A question about images on websites.
Sorry ahead of time, this question will probably sound dumb to those who can answer it
Im still new to making websites, I only have one up and running right now that I run for a friend. I know very little html but im great with frontpage . Ive been able to figure alot of things out on my own, and Ive been trying to figure this out on my own (I hate having to ask, it seems so much better when I figure it out on my own) but I just cant figure it out...
I see with alot of templates and nicely designed sites, that there are alot of images that are just there for looks, and make the site look way better.
For example a site like
http://www.ogaming.com/
The buttons themselves, or the tables on the left and right for polls and menus, have images at the top, and a background that matches (or its just one background image). Also, the whole page there looks like its split up into a bunch of small frames, each with backgrounds that all follow a specific theme.
What im wondering is where do these images come from? Does each web designer have to draw these or make them in photoshop on their own? or does everyone just get them from free sites and modify them (I would assume theres some kind of rules against that)?
Ive been using temples for the couple of sites ive been trying to make, and they look amazing, but the more I can do on my own the better im gonna feel when I finnally do finish one of these sites.
Thanks for any help
DaveyBoy posted this at 02:15 — 3rd April 2006.
They have: 453 posts
Joined: Feb 2003
Yes, most designers create those kinds of things themselves - the ones on your example site are simple gradient backgrounds which are very easy to make in most paint programs.
Roo posted this at 02:16 — 3rd April 2006.
She has: 840 posts
Joined: Apr 1999
I use my own photos when I can because I'm into photography. Sometimes clients supply images, and if I don't have something I need or the client can't suppy, I buy from istock.
Roo
Megan posted this at 13:35 — 3rd April 2006.
She has: 11,421 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
A site like that would have been fully designed in Photoshop ahead of time. The designer there obviously has a lot of talent for complex graphics but things don't have to be that intricate. You could try starting with a simple set of navigation buttons for example.
Then, what happens is you slice up the layout in Photoshop and make the parts you need to keep into graphics. This is a little complex because as Davey said, you have to use some as backgrounds and some as regular images. Then you would put everything together in a tabled layout in your web design program. It takes a lot of work to get a working website that looks just like the photoshop layout.
Of course, now people are using different layout methods and aren't using photoshop so much to design everything ahead of time. You might still do a mock-up in Photoshop but most of the design you would be able to do with CSS so only a few bits of the mock-up image would need to be used as graphics on the actual website.
If you look at my personal site, for example, ( link in signature), I just had to make the header graphic and the two backgrounds. I don't think I even did a mock-up in photoshop for that one, because i knew what I wanted it to look like. Then I created the navigation using CSS and put everything together). I got the photo in the background from a stock photo site.
So it is good to have some graphics skill but you don't have to be brilliant. I think you do need to be really good with CSS now moreso than graphics.
Megan
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Wonka posted this at 21:47 — 3rd April 2006.
They have: 20 posts
Joined: Sep 2005
Ahh, I see. Thanks for the help. Its definatly a bit more clear now =)
Roo posted this at 23:47 — 3rd April 2006.
She has: 840 posts
Joined: Apr 1999
I normally will do a mockup in Photoshop and then just save the images, and then code the site.
DaveyBoy posted this at 01:32 — 4th April 2006.
They have: 453 posts
Joined: Feb 2003
Same. I get by fine without any of the CSS skills Megan goes on about
Roo posted this at 02:04 — 4th April 2006.
She has: 840 posts
Joined: Apr 1999
I use XHTML and CSS. CSS= control baby!!!!
DaveyBoy posted this at 10:31 — 4th April 2006.
They have: 453 posts
Joined: Feb 2003
Heh, i'll eventually learn it but at the moment i'm happy making money doing tabled stuff
demonhale posted this at 03:27 — 4th April 2006.
He has: 3,278 posts
Joined: May 2005
What bugs me however if I design a site with photo programs like photoshop I make moderately good designs, not wowing or anything, if use CSS to make a draft of a design, I can get much better output from it. But if I do CSS first, then make graphics for the css design, it looks way better... Any of you have this experience?
dragonsjaw posted this at 18:57 — 9th April 2006.
She has: 120 posts
Joined: Oct 2000
I find that I do better with doing the CSS first (knowing or having and idea of the graphics helps), then adding the graphics.
The site I am working on now is heavy on images of the clients. It is so hard to design around them, as they are just too awesome to describe.
I would if left to my own devices, not use any images as graphic elements in her site ..but she is an artist and wants fancy fonts and stuff like that.
I tryied to talk her out of it, just go simple zen and let your art do the talking, even on the not gallery pages, but no..
so I am struggling to make my graphics (ugg) hold up to her wonderful images and it isn't easy!
~dragonsjaw
"Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight- 'Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight." - Bruce Cockburn
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