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Jumping Right into the Interface

So what’s the big deal about Fireworks being built specifically for Web

graphics? Well, first of all, you’re working strictly with pixels — no messy dpi

(dots per inch) or lpi (lines per inch), which are typical printing terms.

Figure 1-1 shows the dialog box that appears when you choose File➪Open

to open a vector graphic from Illustrator. The dialog box offers conversion

choices but emphasizes pixel dimensions.

Figure 1-1:

Pixel

dimensions

play an

important

role in

Fireworks.

When you’re working with Web images, you should know the approximate

width, in pixels, of your final page. Typical Web pages range from 650 to

1,000 pixels wide, but most designers stick with a page built to span approxi-

mately 800 pixels. When you create images, you must think about how they

will fit within the context of the total page. An image 600 pixels wide would

fill most of a page, whereas an image that’s 1,200 pixels wide would force the

viewer to scroll to see the entire image.

After launching Fireworks CS5, you notice right away that its workspace is

similar to the workspaces in the other CS5 applications. Adobe has done a

good job of organizing each application so that the learning curve is quick

and integration is easy.

You shouldn’t be surprised to find a toolbox to the left of the workspace and

panels to the right. The tools even look much like the tools you may already

be familiar with from working in other CS5 applications.

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