New to web design - learn Dreamweaver first?

Greetings to the Dreamweaver community.
After 30 years in print design, I've finally made a decision to learn a little something about web design. With that goal in mind, when I updgraded to CS6, I bought the "CS6 Design and Web Premium" package. The package includes Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Flash Pro. But I'm a little confused where to start.
I always buy the Adobe "Classroom in a Book" series to learn the basics or new aspects of Adobe products. All three apps have CIB counterparts and I'm thinking that I will but the Dreamweaver CIB first, then Fireworks, and then Flash Pro?
So what am asking is... is this the right direction? I notice on some discussion boards that some use Fireworks more than Dreamweaver: I just want to make sure I'm on the right path.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Clinton

Welcome to the DW community, Clinton!
30 years - that is some real experience you've got up your sleeve!
Web Design, okay, it works this way. It has 2 parts - for starters:
Design/ Mockup/ Layout/ Wireframe/ UI (different people refer to this differently) - but the end goal is the same - to create the 'design', per se, that your site is going to look like
Development/ Slicing/ Compositing/ CSSing/ PSD - CSS (again, different references) - making the 'design' you've made in an application like Photoshop or Fireworks to be 'web-friendly' - in other words, making it .html and .css files that are the 'core' elements for a website
Most web designers (including me) use Photoshop to create design cuts (PSD files) that we send back and forth a million times to the client to get them approved. Then, 'slice' some key elements such as backgrounds, boxes, etc... Then open Dreamweaver, write the 'markup' - which is 'what' you want to display on your website (content, tables, boxes, widgets, snippets, etc..). Then, 'style' the website using 'CSS' - to match it to the 'PSD' that the client had approved.
This is it - I don't know if I could've put it any shorter!
CSS - Cascading Style Sheet - it is a piece of code that instructs web browsers how your website has to be displayed. Height, spacing, margins, width, colors, display-type, etc... With the birth of CSS-3, things are even more easier. A few key things that CSS-3 can do are lets say, Gradients, rounded-edges, etc.. (for which you had to use an actual .png or .jpg image in CSS-2). Now, CSS-3 can give you the exact same effect with no use of an image.
HTML - Now that HTML5 is quickly replacing older web standards, you've decided to start your 'web journey' at the right time, I'd say. HTML5 has endless possibilites for creating 'responsive' web design - responsive meaning one design, multi-devices - for desktops, tablets & mobile phones.
With all that said, Dreamweaver CS6 has some great tools for HTML5 standards such as 'Fluid Grid Layout' - with which you create 1 design, code 3 different CSS documents and BAM - your website will be optimized for all 3 devices.
Fireworks - Definitely usable for web design. Fireworks CS6 also has some great tools such as 'CSS Generator' that gives you the CSS code for a selected design element - in other words, design it in Fireworks, hover over it, Fireworks will generate the CSS code for you.
jQuery - You should look this up - has some great 'plugins' that you can use in your website design/ development. Now that 'Flash' is kind of dead (modern handhelds don't support Flash), jQuery is your friend. Best part is it is fully open-source.
The next step - Dynamic websites - As the name suggests, you can get into building more 'interactive' websites - like a shopping cart, etc... later on once you get a proper hang of some basic HTML & CSS. And if you decide to use jQuery, you'll also get a hang of JavaScripting - which is critical to build interactive websites as you progress.
You can take a look at this video on Youtube. I know it doesn't have too many views. But, I personally feel it is a good place for you begin with Fireworks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrJmyYfNu1M
All this maybe going a little over your head right now - since you're just starting up. But, feel free to post questions as and when you have one and we'll be happy to help you! The world needs more web designers/ developers after all!
All the best.
-ST

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New to web design

Hi
I built a site using dreamweaver cs3 it was my first attempt,
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links and the ftp upload report said everything went well.
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removed or changed and nothing is protected.
I have read the servers help, which is limited and I have
been reading dreamweaver help and Microsoft support but I am
getting no where.
Can you think of anything I could do or read t try to fix
this problem? Have I done something wrong?
Here is a link to the site in case that helps
www.acprint.com.au
Thanks

None of the second tier of links are correct.
This <li><a href="#">Business
Cards</a></li>
Should be <li><a href=""name of the business card
file.html">Business
Cards</a></li>
and so on...
"acprint" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
news:gk3rg3$qsq$[email protected]..
> Hi
>
> I built a site using dreamweaver cs3 it was my first
attempt, I used a
> purchased template and modified it a bit.
>
> The site works locally and there are no broken or
external links and the
> ftp
> upload report said everything went well.
>
> I can view the first page when typing in the url but get
a HTTP Error 404
> when
> clicking any of the links. Nothing has been removed or
changed and nothing
> is
> protected.
>
> I have read the servers help, which is limited and I
have been reading
> dreamweaver help and Microsoft support but I am getting
no where.
>
> Can you think of anything I could do or read t try to
fix this problem?
> Have I
> done something wrong?
>
> Here is a link to the site in case that helps
>
> www.acprint.com.au
>
> Thanks
>
>

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Hi, this is a little embarrassing because it's so basic, but
what is the best way to start the layout for your design? I don't
really know how to use CSS so I am starting out with general
tables. I want to insert a .swf navigation bar up top (center) and
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upside-down L.
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inside. I began nesting tables within that nested table but it
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book on HTML.
Don't even think of touching DW until you understand as much
as you can
tolerate about page structure and the HTML tags involved.
Move to the same
kind of book on CSS. Then you will be ready for DW....
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
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==================
"jeannette villarreal" <[email protected]>
wrote in message
news:f857i2$35s$[email protected]..
> Hi, this is a little embarrassing because it's so basic,
but what is the
> best
> way to start the layout for your design? I don't really
know how to use
> CSS so
> I am starting out with general tables. I want to insert
a .swf navigation
> bar
> up top (center) and a panel on the left side for other
links = the very
> basic
> upside-down L.
> I began with a table set for 100%, then nested another
table inside. I
> began
> nesting tables within that nested table but it turned
into a big mess
> where
> things became misaligned the more content i inserted.
> Any help would be appreciated!
> J.
>

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ocycproductions wrote:
> Hey there,
> when I import a tranparent PNG into dreamweaver, the
background
> behind it is grey when I publish.
> I can change the background in the cell, but then when
it's
> published... grey...
> what am I doing wrong?
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I don't know, but I can't not reply.. =)
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"Murray *ACE*" <[email protected]> wrote
in message
news:[email protected]...
> Heh - I can't say that you haven't taught me a thing or
two, either! 8)
>
> Is that a multiple-negative nightmare?
>
> --
> Murray --- ICQ 71997575
> Adobe Community Expert
> (If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
> ==================
>
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com
- Template Triage!
>
http://www.projectseven.com/go
- DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
>
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs,
Tutorials & Resources
>
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/
- Macromedia (MM) Technotes
> ==================
>
>
> "P@tty Ayers"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Yup.. and I've taken a few lessons from you on
advising beginners
>> strongly to learn to code first! :-)
>>
>>
>> --
>> Patty Ayers | www.WebDevBiz.com
>> Free Articles on the Business of Web Development
>> Web Design Contract, Estimate Request Form, Estimate
Worksheet
>> --
>>
>> "Murray *ACE*"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>>I have never taken lessons except from the good
people here....
>>>
>>> --
>>> Murray --- ICQ 71997575
>>> Adobe Community Expert
>>> (If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do
so!)
>>> ==================
>>>
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com
- Template Triage!
>>>
http://www.projectseven.com/go
- DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
>>>
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs,
Tutorials & Resources
>>>
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/
- Macromedia (MM) Technotes
>>> ==================
>>>
>>>
>>> "P@tty Ayers"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
>>> news:[email protected]...
>>>>
>>>> "Michael Bishop"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>> news:[email protected]...
>>>>
>>>>> ......take some serious lessons.
>>>>
>>>> For what it's worth, many of the people
you'll see posting here who
>>>> have advanced Dreamweaver skills have never
taken a lesson. I haven't.
>>>> Dreamweaver itself isn't all that
complicated if you know basic HTML
>>>> and CSS.
>>>>
>>>> If you're going to take lessons, I'd really
suggest that they be
>>>> lessons in HTML and CSS. Once you understand
those foundational things,
>>>> figuring out which button does what in
Dreamweaver is not that
>>>> difficult.
>>>>
>>>> I'm just saying. :-)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Patty Ayers | www.WebDevBiz.com
>>>> Free Articles on the Business of Web
Development
>>>> Web Design Contract, Estimate Request Form,
Estimate Worksheet
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

Mac or pc for dreamweaver web design?

So just wondering anyone better to do this would think pc
since most users visiting the site are pc based? Im using at work a
mac for designing a new website using cs3, I test the files on a
outdated pc to see how the files work and look....... I cant upload
anything since when its done i have to pass the files to the owner
to upload the pages since im not allowed access to it.....

Sage advice. I would concur.
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.projectseven.com/go
- DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs,
Tutorials & Resources
==================
"Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:gib8h5$sn7$[email protected]..
>I have a MAC (G5 dual 2.3 MHz Power PC) which I bought
primarily to run
>Final Cut Pro. This machine also has dreamweaver CS2
installed but I rarely
>use it for web development.
> My other computer is a core2 quad 28.3 MHz PC. Where I
do 99% of my web
> design using Dreamweaver CS3.
>
> Both machines are very stable, fast and reliable.
Overall, I prefer
> working on the PC, I feel more comfortable with the PC
because my first
> computer was a PC (286), I have 11 years experience with
the PC platform.
> Also, the PC lets me prview my designs on all the
primary browsers; IE,
> FF, Safari, and Opera
>
> My advice, go with the machine on which you have the
most work experience.
> Its not so much the program you use, its more about how
well adapted you
> are to the platform work flow.
>
> Jeff
>
>
> "takevin" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
> news:gib7d2$rap$[email protected]..
>> So just wondering anyone better to do this would
think pc since most
>> users
>> visiting the site are pc based? Im using at work a
mac for designing a
>> new
>> website using cs3, I test the files on a outdated pc
to see how the files
>> work
>> and look....... I cant upload anything since when
its done i have to
>> pass the
>> files to the owner to upload the pages since im not
allowed access to
>> it.....
>>
>
>

Editing photoshop web galleries in dreamweaver

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time.

Tom,
> Hi I am new to web design and i have all of these
galleries that photoshop has
> designed for me. I am using Cs2 on a pc and the gallery
i used is called flash
> 1. I would like to move the thumbnails to the side and
also put links to my
> blog and other things on that web gallery. If anybody
can please help that
> would be great.
Please provide a link to your page so we can have a look.
> I imported my html file into dreamweaver and it works
but in
> dreamweaver it says enable javascript i know that just
means that the people
> that come to my site that do not have javascript enable
will have to enable it.
> Anyways if anybody could help that would be greatly
appreciated thank you very
> much for your time.
There is probably some markup in your page that only shows
when
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running.
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HTH,
Randy

New to web design - learn Dreamweaver first?

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