Dreamweaver and Flash Tutorial for Print Designers

[SwiftLives]

Yeah. I know. This should go in the Web Design forum. But I really want to ask this question specifically to print designers.

Any suggestions on a book to self-learn me some Flash and Dreamweaver? Or even some online classes?

I'm a print designer. Always have been. And I really have been hesitant to touch web design. My philosophy has always been that you're either good at design or you're good at programming. Not both.

But I find more and more people asking for website work in addition to print work. And I'm starting to feel like I need to at least have a passing acquaintance with Dreamweaver and Flash.

 

[shecky]

lynda.com for online. Adobe Classroom in a Book books for step-by-step example based reading.

 

[SwiftLives]

Thank you. I'll check those out.

 

[dopey220]

Here's something to think about.

Back when I was in middle school in the late 1990s, I decided to teach myself HTML coding. I had a pretty basic knowledge, but I understood it and could work with it. I lost interest in web design when I was in high school.

When I went to college I majored in print design, and graduated this past spring. Of course, designers these days are generally expected to have at least some web design skills. Now that I'm looking for jobs, I've been trying to develop some web skills and I've been looking for shortcuts. I played with iWeb (easy, but limited), GoLive (crap), and DreamWeaver (Powerful, but really steep learning curve IMO). As soon as I realized that approach wasn't working, I just decided to quit messing around and relearn to bode by hand.

A lot's changed in the HTML world in the past ten years, but it's sort of like riding a bike.

Check this awesome tutorial site out:

http://www.htmldog.com

Go through their basic (and I mean BASIC. They assume you know absolutely nothing) HTML and CSS tutorials, and you'll be amazed at how quickly things start to come together. Plus, once you have a good working knowledge, it'll make apps like DreamWeaver that much easier to use and understand.

Just my $.02.

 

[snickelfritz]

Yeah. I know. This should go in the Web Design forum. But I really want to ask this question specifically to print designers.

Any suggestions on a book to self-learn me some Flash and Dreamweaver? Or even some online classes?

I'm a print designer. Always have been. And I really have been hesitant to touch web design. My philosophy has always been that you're either good at design or you're good at programming. Not both.

But I find more and more people asking for website work in addition to print work. And I'm starting to feel like I need to at least have a passing acquaintance with Dreamweaver and Flash.

I found myself in exactly the same position back in '98.
Dreamweaver and GoLive are fairly easy to learn once you understand the basic concept of how the web works, and how CS3 applications can work together for more efficient web design.

Flash is another story; creating a functioning website is tangent to traditional web development paradigms, but once you start to "get it", it's actually easier in some ways than assembling traditional sites in Dreamweaver.
The design environment is certainly closer to what print designers are used to.
ie: Creating graphics and page layouts in Flash is similar to Illustrator.
(you can in fact create Flash symbols in Illustrator CS3)
Here's a Flash tutorial site I've found to be very helpful:
http://www.gotoandlearn.com/

 

[bob2131]

hi

should one learn dreameaver first, or flash first?

can you make full websites with JUST flash? or do you HAVE to incorporate flash stuff into a HTML app like dreamwever?

Im completely new to this,
thanks.

 

[UTclassof89]

At the end of the day, the Flash (.swf file) will sit on an HTML page, but Flash (the authoring tool) can create that page for you.

Dreamweaver is much easier to learn (so I'd do that first), but nothing you learn about DW will assist you in Flash (different tools--way more different that Illustrator is to Photoshop, for example)

 

[bob2131]

At the end of the day, the Flash (.swf file) will sit on an HTML page, but Flash (the authoring tool) can create that page for you.

Dreamweaver is much easier to learn (so I'd do that first), but nothing you learn about DW will assist you in Flash (different tools--way more different that Illustrator is to Photoshop, for example)

thankyou

so people DO use JUST flash, to make it all happen?

i just plan to make a simple site, real simple, but real nice, bit by bit.
i did it last year with dreamweaver, basic though.
Yeah i know dreamweaver and flash are diff, ive looked at them both.

just reading up a bit on html today.

can you make it all in flash and then upload to server with those files? are these uploadable files?

HTML is still the norm isnt isnt it?

HTML is to websites/internet....what music harmony and the musical scale is to music, right?