June 2006 Newsletter
Tools, Tips and Websites
Review of Web Designer's Guide to Photoshop by Chris Tull
Reviewed by Jennifer Singleton of Washingto DC Chapter.
This review first appeared in Washing DC Chapter's Capital Letter, May 06. www.stcwdc.org/news/news_may06/news_may06.pdf
Paperback: 251 pages
Publisher: WordWare Publishing, Inc.
ISBN-10: 1-5922-001-2
With the complexity, detailed arrangement, and brilliant color graphics of many popular Web sites, it is easy for Web design novices and intermediates to feel intimidated when faced with the challenge of creating a site of their own. Fortunately, in Web Designer's Guide to Adobe Photoshop, author Chris Tull explains how to create Web pages that rival many of today's most impressive Web sites using Adobe Photoshop, the image editing software that has changed the way information and concepts are exchanged on the World Wide Web. By using Photoshop, designers can create complex shapes, crop and combine existing images, and organize these images using layering techniques. Tull introduces Photoshop in a way that simplifies what many perceive as a daunting undertaking when creating the images and graphics needed for a successful Web site. He not only defines design terminology, but also provides hands-on tutorials featuring fictitious clients. The tutorials teach the reader to create industry images with the aid of various Photoshop tools. "The World of Web Design" covers information that Web designers should know, such as appropriate digital image dimensions and how a computer monitor displays primary colors. Tull explains the two basic formats of digital images, bitmap and vector images, along with the limitations of their use. For instance, vector images are best suited for logos and graphics because they cannot depict the details of a photograph in the same way as bitmap formats. Perhaps the most crucial section of the book is "Working with Dreamweaver?." Popular with professional Web designers, Dreamweaver is often used to upload images onto Web pages. This chapter highlights Dreamweaver's tools for creating backgrounds and rollover images, and for adding text to a Web site. (There is no way to add text in Photoshop unless the text is a part of an image.) Tull offers an in-depth look at the Dreamweaver environment, highlighting features that users may not be familiar with. Tull devotes two chapters to the features of professional Web pages and the type of clients that would be attracted to them. For designers creating professional pages, the author covers common business formats such as the use of left navigation panes, top title panes, and textured graphics with text. Clients who want more modern Web pages enjoy the use of sans-serif fonts, white space, and bold color. "Going Live with Your Web Site" reminds designers to be aware of their allotted file space and the number of visitors expected to the site. Tull offers insight on the types of Web hosts that designers should seek, depending on the Web site's purpose. For example, with a personal or hobby Web site, designers should seek out the free services of their Internet Service Provider (ISP). For e-commerce Web sites, he advises that Web hosts should be able to offer support such as assisting with the taking of credit card orders. Tull effectively educates readers on how to navigate the intricate yet amazing world of Photoshop using personal recommendations, simplified terminology, and step-by-step tutorials. He encourages readers to further their understanding of Web design through a brief glossary, book recommendations, and a listing of designers' top 10 mistakes, such as browser incompatibility, inadequate photo enlargement, and inappropriate fonts that can create legibility concerns. Whatever reason you choose to design a Web site, whether you want to impress an important business client or to showcase your favorite hobbies, when it comes to the end result, Tull says it best: "...the real challenge is to get visitors to keep coming back."
With the complexity, detailed arrangement, and brilliant color graphics of many popular Web sites, it is easy for Web design novices and intermediates to feel intimidated when faced with the challenge of creating a site of their own. Fortunately, in Web Designer's Guide to Adobe Photoshop, author Chris Tull explains how to create Web pages that rival many of today's most impressive Web sites using Adobe Photoshop, the image editing software that has changed the way information and concepts are exchanged on the World Wide Web. By using Photoshop, designers can create complex shapes, crop and combine existing images, and organize these images using layering techniques. Tull introduces Photoshop in a way that simplifies what many perceive as a daunting undertaking when creating the images and graphics needed for a successful Web site. He not only defines design terminology, but also provides hands-on tutorials featuring fictitious clients. The tutorials teach the reader to create industry images with the aid of various Photoshop tools. "The World of Web Design" covers information that Web designers should know, such as appropriate digital image dimensions and how a computer monitor displays primary colors. Tull explains the two basic formats of digital images, bitmap and vector images, along with the limitations of their use. For instance, vector images are best suited for logos and graphics because they cannot depict the details of a photograph in the same way as bitmap formats. Perhaps the most crucial section of the book is "Working with Dreamweaver?." Popular with professional Web designers, Dreamweaver is often used to upload images onto Web pages. This chapter highlights Dreamweaver's tools for creating backgrounds and rollover images, and for adding text to a Web site. (There is no way to add text in Photoshop unless the text is a part of an image.) Tull offers an in-depth look at the Dreamweaver environment, highlighting features that users may not be familiar with. Tull devotes two chapters to the features of professional Web pages and the type of clients that would be attracted to them. For designers creating professional pages, the author covers common business formats such as the use of left navigation panes, top title panes, and textured graphics with text. Clients who want more modern Web pages enjoy the use of sans-serif fonts, white space, and bold color. "Going Live with Your Web Site" reminds designers to be aware of their allotted file space and the number of visitors expected to the site. Tull offers insight on the types of Web hosts that designers should seek, depending on the Web site's purpose. For example, with a personal or hobby Web site, designers should seek out the free services of their Internet Service Provider (ISP). For e-commerce Web sites, he advises that Web hosts should be able to offer support such as assisting with the taking of credit card orders. Tull effectively educates readers on how to navigate the intricate yet amazing world of Photoshop using personal recommendations, simplified terminology, and step-by-step tutorials. He encourages readers to further their understanding of Web design through a brief glossary, book recommendations, and a listing of designers' top 10 mistakes, such as browser incompatibility, inadequate photo enlargement, and inappropriate fonts that can create legibility concerns. Whatever reason you choose to design a Web site, whether you want to impress an important business client or to showcase your favorite hobbies, when it comes to the end result, Tull says it best: "...the real challenge is to get visitors to keep coming back."