Website templates and stuff

sorry i’m not sure if this is the right forum but it seems the best…

so anyways what i was wondering was how to make a website template (i think thats the right word, i’m trying to say the background and designs on every page), so they can be inserted into frontpage in teh correct size.

What program would be best to make this? i was thinking photohop but could you get it to the correct size (so like 1024 X 768).

thx for the help <:}

Hey, if you want to design using photoshop you can.

I have used photoshop to design a template, and then i throw it into fireworks and slice it up!!

But I use dreamweaver, so im not to sure bout Front Page.

:slight_smile:

ahh cool…

but what’d you mean by ‘slicing it up’ ?

The program you want is dreamweaver. It allows you to make a template. Then base new documents off that document. So when you make a template . You open a new doc from that template. Then when you want to make additions to a doc you change the template and dreamweaver knows which docs were based on that template and changes them all. I use them all the time. I have a site with like 100 pages. The client wanted to change the image at the top. So I changed the template and DW changed all 100 pages in like 5 secs. Imagine doing that manually.

wow sounds cool…dammit havta buy and learn another program!
o wait…can you actually MAKE the template in dreamweaver or do you import it from somewehre else? just to make sure and everything :slight_smile: thx

You make the template in dreamweaver, However you could start with a design in fireworks or Photoshop. Slice it up and save the html file. Open that html file in dreamweaver and convert it to a template. Dreamweaver is something you should not do with out.

sounds really cool i’m gonna get it now :slight_smile: thx for tellin mee about it <:}

Yeah get dreamweaver!!

Then We can show you how to slice up!!

:stuck_out_tongue:

On the scripting side you could also use CSS and using that you could make every page look the same way. This doesn’t include graphics though. This just controls the size and color of text, body color, table attributes, etc etc…

for more on t his go to:

http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp

Photoshop also has layout slicing abilities through Image Ready.

alrite so i got the trial, and so lets just say a plain grey background with like a normal banner with a side bar thing for now.

And lets say i’ve drawn it in photoshop, so after that, how would i manage to get it into dreamweaver? do i have to save it as a specific format type? thx :ub:

Okay what you have to do is when you slice the image up. Save the slices in a folder that is in the root of the site you are working with. When you did the slicing a .htm file was produced. In dreamweaver go to file>open then browse the .htm file that photoshop created from the sliced objects. Open it. Voila!!! You should see your sliced image. If you use fireworks for your slices you will be better off. Why you ask. Well Im glad you asked. Because at the top under the common tab you will see a insert fireworks html button. Ths allows you to browse to your fireworks .htm file you created with slices. It will also delete the htm file upon insertion. Why is that important? Im glaad you asked. What will happen if you use like ps7 the chance is that the path to all img src will look like this img src= “file///c:/images/this/that.jpg” and you will have to go thru and strip those. But when you integrate with fireworks it will do it for you. Plus if you decide to change your sliced object you can do it straight from dreamweaver. You will not be able to if the source image is from ps7. There are many more benefits to dreamweaver but I dont wanna sound like I work for them or something. Let me know if you need more help.

WOOHOO MY 200th POST!!!

wow! thanks 3D! i am doing mine in PS7, but i suppose i should bring it over to FWMX when the time comes…this is everthing i need to know, congrats on the 200!

is fireworks better that photoshop to slice the objects??

dont know why, i rather use fireworks than photoshop!!

(maybe coz i havnt used photoshop to slice :stuck_out_tongue: )

:slight_smile:

It is a preference thing I find that the tools are easier to use and the interface is more intuitive. Actully it is not really ps7 that does the slicing you have to send the image to image ready so I find that cumbersome. They both have their advantages but for effects I go with ps7 for drawing and slicing I go with fireworks.

They both have their advantages but for effects I go with ps7 for drawing and slicing I go with fireworks.

I agree 100%

Rev

hmm…so let me get this straight

first i make my thing and slice it up (edit>insert>slice)

then do i have to export it into an html file or something? because i tried to save it just normally as a firewords doc. and i don’t seem to get the htm. file your talking aboout…

Once it is sliced up you go to file>export name your file. then in the “save as type” drop down choose “html and images” In the next drop down “HTML” choose “Export HTML File” Then in the next dropdown “Slices” choose “Export Slices”. You will see 3 check boxes below the check boxes check the middle one “Include Areas without slices” and the last one “Put Images in Subfolder” browse to seperate folder usually within your images folder to put your slices in. (this is purely for organization. Fireworks will makes many little files of your image so you dont wanna pollute your images folder with that stuff) Then click save. That will produce the htm file you wanna open in DW.

alright now that i got that to work, how do i lock it or something so that i can type stuff over it and everything?

oh and one more thing, if i want to edit it i have to go back to fireworks and do it there, then reopen it in dreamweaver right?

i hope i’m nto annoying you :beam: thx =)