HTML and CSS--but there will probably be graphics from the Photoshop file (logos, background images, icons, and so on) that you will want to use in your site. For those images, using Dreamweaver's support for Photoshop can save Web designers time.
Having used this functionality sohbet with Golive occasionally, I can see how it might have limited uses. HOWEVER: it is really bad advice to keep telling designers to make website comps in Photoshop orsohbet Illustrator
Fantastic tutorial on using Photoshop and Dreamweaver - all sorts of things have dropped into place, but, when I select a PS slice with the slice select tool, the edit copy function is greyed out. Am I doing something daft?
Photoshop is not allowing me to use the "Copy Merged" command. It is greyed out. I tried selecting one and all of the layers and nothing. What is wrong with my setup?
great stuff!
have a question:
could u kindly refer me to a source on how to slice and code a website layout i have made in photoshop?
Im new to this, and am only familar with ultra noob html sites...this site i am making now involves searches and pop up windows with information when a link is clicked (not sure how complicated that is...)
Bad Advice
I am really glad that Adobe integrated Smart Objects into DreamWeaver after doing away with GoLive. Having used this functionality with Golive occasionally, I can see how it might have limited uses. HOWEVER: it is really bad advice to keep telling designers to make website comps in Photoshop or Illustrator.
Close to a decade's worth of experience says that you need to be showing your prospects WEB PAGES in WEB BROWSERS. Anything else is just asking for a world of hurt--severe compromise of your vision at the very least.
Look, the days of slicing and dicing images for websites went out with Netscape 4. The days of image-text even earlier than that. The whole idea that you could comp up your web pages in Photoshop was just a ruse to lure print designers in a thin job market.
If you are weak in web development skills, then your design will consequently be weak too. Take some time to learn HTML and CSS, and perhaps a little scripting too. Lay out your comps in Dreamweaver first, post them to a web server where your prospect will be able to see it and interact with it. You are doing both of you a service this way. Photoshop and illustrator are good for creating elements--don't stretch them past their use for vainglory.
If you know the limits, Photoshop is indispensable for comps
The post "Bad Advice" makes some excellent points about relying on Photoshop too much. Web design is very different from print design and trying to use print design techniques for Web design almost always ends in frustration.
However, if you understand what is possible with CSS and HTML, then programs like Photoshop, Fireworks and Illustrator are indispensable tools for rapidly generating design comps for clients. Building a page design in CSS and HTML can take a lot of time--creating three complete, working designs in CSS and HTML for a client is really just a waste of time. The client will only pick one (if you're lucky) so you end up wasting many hours tweaking your CSS and HTML for a basic design review.
I use Photoshop and Fireworks all of the time--you can quickly generate design ideas that you can then (later) turn into real CSS and HTML. If you know what CSS and HTML are capable of, then you can make sure that your Photoshop designs don't promise more than you can deliver, while at the same time letting you quickly (well sort of..design does take time, you know) generate design comps for client review.
Of course, once a design is approved, you won't just slice up your Photoshop document into lots of image files. As the previous poster mentioned--that's just now how Web design is done these days since that technique produces slow loading and difficult to maintain Web pages. Much of the design from the Photoshop file will need to be recreated in HTML and CSS--but there will probably be graphics from the Photoshop file (logos, background images, icons, and so on) that you will want to use in your site. For those images, using Dreamweaver's support for Photoshop can save Web designers time.
Advice cooms
Having used this functionality sohbet with Golive occasionally, I can see how it might have limited uses. HOWEVER: it is really bad advice to keep telling designers to make website comps in Photoshop orsohbet Illustrator
Copying a PS slice
Fantastic tutorial on using Photoshop and Dreamweaver - all sorts of things have dropped into place, but, when I select a PS slice with the slice select tool, the edit copy function is greyed out. Am I doing something daft?
Photoshop is not allowing me
Photoshop is not allowing me to use the "Copy Merged" command. It is greyed out. I tried selecting one and all of the layers and nothing. What is wrong with my setup?
slicing?
great stuff!
have a question:
could u kindly refer me to a source on how to slice and code a website layout i have made in photoshop?
Im new to this, and am only familar with ultra noob html sites...this site i am making now involves searches and pop up windows with information when a link is clicked (not sure how complicated that is...)
any help would be appreciated! thanks!
Google is your friend