Amazon.com Review
While it may not show 100 ways of creating buttons, or how to get slick chrome effects,
Adobe Photoshop 6.0 Web Design does offer a thoughtful and image-packed look at using Photoshop to design for the Web.
The first of four sections gives an overview of Web basics--how all the elements work and what the main issues are (e.g., browser problems; Web palettes; the differences between image formats like GIFs, JPEGs, and PNGs). The second section covers the basics of Photoshop with a focus on creating Web content (for example, fixing digital photos for Web display or making smooth GIF animations). There's also a section on when it might be better to use ImageReady. (This coverage has been beefed up since the previous edition.)
Anyone can make GIFs and JPEGs, but the real pros know how make images look good with not much bandwidth. So, the third section details optimizing image sizes, for which both Photoshop and ImageReady offer ample tools. The last section deals with basic GoLive tools--fitting the pieces together to create Web pages. Little tutorials appear throughout to walk readers through pivotal scenarios like "Creating Slices and Rollovers" and "HTML Authoring."
It's appropriate that this book, aimed at visually inclined designers, is filled with images: each page features full-color illustrations and screen shots--it's beautifully designed. The opening chapters make this an excellent choice for readers new to the topic (defining terms, exploring the design concepts behind planning a good site, and interviews with successful Web designers). Later sections, which discuss compression algorithms, cascading style sheets (CSS), and preparing and embedding video and audio, make this a good choice for intermediate users. But the main audience will be designers who have used Photoshop in their print work and now want to start designing Web sites.
Besides Photoshop, ImageReady, and GoLive, the book also touches on other useful applications, like Alien Skin's Xenofex and Eye Candy 4000; Apple's QuickTime VR and Final Cut Pro; RealProducer; and SoundJam. Here, as throughout, the author may not show all the details, but he does provide the fundamental principles that ensure a sound foundation of knowledge to build on. --Angelynn Grant
Topics covered: Introduction to Web design using the tools of Adobe Photoshop 6, ImageReady 3, and GoLive 5, including
- An overview of Web design-related issues
- Creating images for the Web
- Working with layers, actions and filters
- Comparing image formats and discussing compression algorithms
- Optimizing file sizes
- Creating rollovers, animations, and background images
- Going from ImageReady to GoLive to assemble elements into a Web page
From the Back Cover
As Web designers become more HTML savvy, many turn to Photoshop as their main design tool. And if you're like most other designers who use multiple products to create a finished site, Adobe Photoshop 6.0 Web Design is written just for you. In this gorgeous four-color book, Web designer Michael Baumgardt shows you how to use Adobe's suite of tools for professional Web design. Covering Photoshop, GoLive and ImageReady, this new edition is fully updated to reflect the changes in GoLive 5, Photoshop 6, and ImageReady 3. The book starts out with the basics of using Adobe tools to create the most important elements of a Web site. Then it demonstrates how to use the newest features, including image compression, creating GIF animations, building dynamic Web content, designing navigational elements, managing Web-safe colors and more.
