Photoshop and Dreamweaver Integration (One-Off)

Rating:
Summary: Photoshop and Dreamweaver Integration
Review: A review of some random chapters for the book Photoshop and Dreamweaver Integration by Colin Smith.

Chapter2
UNDERSTAND AND USE COLOR AND
IMAGERY TO REINFORCE THE MESSAGE

Everything to do with color, talking with color, color anatomy, choosing colors.
An in-depth look into Photoshop's color palette/picker and creating your own colors.
It also explains to you why you should still be using "web- safe" colors, the swatches pallet and building your own color palette.
Some very good information on color combinations and colors that complement each other for the beginner and I would say for the more advanced user also.
And what about choosing a texture to add to your entry page, I never thought to do that, very neat idea.
This chapter also explains about tiled backgrounds, creating tiled backgrounds, and creating seamless backgrounds in photoshop.
The last part of chapter 2 is giving you some good advice on choosing the right images for a web site.

Chapter7
STREAMLINING THE PROCESS-
USING CASCADING STYLE SHEETS AND TEMPLATES

To simplify the process of building a web site, learning to create Cascading style sheets (CSS) and Dreamweaver templates are essential.
This chapter explains how to create CSS in Dreamweaver, attach a style sheet, modify one, and the advantages of creating your own CSS style in Dreamweaver.
You are also shown how to create templates, use them, modify, add content, create hyperlinks, change appearance of a hyperlink, and convert a page to a template.

Chapter11
ADDING THE COOL FACTOR

This chapter kicks off with using frames to create an image gallery in Dreamweaver. You make a left frame for thumbnail images and make a main frame to show a larger version of the thumbnail image.
You get involved with setting frame properties and creating pages to load into the frame.
Targeting the frame so that the right image/page loads into the right frame. Considerations in using frames.
This chapter also shows you how to make a picture gallery using photoshop automation tools.
I was pleased to see in this chapter creating an iframe. Boy did I have fun and games when I first did an inline frame (iframe). Not many Dreamweaver books show you how to do an iframe the easy way.
I'm pleased to say this is the second book that shows you how its done the easy way.
Rolling along its creating pop-up windows and jump menus. Many people think these are the same. They are not as you will find out. If you ever wanted to know how to stretch a website to fit the browser then the "Building a Liquid Site" is what you want.

My thoughts on the chapters
The content of the chapters are truly amazing and no doubt should please the majority if not all.
The mix of Photoshop with Dreamweaver I feel is well balanced, especially with the importance of both programs. The handy tips and notes throughout the book are essential, I feel a good book. In a nutshell these chapters are perfect.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Have For Any Web Designer
Review: A wonderful book that covers all sections in great detail. It starts off at the "thinking" phase of a design with a description of color theory and then instantly you are getting some real world examples. Throughout the book you will find examples of sites that illustrate the chosen topic. I like the that any skill level can pick up this book and feel comfortable with the knowledge they pick up while at the same time a pro can benefit from this book as well. Colin's unique writing style shines in this book, it isn't just a "boring manual", and the results are instantly noticed once you complete a chapter. One of my favorite chapters explains "CSS" and then walks you through the steps needed in Dreamweaver to create very powerful designs. Another great section in this book is the history of web design and how it has evolved. I will be recommending this book to all of my fellow web designer friends, and look forward to future releases by Colin.

-matt

Rating:
Summary: Well worth the money!
Review: An excellent book for someone just starting out and yet still has lots to offer for the seasond pro. This book walks you through the entire process from concept to publishing a finished professional looking website. I've been working in the multimedia field for a few years now but haven't done much web work in the last couple and even though I'm fairly comfortable in both programs, with a couple of web projects on the horizon I felt like a refresher would be a good idea. This book allowed me to get up to speed in no time by showing me some things I've never used and giving me new ways to look at things I'd already learned. I really liked the fact that Colin doesn't just show you the tools he explains why he's using them the way he's using them. The friendly writing style and full color illustrations made it an enjoyable yet informative read instead of making me feel like I was reading a text book. I'll be keeping it on my desk as reference tool for my upcoming projects and I've recommended it to a friend that's new to design. The design principles and color theory will be invaluable to him.

Rating:
Summary: Need no more ...
Review: I received this book on Tuesday , took me two days to finish it !

I enjoyed the Photoshop Most Wanted editions and I learned a lot from 'from photoshop to dreamweaver' ....

I couldn't resist to let him show me some more tricks!

Nice work, really nice explained (some knowledge of PS & DW is a plus), but it really fits the previous mentioned books to make stunning websites !

Rating:
Summary: Good Discussion of Both Products
Review: These two packages are hands down the first choice among professionals for web design. Photoshop is easily the most popular image editing and creation application, and has enjoyed the unrivaled position at the top of the design industry for years. Dreamweaver is the favored took for taking all these beautiful graphics and arranging them for display on the web.

This is about a two (maybe three) day book, if you already have some knowledge of Photoshop. Add another day or two if you do not. One really strong point in the book is its concern with things like how fast the web page loads. So many earlier web sites were so extensively graphics oriented that people got tired of waiting for them to load. The site being designed in the book uses small but carefully designed graphics to add eye appeal.


Rating:
Summary: Awsome Book!!!
Review: This book is the best resource on the subject of combining Photoshop and Dreamweaver to create websites like the pros.

This is Colin's second book on the subject. Both books are great, but this new one includes high quality color illustrations that suppliment the easy to follow step-by-step instructions.

Downloadable work files and examples from this book are available on Colin's website. His training DVD that can be purchased separately is a great add-on to this book because you can see many of the key topics with different content.

This book answers the questions that we all have on the subject. Finally, the secrets to top website design are out!!!

Rating:
Summary: No Dancing Teddy Bears - Just Good Design
Review: This is an awesome resource for anyone who is serious about building a web site. Colin teaches the basics and then gets into the more advanced techniques for web design, integrating two of the industry's leading web-building programs, Photoshop and Dreamweaver. As always Colin writes in a smooth easy-to-understand manner, carefully explaining each tool and technique.

Another great thing about this book is that it teaches "good" web design, as opposed to flashy, fancy, dancing teddy bears. You learn how to set up your page from header to content. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to design a web site.