For all you webdesigners out there, what programs do you use to make your sites? I'm pretty familiar with dreamweaver for content stuff but what about graphics for the splash page or those cool navigation bars? I want to start creating websites for other people but need to know the tools of the trade....

I use Dreamweaver/Fireworks. I used to use Photoshop, but I haven't found anything I couldn't do with Fireworks. Of course, I'm not that good, so there's probably something there. :cool:

Yeah, I've tried fireworks. I'm not that good at making menu's in it though :(

HTML/CSS:
I use Macromedia Dreamweaver 4 to create the HTML/CSS at first, then I manually edit the parts that need editing to make it work and look better.

Graphics:
My favourite is Adobe Photoshop 5.5 and I do most of my graphics in it. However, Macromedia Fireworks 4 has some features that are pretty cool too (animating gifs, splitting the image, etc).

I use 3D Studio for any 3D graphic needs.

I also use Macromedia Flash sometimes, I really don't like it that much. I feel it's being misused and overused by most people. A good designed HTML page is at least 100 times better than a good designed Flash page. Also most Flash sites have loud music/sound anyways (very annoying!).

I also use Macromedia Flash sometimes, I really don't like it that much. I feel it's being misused and overused by most people.
I'll second that!

I agree with Mr. Amazon, flash is used way to much.

We use Photoshop 6 for graphics and MS Visual Interdev for html/asp/css. I like VI's css editor. As far as page coding goes, we use VI, but we hand code everything. I never have liked going back in and trying to decifer a drag and drop tools code.

photoshop and imageready :)

Thanks for everyones contributions :)

Adobe Photoshop 6.0 with Adobe Imageready 3.0 for graphics, animated gifs, rollovers, slicing, etc.

Adobe GoLive 4.0 for HTML and such, then clean it up :)

I am an Adobe guy!! :D

Perhaps I'm a little cheap... I use HomeSite 1.2 (the old free one) and Paint Shop Pro!

Any good web tutorials on how to make good web graphics with Fireworks? Actually, more like the navigation of website, let's take some examples, burlee/addr?

Old version of paint shop pro and arachnophila ( http://www.arachnoid.com ).

Photoshop 5.5 for all graphics.
Fireworks 4 for slicing, optimizing.
Metapad (http://www.liquidninja.com/metapad/) for writing pages.
Dreamweaver 4 when I want some nice rollover effects.

not sure how much these help but:

http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/98/30/index2a.html
http://www.mystery-productions.com/drmissy/fwtut/
http://pleya1269.tripod.com/fireworks_t.htm
http://www.germantownacademy.org/curtech/instruct/firework/

never had to search for fireworks tutorials, but i remember search for photoshop tutorials madly about 6 years ago (and found plenty that helped me)

i've played around with fireworks before but stopped fooling around with it since im a 6 year photoshop user and photoshop has become the basis of my online existence :D

g'luck

Cool, thanks alpha.. :)

BTW, my 1000th post right here!

:D wow... 4 digits...

:dunce: :spiny: congrats!

Wow, didn't see anyone here using Frontpage and Microsoft Paint ,j/k:D :D We use Photoshop 5.5 and good old Notepad ;)

Wow, didn't see anyone here using Frontpage and Microsoft Paint ,j/k We use Photoshop 5.5 and good old Notepad
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about a really important part of my arsenal. It's Text Pad (http://www.textpad.com)
This is a great replacement for Windows Notepad. I love it!

Photoshop 5.5 and HTML-Kit (chami.com).
I love HTML-Kit!!! :)

I used to write all the HTML in notepad myself as well, but then I tried Dreamweaver3 one day and from that day on, it felt pretty unnecessary to spend hours infront of notepad when I could have the same result by creating the page in Dreamweaver and then optimizing the code and save in the matter of a few minutes.

I love Adobe GoLive... very clean output and I can still get my hands dirty. Dreamweaver is a close second, but I've made my switch. TextPad is great, but almost silly to use unless your on a tight budget.

Aloha

Ultradev as it is better than dreamweaver for interactive sites
(note do not install the coldfusion extension get all the ones from Massimos corner instead the cf pack from Allaire will mess up your cf this is a known bug but a hidden one)

CSS: TopStyle pro
Graphics: Macromedia fireworks/ PS ImageReady

Flash as others said it is overused maybe for a few sites presentations etc... we use it for not really to much web
Swish is great for small text effects etc...but do not overdo it its about as tacky as the old Flash tag so be careful

TextPad for some stuff scripts etc...

Adobe Acrobat for info we want formated to be printed releases etc....

I do all php in notepad:stickout , and I do my graphics in Photshop 6. I use flash sometimes, not for navigation but for intro pages.

I'm using dreamweaver, coldfusion studio (cfm), and Zend IDE (php). For graphics, I use photoshop, imageready, and illustrator.

Photoshop 6 + Notepad for me. :D

I use Dreamweaver, homesite, and good old vi for html/scripts. I use Photoshop and Fireworks for graphics.

Aloha
just thought
some people just use the right click and save as
hehheheheheeh

I use photoshop 6, dreamweaver 4, and adobe image ready for image compresson. I would never compress a file with photoshop 6, especially the gif ones. I guess adobe realized that it was weak in that regard and created image ready.:D

I use Photoshop 6 for all my graphics, DreamWeaver UltraDev for HTML and PHP. This is what I am comfortable with....

I use most anything Macromedia... Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Freehand, Flash..... etc.

For in depth tweaking of images I use photoshop 6 for most of my image creation. But I see that your a beginner so I would start with fireworks.

If you eventually want to do this professionally I would spend the time learning photoshop 6. I think its the most commonly used graphics program in the industry.

For building I like dreamweaver. It seems to be the editor of choice (if they even use an editor.... Notepad!)

So go get a suite of macromedia products, and if your so inclined, a copy of photoshop 6.

best of luck,

I use a mix of Photoshop, PaintShop & Fireworks. Fireworks I mainly use to optimise the graphics, its great for that. I also use dreamweaver from time to time to set up tables and whatnot, but I really can't stand using it for anything else. NotPad all the way baby, YEAH!

We primarily use Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash and Homesite primarily. Sometimes we use Lightwave for extra "Umph". Ocasionally, we pop into Notepad if its just a quick last minute fix and dont feel like loading the editors. My opinion (I get heat for this) is if you can't go under the hood n at least do a little tweaking, you're not really a designer, your a drag-n-dropper.

Someone way back mentioned Fartpage n Paint....I know a guy who does use that. He's got some decent size clients too... Too bad 99% of his designs are buggy, and limited to the Themes he got from MS. :( Sadder fact is, he Brags about it. >_<

His explainations for problems :
text scrolls off buttons "Server Issue"
doesn't look good on anyone elses system " substandard browser - get IE" Yeah, everything is coded only for IE. no netscape, konquerer, etc. >_<

Gotta love this Biz. :cool:

Not to go off on a tangent, but I totally agree. I hate those people. Not nesecarily the ones who use frontpage and photo paint, but those who brag about it. Especially when the site doesn't work in all but one browser because they are "drag & droppers" and don't know what they're really doing.

These days with the editors that are out, a monkey could make a web page. Only the good designers and builders think about things like browser compatibility, information architechure, and usability. That's what makes a site good. Not flaming gif's.

So to whoever is looking to get into this business, I would say this... Use what your comfortable with. If down the road your going to work for a large company you might want to learn the industry standard. And remember, that designing a site is way more in depth than just dreamweaver, and photoshop. Why else would huge web design corporations put 20 people on just one site project. It's harder than people think.

Ok, well I'm done. I think I've had too much to drink. :buck:

Macromedia Dreamweaver & Fireworks make a dynamite combo. I rarely have to use Adobe Photoshop anymore. Fireworks makes just about everything faster than Photoshop. Only time I really use Adobe Photoshop anymore is for photo retouching.

P.S. Anybody who USES or even meantions the word "Paintshop Pro" WAKE up from your "wet" dream. The software that company makes is total crap. Not to meantion the GUI for it was created by somebody who should NOT be designing period.

I like PaintShop Pro, mainly because its relatively simple and good for web graphics. While there's nothing special about the GUI, I wouldn't say it's sub-standard.

I can see where you're coming from though. It did take me quite a while to get used to PSP7 from PSP6, with its "Let's change the colour for each tool" and the no-fill/gradient/solid select thing (now *that* is a problem with the GUI, I agree with you there).

But overall I like it, and have grown very accustomed to it.

Oh, by the way, you mentioned the word "PaintShop Pro". Better wake up from your "wet" dream :D (in your own words...)

Hey any1 uses EditPlus 2.10 ?

This is the best "advanced" cough* notepad-style HTML editor in the word ! The only one that works fine on my P266 laptop...

Otherwise, for Web graphics, Fireworks rocks !!!