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Graphics in Web pages

Hello,

I wanted to know if anybody has any good suggestions of any books
or other resources that could teach me how to make good Web graphics
and how to use them in HTML to make Web pages look good.

When I say graphics, I mean GIFs and not any flash or anything like
that.

I am a PHP programmer and I know how to use HTML and CSS well, but
I am horrible at making buttons, background images, logos etc. and
I really don't know how to implement images into HTML to help make
the Web page look good. Not only do I need to learn how to make the
images but also how to put them into the HTML -- how it all works
together well.

Does anybody know of which software to use and good books that have
good examples and so on?

Please help, using graphics in my Web pages to make them look good
is my missing ingredient.

Thanks,
Nick
Jul 17 '05 #1
18 2097
Nick,

My suggestions would be:

1) Buy Photoshop (with ImageReady) and learn how to use those. (They
can export your images to the correct html tables and whatnot)
2) Visit LOTS of web sites and read TONS of magazine ads. Bookmark &
clip the ones that you think look good.
3) Ask yourself and analyze WHY something looks good.
4) Try to pay special attention to spacing and alignment of text &
graphics
5) Avoid "GOING NUTS" with font usage. That's a sure way to set off
the amateur alarm.
6) REMEMBER: Simplicity and readability speak VOLUMES
7) Enjoy the ride. Five Years from now, you'll look back at your
proudest work and scream "WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?!?!?!" :)

jEY
Jul 17 '05 #2
Jey Gifford wrote:
Nick,

My suggestions would be:

1) Buy Photoshop (with ImageReady) and learn how to use those. (They
can export your images to the correct html tables and whatnot)
2) Visit LOTS of web sites and read TONS of magazine ads. Bookmark &
clip the ones that you think look good.
3) Ask yourself and analyze WHY something looks good.
4) Try to pay special attention to spacing and alignment of text &
graphics
5) Avoid "GOING NUTS" with font usage. That's a sure way to set off
the amateur alarm.
6) REMEMBER: Simplicity and readability speak VOLUMES
7) Enjoy the ride. Five Years from now, you'll look back at your
proudest work and scream "WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?!?!?!" :)

jEY

Amen!

Roy... you must be bad in Photoshop!

These samples are very, very average.

Just few actions and you could do magic in Photoshop.

And in some sites you could d/load them for free.


Jul 17 '05 #3
Some tips...

1 Photoshop/ImageReady: Use these to make decent images/buttons/menus.
ImageReady can slice an image up into links and do some stuff that can
really save you time.
2. Dreamweaver MX: A quick an easy way to format everything. MS Word will
put ALOT of extra stuff into a html page for formatting.
3. Stylesheets: By far the best way of getting some consistancy onto your
site.

"Henry" <sm********@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:41********@quokka.wn.com.au...
Jey Gifford wrote:
Nick,

My suggestions would be:

1) Buy Photoshop (with ImageReady) and learn how to use those. (They
can export your images to the correct html tables and whatnot)
2) Visit LOTS of web sites and read TONS of magazine ads. Bookmark &
clip the ones that you think look good.
3) Ask yourself and analyze WHY something looks good.
4) Try to pay special attention to spacing and alignment of text &
graphics
5) Avoid "GOING NUTS" with font usage. That's a sure way to set off
the amateur alarm.
6) REMEMBER: Simplicity and readability speak VOLUMES
7) Enjoy the ride. Five Years from now, you'll look back at your
proudest work and scream "WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?!?!?!" :)

jEY

Amen!

Roy... you must be bad in Photoshop!

These samples are very, very average.

Just few actions and you could do magic in Photoshop.

And in some sites you could d/load them for free.

Jul 17 '05 #4
Henry wrote:
Jey Gifford wrote:
Nick,

My suggestions would be:

1) Buy Photoshop (with ImageReady) and learn how to use those. (They
can export your images to the correct html tables and whatnot)
2) Visit LOTS of web sites and read TONS of magazine ads. Bookmark &
clip the ones that you think look good.
3) Ask yourself and analyze WHY something looks good.
4) Try to pay special attention to spacing and alignment of text &
graphics
5) Avoid "GOING NUTS" with font usage. That's a sure way to set off
the amateur alarm.
6) REMEMBER: Simplicity and readability speak VOLUMES
7) Enjoy the ride. Five Years from now, you'll look back at your
proudest work and scream "WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?!?!?!" :)

jEY

Amen!

Roy... you must be bad in Photoshop!

These samples are very, very average.

Just few actions and you could do magic in Photoshop.

And in some sites you could d/load them for free.


These are _not_ logos I designed. Think of them as a basic templates (have
you read the text at the top of this thumbnails page?).

--
Roy Schestowitz
http://schestowitz.com
Jul 17 '05 #5
Nick wrote:

I wanted to know if anybody has any good suggestions of
any books or other resources that could teach me how to
make good Web graphics... When I say graphics, I mean GIFs
and not any flash or anything like that.


The first thing you should know is that "good Web graphics" are either
JPEG or PNG. Competent web designers all switched from GIF to PNG
several years ago.

There are a number of hint and tips web sites for programs like
Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and Gimp. You might also like to check out
sites like A List Apart, Top Ten Mistakes Of Web Design, Digital Web
Magazine, and CSS Zen Garden (and each of these will lead you on to
other, equally interesting sites):

A List Apart
http://www.alistapart.com/

Top Ten Mistakes Of Web Design
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990530.html

Digital Web Magazine
http://www.digital-web.com/

CSS Zen Garden
http://www.csszengarden.com/

However, I just noticed that you set the follow-up to a binaries
newsgroup, and that your responses to people who have already replied to
you are pretty obnoxious. It looks to me like you didn't really want
your question answered. Even so, I'll send this reply to the newsgroup
on which I originally read your request, and maybe someone will find it
useful.

bblackmoor
2004-11-11
Jul 17 '05 #6
Brandon Blackmoor <bb********@blackgate.net> wrote in
news:2v*************@uni-berlin.de:
I wanted to know if anybody has any good suggestions of
any books or other resources that could teach me how to
make good Web graphics... When I say graphics, I mean GIFs
and not any flash or anything like that.


The first thing you should know is that "good Web graphics" are either
JPEG or PNG. Competent web designers all switched from GIF to PNG
several years ago.


also, PNG is royalty free, while GIF isnt anymore because the patent
holder decided to get greedy.

also also, there is nothing at all wrong with flash. its easy to use and
allows for things that standard graphics and animated GIFs just cannot do
well, if at all.

'good' web graphics depend entirely what you want to do. one thing will
be excellent for one site but horrible for another. there is no 'one size
fits all'. Once you know what to do, the best resources are all the
examples available to you on the web, your own natural sense of design,
and other peoples comments. Use the last one as much as possible.

cheers :o)
Jul 17 '05 #7
On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:33:36 -0000, Theo <in*****@noemail.com> wrote:
also, PNG is royalty free, while GIF isnt anymore because the patent
holder decided to get greedy.


The last of the GIF patents expired worldwide earlier this year - which is why
GIF write support is now back in the recent versions of the GD library.

--
Andy Hassall / <an**@andyh.co.uk> / <http://www.andyh.co.uk>
<http://www.andyhsoftware.co.uk/space> Space: disk usage analysis tool
Jul 17 '05 #8
Andy Hassall <an**@andyh.co.uk> wrote in
news:ej********************************@4ax.com:
On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:33:36 -0000, Theo <in*****@noemail.com> wrote:
also, PNG is royalty free, while GIF isnt anymore because the patent
holder decided to get greedy.


The last of the GIF patents expired worldwide earlier this year -
which is why
GIF write support is now back in the recent versions of the GD
library.


didnt know that.

wonder why they decided to try and make a bitof money when there were
only a couple years left, considering that there must have been someone
that spoke up and said graphic software would simply not carry it
anymore... which then meant that people would move away from GIFs. Talk
about shooting yourself in the foot :P
Jul 17 '05 #9
The first thing you should know is that "good Web graphics" are either
JPEG or PNG. Competent web designers all switched from GIF to PNG
several years ago.

also, PNG is royalty free, while GIF isnt anymore because the patent
holder decided to get greedy.


Absolute rubbish. (IMHO!)
GIF is widely used because it is an excellent image format which in most
cases gives a smaller file size. All patents have now expired.

also also, there is nothing at all wrong with flash. its easy to use and
allows for things that standard graphics and animated GIFs just cannot do
well, if at all.


Flash requires a plugin within the browser. Many people don't like using
plugins. Unless use of flash is very subtly applied and created by
experts, in my opinion, it ruins a lot of sites.
Jul 17 '05 #10
2metre <2m****@xxxhersham.net> wrote in news:cn1uig$c7c$1
@hercules.btinternet.com:
Flash requires a plugin within the browser. Many people don't like using
plugins. Unless use of flash is very subtly applied and created by
experts, in my opinion, it ruins a lot of sites.


flash plugins are pretty standard now, so nothing to download until there
is a new version, and even then its one of the easier things to do. For the
second part, you are quite correct. Anything that is overused and not
meshed into the whole presentation properly is bad... goes for everything,
not just flash. :o)
Jul 17 '05 #11
On 11/11/04 11:51 pm, in article ej********************************@4ax.com,
"Andy Hassall" <an**@andyh.co.uk> wrote:
On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:33:36 -0000, Theo <in*****@noemail.com> wrote:
also, PNG is royalty free, while GIF isnt anymore because the patent
holder decided to get greedy.


The last of the GIF patents expired worldwide earlier this year - which is why
GIF write support is now back in the recent versions of the GD library.


My server says that I have read support for gifs on the GD section. I'm
running GD2 so is there a way to switch write support on?

Jul 17 '05 #12
On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 23:23:38 +0000 (UTC), Andy Jacobs <oc*@redcatmedia.net>
wrote:
On 11/11/04 11:51 pm, in article ej********************************@4ax.com,
"Andy Hassall" <an**@andyh.co.uk> wrote:
On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:33:36 -0000, Theo <in*****@noemail.com> wrote:
also, PNG is royalty free, while GIF isnt anymore because the patent
holder decided to get greedy.


The last of the GIF patents expired worldwide earlier this year - which is why
GIF write support is now back in the recent versions of the GD library.


My server says that I have read support for gifs on the GD section. I'm
running GD2 so is there a way to switch write support on?


Upgrade to PHP 4.3.9 would be the best way.

--
Andy Hassall / <an**@andyh.co.uk> / <http://www.andyh.co.uk>
<http://www.andyhsoftware.co.uk/space> Space: disk usage analysis tool
Jul 17 '05 #13
>also also, there is nothing at all wrong with flash. its easy to use and
allows for things that standard graphics and animated GIFs just cannot do
well, if at all.


How about the problem that a plugin that does flash is unavailable
(and I believe also unavailable at any price) for the browsers I
use? (hint: non-Microsoft OS). Even the on-flash portion of the
page is ruined by the repeated prompts to download a nonexistent
plugin.

Gordon L. Burditt
Jul 17 '05 #14
go***********@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) wrote in
news:cn********@library1.airnews.net:
also also, there is nothing at all wrong with flash. its easy to use
and allows for things that standard graphics and animated GIFs just
cannot do well, if at all.


How about the problem that a plugin that does flash is unavailable
(and I believe also unavailable at any price) for the browsers I
use? (hint: non-Microsoft OS). Even the on-flash portion of the
page is ruined by the repeated prompts to download a nonexistent
plugin.

Gordon L. Burditt

http://www.macromedia.com/software/f...fo/systemreqs/
Jul 17 '05 #15
On 13/11/04 2:12 am, in article cn********@library1.airnews.net, "Gordon
Burditt" <go***********@burditt.org> wrote:
also also, there is nothing at all wrong with flash. its easy to use and
allows for things that standard graphics and animated GIFs just cannot do
well, if at all.


How about the problem that a plugin that does flash is unavailable
(and I believe also unavailable at any price) for the browsers I
use? (hint: non-Microsoft OS). Even the on-flash portion of the
page is ruined by the repeated prompts to download a nonexistent
plugin.


I'm afraid that people like you count for such a small percentage of
visitors that it is most likely that you will suffer more than the site
author from lack of a plugin.

Jul 17 '05 #16
2metre wrote:

All patents have now expired.


This is true, now, but rather moot. PNG is in all ways a superior raster
image format. There is no reason to use GIFs.

bblackmoor
2004-11-17
Jul 17 '05 #17
2metre wrote:

Unless use of flash is very subtly applied and created by
experts, in my opinion, it ruins a lot of sites.


Flash, as a technology, has a lot to recommend it, particularly as a
replacement for PowerPoint. On the web, however, it is nearly always
used badly (most web sites for new movies serve as poster children for
"how NOT to design a web site with Flash"). Generally speaking, it is
better to avoid Flash. Your site will be more accessible, more usable,
and probably more attractive.

bblackmoor
2004-11-17
Jul 17 '05 #18
Brandon Blackmoor <bb********@blackgate.net> wrote in
news:30*************@uni-berlin.de:
2metre wrote:

Unless use of flash is very subtly applied and created by
experts, in my opinion, it ruins a lot of sites.


Flash, as a technology, has a lot to recommend it, particularly as a
replacement for PowerPoint. On the web, however, it is nearly always
used badly (most web sites for new movies serve as poster children for
"how NOT to design a web site with Flash"). Generally speaking, it is
better to avoid Flash. Your site will be more accessible, more usable,
and probably more attractive.

bblackmoor
2004-11-17


As you said... badly. Its a design problem. No different than if someone
loads a page up with really ugly jpgs or, gasp, uses rainbow colors on
all the text... the 60s redux!
Jul 17 '05 #19

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