Learn how to produce professional-level images, buttons, animations, navigation bars, and graphical interfaces for the Web. This guide goes beyond teaching the functions of Fireworks by providing real-world projects that can be effectively incorporated in a professional Web site. This book includes two CD-ROMs containing Special Comstock Stock Photography with over 12,000 comping images, trial versions of Dreamweaver®, Flash™, and Freehand®, as well as sample artwork to use in the projects. The foreword for this book was written by J. Scott Hamlin, director of Eyeland Studio and author of Flash 5 Magic.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Joyce J. Evans has over 10 years of experience in teaching, tutorial development, and Web design. She authored Integrating Flash, Fireworks and FreeHand f/x & Design (Coriolis Group Books), received Editor's Choice Awards for her Fireworks 4 f/x & Design, and coauthored Dreamweaver 4: The Complete Reference. Currently, Joyce writes Web reviews, tutorials, and articles for Web Review, DT&G Graphic Design, The Internet Eye, and Art Today.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Forward by J. Scott Hamlin (Author of Flash 5 Magic)
Only a few short years ago, Web designers were lucky if they could find a few web-oriented graphic utilities for doing things like Web animation and image mapping. Image optimization was practically impossible and generating HTML tables and JavaScript rollover events were often multiday jobs. Today, tasks such as these are all but automated by programs like Macromedia's fireworks 4.
The Web has long since demonstrated key advantages over the printed page, as the web has grown in sophistication, so have the demands on the Web designer. Fortunately, Macromedia has responded with an accelerated development cycle for tools like Fireworks, Flash and Dream weaver. In years past, popular desktop publishing program upgrades often took several years, but new Internet technologies crop up almost daily, making even an annual development cycle fell like a delayed reaction. On the other side of that is the Web designer who is forced to stay current with as many of these technologies as possible to remain competitive.
Perhaps, in the end, this is why programs like Macromedia Fireworks are so valuable. By reducing some of the most commonly required Web-design tasks from multiday prospects to a matter of 15-20 minutes, Web designers are ultimately freed up both to keep up with the industry trends as well as to focus more on design and less on the technical issues of implementing the design. While there's always a learning curve that comes with a new version of a program like Macromedia Fireworks, there's also, thankfully, books like Fireworks 4 f/x & Design to help us learn new features and capabilities as quickly as possible.
Joyce Evans has done a remarkable job of clearly and concisely uncovering the capabilities of Fireworks 4. Fireworks 4 f/x & Design doesn't resort to the fluff and nonsense so common in books these days. Rather, Joyce systematically covers the techniques and features in Fireworks 4 that are of real value to professional Web Designers. Fireworks 4 f/x & Design will allow you to quickly dispense with learning the tool and return to what you get paid to do: design Web pages.
J. Scott Hamlin Director, Eyeland Studio Author of: Flash 5 Magic
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring,
By Tracy (California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fireworks 4 f/x & Design (Paperback)
I must say that this book gave me more than my moneys worth!! How anyone can possibly compare it to a Quickstart guide escapes all logic. This book is intermediate as stated and assumes you know the basics. Which is exactly why I purchased it. I learned how to make complex shapes suitable for navigation. The techniques taught helped me implement my own designs. Another section I found very valuabe is the slicing and optimizing. How to best slice up a document and then how to optimize the individual slices for the fasted download times. A real usefull project was the one on deconstructing an animation. Not only can I now look at an animation and learn how someone else did something but I also learned how to look at any Fireworks source file and see what effects, fills, strokes and settings were used. All the files used in the book are included on the CD-ROM so if I was confused I would look at the file to see what I was missing. I did find a few "minor" errors which is to be expected, but nothing an intermediate user couldn't quickly identify. Plus most of the time all I had to do was check the Website for updates, watch one of the quick time movies or send an email to the author.Which by way answered any request the very same day. I learned tons of stuff about masking, how to mask an image without loosing pixels in the process, how to apply gradients and how to use gradients for lighting effects. The book is layed out in a logical format, even though it's intention is not to teach the programs basics, it still does a great job of teaching all the vital areas, such as how to fix those pesky pop-up menus problems and advanced features such as using Levels and photo restoration. If you are serious about using Fireworks for Web site design then you'll want to get this book. If you have a local bookstore pick up a copy to look at then come back and purchase it. I honestly don't think you'll be disappointed.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wowee!!,
By Joyce (Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fireworks 4 f/x & Design (Paperback)
I've just gone through this book and am I impressed. Theres no technical jargon, nor does the author talk down to us, it's like she is sitting next to me and walking through every single step. The really helpful part is that there are many concepts that are not only explained "how" to do them but "why".When I saw there was a supporting Web site I decided to test it out and see if a real person responded. She did and was quite helpful and pleasant, this author does care about us. The CD, well.. one of the CDs that come with the book had some bonus movie tutorials included. I had to unzip them but hey that's no big deal. I'd rather do that than not get them at all because of CD space (explained in the readme). I've worked with the Bezier tool before but was real clumsy when it came to editing them. The beziercurves movie really helped me finally grasp the idea. Ok, so what's in the book? I did a quick count and there are over 50 different projects and exercises, and not your token scribbles to demonstrate a point, but real usable interfaces that I can reproduce myself. I liked the fact that I wasn't teased with a picture of a whole Web interface, and then only get the instructions for one small part of how to make it. Fireworks 4 f/x and Design includes many samples of the entire Web site or interface. There are even tips on how to place those pesky pop-up menus in Dreamweaver and how to edit them. This book helped me realize the degree of image editing I could really do in Fireworks. I had no idea how great it was for things like tonal control, the levels command and other color adjustments. You'll find collages made using masking techniques, plenty of navigation solutions, learn how to make your own commands and use special effects. The second CD has comping images for use in presentations to clients that you can use to demo an idea which really saves me a lot of time when I'm doing a quick mock up. I really dislike searching for a sample image. I appreciate the fact that prior to a project being taught the techniques to perform it has been previously shared. For being a design book, it's pretty comprehensive and is a no nonsense book without any of the gratuitous babble that is so often found. My overall impression is that this book is a rare find and there are plenty of ideas that will return my money to me many times.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fireworks 4 f/x & Design - I Give it 5 Thumbs Up!!!!!,
By Nicholas Brudnicki (Mississauga, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fireworks 4 f/x & Design (Paperback)
This f/x & Design book is a joy to read. Right from the outset you are drawn into the mesmerizing world of Fireworks. Learning and doing...learning and doing...with over 50 projects placed throughout the chapters. It's definitely an action packed ride with hardly a moment to catch your breath.The writing is is of the highest quality and I found myself reading every single paragraph with bated breath to see what was going to happen next. The projects and exercises are on par with the level of this book and Joyce even throws in 14 quicktime tutorial movies covering topics such as masking, gradients and the famous gel button. As a former Photoshop user, this book brings me to terms with the power and sheer brilliance that Fireworks is. With this being Joyce's first book, I can only imagine how amazing her future ones are going to be. Joyce, you just keep writing them and we will read. This is a sure fire winner and a must for everyones bookshelf. This book ROCKS!!! A unanimous 5 thumbs up.
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