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About the Book |
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Creating Great Web Graphics, the original version, was a top ten selling title for Amazon.com books in 1996.
The revised edition was featured in Publisher's Weekly (June 1997). Although this book was published quite a while back, you should find some of the information here still applicable. GIFs are still GIFs and basic HTML hasn't changed. Creating Great Web Graphics gives basic step-by-step techniques so that the reader can create great, professional-looking graphics in just a few short steps, using either Photoshop 4.0 or Corel PhotoPaint 7. Think you're not artistic? Not a problem! This book was written for people who want to create simple graphics easily, by following step by step examples. The book is illustrated in full color. You can order the book (Creating Great Web Graphics, by Laurie McCanna, ISBN 1-55828-479-6) from your local bookstore or from Amazon.Com Bookstore online. You'll find brief descriptions of each chapter below, along with sample recipes for creating seamless background tiles Chapter 4, and downloadable icons from Chapter 3. How is this revised version different from the first version? This new version contains over 80 pages of new information, more than 40 new step by step examples, a large Resource section of helpful web sites, and a huge hex code color chart. |
Chapter 1 |
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Chapter One covers the reasons for anti-aliasing web graphics and for working at low resolutions. This chapter includes demonstrations on anti-aliasing type and graphics for both Photoshop and Corel PhotoPaint. The chapter closes with a simple overview of saving a file in .gif and .jpg formats and the importance of file naming conventions. |
Chapter 2 |
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You'll learn the some basics of screen resolutions, units of measurements, and using filters by leading you through step-by-step examples of creating small colored ball icons. The first method demonstrated in this chapter uses the more traditional painting tools and the second method uses filters to create the effects.
The chapter closes with 15 step-by-step examples for creating your own colored ball icons in both Photoshop and in PhotoPaint. |
Chapter 3 |
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Gives examples of simple, clear designs for icons for web sites, including the use of standardized sizes for graphics to unify your web site's look and feel. This lesson covers the creation of simple beveled edged icons for a three-dimensional look. The examples include creating an icon with a picture and a textured icon with text. Briefly covers the use of Eye Candy filters from Alien Skin with Photoshop and the Alien Skin filters built into PhotoPaint. The chapter closes with 15 cool step-by-step examples for creating different types of beveled edged icons in both Photoshop and PhotoPaint.You can download some icons from this chapter, too! |
Chapter 4 |
| You'll find an excerpt from this chapter, and both Photoshop and Corel PhotoPaint tutorials taken from Creating Great Web Graphics. |
Chapter 5 |
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This chapter contains an overview of web page design, covering organization, emphasis and unity so that the content is easily seen. Demonstrates techniques such as changing your page to grayscale to locate problem design areas. Covers the use of some HTML basics and the use of hex codes in browsers for background and text colors.
The chapter includes hex code charts for Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, non-dithering color palettes, and hex code conversion to RGB values. Chapter 5 closes with a list of design cliches to avoid. |
Chapter 6 |
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Chapter 6 focuses on scanning for the web, covering both screen and scanner resolution options. The tutorials cover the use of filters in Photoshop and PhotoPaint for altering and enhancing images, as well as fixing a bad scan. A useful chart of filter effects in Photoshop and PhotoPaint is included.
The chapter closes with a demonstration on how to colorize a gray-scale photo that has been scanned. |
Chapter 7 |
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This chapter takes you beyond the basic ball and rectangle icons by showing how to create interesting edges and designs. The tutorials show how to use filters and duotone in Photoshop and PhotoPaint to create the effects.
The chapter closes with 15 step-by-step examples for creating different types of effects using filters in both Photoshop and PhotoPaint. |
Chapter 8 |
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This chapter covers two of the crucial concepts in web graphics, indexing colors and file formats. The goal is to teach better ways for reducing file size while maintaining quality so that images upload quickly. Covers GIF vs. JPEG, a checklist for creating smaller files, interlacing, and some browser considerations. Chapter 8 also discusses why you may not want to use the web palette.
The chapter closes with examples of how to create transparent GIFs in Photoshop and PhotoPaint, followed by a quick look at some other software for creating transparent GIFs. |
Chapter 9 |
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Describes some of the basic ways and limitations of how HTML handles fonts. Covers how to use shadows and transparent backgrounds in Photoshop and PhotoPaint to give the sense of floating type in your icons and images.
The chapter closes with 15 step-by-step examples for creating exciting type effects in both Photoshop and PhotoPaint. |
Chapter 10 |
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This chapter addresses the graphic world outside of GIFs and JPEGs, that is bitmap vs. vector files. Covers importing vector files from packages such as CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator, and Macromedia Freehand.
The chapter closes with some pointers to web sites that have information on very unusual file formats and a set of lists on file formats supported by Photoshop and PhotoPaint. If you've inherited an archive of graphics in unusual file formats, don't miss this chapter. |
Chapter 11 |
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This chapter covers techniques for speeding up repetitive tasks. Describes how to set up custom actions and batch processing for Photoshop users. Learn how to create a Photoshop action for creating an automatic drop shadow for your work. PhotoPaint users can learn how to customize PhotoPaint to suit your work habits, as well as use PhotoPaint's Command Recorder.
The chapter closes with some tips on getting organized. |
Chapter 12 |
| This chapter discusses the ways you can try to protect your artwork and steps you can take if you find out someone has misappropriated your work from your web site. |
Chapter 13 |
| This chapter, guided by hundreds of hours of teaching and troubleshooting HTML pages, shows how to use HTML to display your images in your web page. You'll learn about relative and absolute paths, and the IMG SRC tag.. Learn how to make a 2 color image that looks great, how to use a low bandwidth image as a preview, and more. |
Chapter 14 |
| Covers the use of GIF animation for adding low bandwidth movement to your web page. |
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