Web Design and Graphic Software by Ekta Verma
Macromedia's Studio 8 Suite Academic Software Package
Macromedia Dreamweaver
My first choice for HTML editors is Macromedia's Dreamweaver. It has an easy to
use, intuitive user interface and state of the art design tools. With a
customizable user interface, you can work the way you need to. Although the
student software doesn't come with manuals, Dreamweaver has excellent online
tutorials.
You can design intricate CSS-based layouts and designs easily with tools that
allow for quick selection and control of page and site wide style properties.
There is a built in graphics editor that uses Macromedia Fireworks technology.
Dreamweaver allows you to develop HTML, XHTML, XML, ASP, ASP.NET, JSP, PHP, and
Macromedia ColdFusion websites.
It has a cross-browser code validation feature that automatically checks tags
and CSS rules for compatibility across all the leading browsers and allows you
to configure browser preview for multiple browsers.
One of the nicest features is the Property Inspector that enables quick,
comprehensive property editing that makes getting it perfect a no-brainer. This
is the editor I use to create and maintain all of my web sites. I have used all
of the professional and many of the other HTML editors available and can say
that Dreamweaver is absolutely the best HTML editor. Since Dreamweaver is
taught in most graphic design curriculums, it inclusion in the academic
software package is needed.
Macromedia Fireworks
Fireworks is Macromedia's answer to Photoshop and is included in the student
software package. Fireworks has all the tools a web professional needs to
create everything from simple graphical buttons to sophisticated rollover
effects. You can import, edit, and integrate all major graphics formats,
including vector and bitmap images and easily export Fireworks images to Flash,
Dreamweaver, and third-party applications.
Besides all of the normal features you would expect in a professional photo
editing program, fireworks includes new interactive design features and the
ability to create pop-up menus in the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) format
without the need for programming. One thing Fireworks does exceptionally well
is batch processing. I use Fireworks batch processing all of the time to
optimize entire directories of photographs. I can resize and optimize 50
photographs in just a couple of minutes.
Macromedia Flash Pro 8
Flash is the industry leader for creation animation and video movies for
streaming over the internet. Flash creates movies with surprising small files
sizes. That translates to quick download times and the availability to use
flash animation on slower links and mobile devices and comes complete with
tools for video creation especially for mobile devices. Flash pro 8 provides
everything needed to create great looking videos. Since flash is being used
more frequently is essential that it be part of an academic software package.
Macromedia Contribute
Contribute is Macromedia's answer to the problem of content management. It
provides the ability to change the content of a website without having to know
anything about HTML, but does not need all the expensive software and databases
that a regular content management system uses. Contribute allows companies to
buy an inexpensive tool that lets them provide content without messing with the
design. Contribute is a solution that is custom-made for small to mid-sized
companies that don't need all the power of CMS, but would like some of the
benefits. Being included in the academic software package will give students an
opportunity to see how a very simple CMS system works.
Macromedia FlashPaper
FlashPaper generates compact, fast-opening Flash documents that can be
published to any website using Macromedia Contribute, Dreamweaver, or any other
HTML tool. FlashPaper creates Flash documents through intuitive Microsoft
Office integration and file drag and drop. Create Flash documents that are
immediately available cross-platform on any web browser. Compact Flash
documents open within a web page, eliminating the need for a separate viewer
application. Flash documents can also be incorporated into Flash projects.
Adding this to the student software package allows the student to experience
using a very handy tool.
Adobe Creative Suite 2.0 Premium Academic Software Package
Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop is the graphics industry standard and my choice of photo editing
software. I have to admit I love Photoshop. You can create original images or
modify photos using a wide range of painting, drawing, and retouching tools.
You can work the way that's best for you by creating personalized workspace and
tool settings and customized keyboard shortcuts. You can achieve sophisticated
results by compositing images, text, and effects on hundreds of layers that you
control by grouping into sets, color coding, and locking. You can simulate
traditional fine-art techniques with dry and wet brush effects, pastel,
charcoal, and more and even use brushes to add special effects such as grass
and leaves. There are tools to improve the color, contrast, and dynamic range
of any image, easily remove dust, scratches, blemishes, wrinkles, and other
flaws with the Healing Brush. Photoshop can give high quality output by working
with the complete raw data files from most major digital camera models. It's
great all-around imaging software. Photoshop is taught in all graphic
curriculums and had to be included in the student software package.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is also taught in every school's graphic curriculum and is
another essential part of a student software package. It is also an essential
tool for anyone who needs to express ideas visually in print, on the Web, and
in any other medium. When my clients send me a rough pencil drawing of the logo
they want for their business, I create the logo in Illustrator then import into
Photoshop to get it ready for their web page. Illustrator has great 3D
features, advanced typographical controls, Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)
integration and enhanced printing options. Illustrator will help create and
efficiently publish your artwork anywhere.
One of the nicest features is the ability to apply live effects without
affecting the underlying artwork, so you can edit at any time without starting
over. There are blending modes and transparency effects similar to those in
Photoshop software but, unlike Photoshop, Illustrator has intuitive tools such
as the Pencil, Smooth, Erase, and Pen tools.
Adobe InDesign
InDesign is the best page layout software available and is the choice of most
print design professionals. With the advent of paid subscription
totally-digital magazines, it is getting popular for laying out the print like
pages of these products. It can integrate with both Photoshop and Adobe's
Portable Document Format (PDF) file formats and supports the multiple layer
capability of Photoshop. It is an all around necessary tool for the
professional graphic designer. Although not usually covered in most
curriculums, it is a welcome addition to any academic software package,
Adobe GoLive
GoLive is Adobe's answer to Dreamweaver. It has all of the features that you
can find in Dreamweaver and is integrated directly into the rest of adobe
products. Personally, I prefer Dreamweaver but golive is an excellent HTML
editor and completes the suite for a web designer. Although usually on touched
in classes, GoLive is welcome addition to any student software package.
Adobe Acrobat
Acrobat is the number one tool used to create the widely used PDF document
format. With its built in security features that can prevent the user from
copying or changing the document and the ability to require a password to open
the document, acrobat is still one of the leading choices for creating paid
e-books. This program is an absolute necessity for a web designer and therefore
a welcome addition to the academic software package.
Adobe Version Cue
Version Cue is a file manager that tracks the different versions of the files
you create with the graphics as well as some others. It is a very nice tool if
you have several people collaborating on a project since you can maintains a
complete change history of the files.
If you are a student, teacher or educational institution that qualifies for the
academic software discount price, please visit Halfvalue.com
to see what is available.
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About the Author
Ekta Verma email: ekta@halfvalue.com
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