My favorite aspect of using Fireworks and Dreamweaver in conjunction is how easily you can switch between the applications. Whether you create the entire page in Fireworks or just one part of it, everything can become a part of your final web page. Since Dreamweaver actually has a command for importing Fireworks HTML, the two applications share a streamlined workflow. You can quickly create graphics like buttons and banners within Fireworks and import them into Dreamweaver. For prototypes, mock-ups and basic web design, it has everything you need.Įven if you don’t use Fireworks to generate final web pages, it makes for a powerful combination with Dreamweaver.
The generated code isn’t very tidy but it works perfectly. It is quite possible to create an entire functional static web site using just Fireworks. The exported files can be customized through slices and optimization settings. With the pages panel it is possible to create and organize master and sub pages, and then export working HTML and CSS files. You can create buttons, navigation bars, hotspots and rollovers, all from within the program. 2 – Build fully functional websitesįireworks has a powerful web layer. There is no browsing through layers required (and, yes, Fireworks lets you work with layers and slices that retain their properties when imported into Photoshop). Or, you can just use the scale tool to resize it visually and then drag it anywhere you want to. Using Firework’s vector tools, you draw the ellipse and input the exact dimensions and positioning you want with numeric values entered directly into the property inspector. And Fireworks lets you control the appearance of all the objects down to the exact number of pixels and precise axis coordination.
Here are eleven great ways in which Fireworks helps you design more productively, whether you just need a prototype or the finished end product: 1 – Design with pixel-perfect accuracyĮverything you place on your Fireworks canvas is exactly how it will appear in your export. In essence, you might not even need to launch any other program if you are happy with what you create in Fireworks. However, this is where Fireworks really works its magic because anything you create within the application is WYSIWYG and ready to go. You are thinking… ‘so what? I still have to create the actual artwork in Photoshop’.
Fireworks is primarily a tool for creating graphics for the web, screen and a number of devices. Let’s start with the official purpose of Fireworks as outlined by the folks at Adobe. This is not unexpected: most designers are accustomed to using core Adobe products like Photoshop for their work and view Fireworks skeptically as a half-baked design tool that serves no individual purpose.īut as I, and a growing number of Fireworks enthusiasts have discovered, not only is Fireworks the best possible launching pad for all manners of creative work but it’s also a consummate design tool in itself. Now some of you might already be familiar with Fireworks, others will know it’s the one with the yellow icon in the Adobe suite and a good majority will be completely unaware of how Fireworks can fit in their personal design toolkit. Any guesses on what they all have in common?Īll three of these pieces were created using just one piece of software: Adobe Fireworks. Here is a snapshot of a fully functional web page, a detailed infographic and a print-ready data sheet.