Choose the best programs for your projects

If you're looking for the best Web design programs and image edtiors, you're likely to quickly become overwhelmed with all the choices out there. Should you use FrontPage or Dreamweaver for your Web design? Photoshop or Fireworks for image editing?

Sorting through all the options can be confusing. That's why I created this section to help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of the most popular Web design and image programs so you can find the tool that's best for you.

Comparing image editing programs

You'll find many choices in the world of image editing programs, from high-end programs such as Adobe Photoshop (which retails for about $650) to simple programs that you can download for free over the Internet. Here's a quick comparison of some of the most popular image editing programs.

Adobe Photoshop CS: By far the most popular image editing program in the history of computer design, Photoshop CS is a powerful program that lets you create, edit, and manipulate images. This is a professional tool, with a professional price tag, so unless you have a huge budget or you're a serious photographer or designer, it's probably not the right choice for you.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 3: Photoshop Elements 3, which now comes bundled with the creation tools frm Photoshop Album, features many of the same powerful tools as Photoshop CL but is easier to use and costs less than $100. Elements provides more than enough power for almost anything you'd need to do on a family Web site. That's why I've chosen Photoshop Elements 3 as the image editing tool for my Creating Family Web Sites For Dummies book and I recommend it to my friends and family.

Here's a tip about Photoshop and Elements...

The difference between the two versions of Photoshop boils down to this: The expensive version is used by magazine editors, high-fashion photographers, and others to do painstaking, exacting work, such as photos that have to be done at the highest resolution and still look flawless on the cover of a magazine or billboard. Given enough time, you can use Photoshop to make a mule look like a supermodel. For the rest of us, who just want to clean up a few photos, or maybe make it look like Uncle Ernie's basset hound was driving the lawnmower, Photoshop Elements 3 is a great option.

Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004: This image design program has many special features that make it easy to create images that download quickly and look good on the Web. A few years ago, Fireworks was the best image program for the Web, but that's no longer true due to enhancements to Photoshop Elements and other programs in this list. Today, the main reason for choosing Fireworks is if you use Dreamweaver as your Web design program, because the two programs are fully integrated.

Corel Draw Graphics Suite 12: Although not as popular as Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw is a professional-grade image program that is rich in features. This suite of programs costs less than Adobe Photoshop but more than Elements.

Ulead PhotoImpact XL: This image editing program often comes bundled with the software for digital cameras and scanners. It's easy to use and has a wide range of features, including several automated correction features. The ExpressFix Photo Wizard, for example, helps correct for common photography mistakes such as red eye and lens distortion. You'll also get everything you need to edit and convert images for the Web -- and at a lower price than Adobe or Corel's products.

Apple iPhoto: Often bundled with Apple computers as part of the iLife suite, iPhoto is an excellent image editor and by far the best choice for Mac users. (You can't get this program for a PC.) If you have iPhoto, you have everything you need to create images for the Web.

Comparing Web design programs

In the early days of the Web, people were using lots of different visual HTML editors. Today, only a few major ones are left: Microsoft FrontPage, Adobe GoLive, and Macromedia Dreamweaver.

Microsoft FrontPage 2003: I chose to use FrontPage 2003 in my Creating Family Web Sites For Dummies book because it is less expensive than its competitors and relatively easy to use. It's also the most popular Web design program among consumers (although Dreamweaver wins among professional designers). If you work with other Microsoft Office programs, you should feel comfortable with FrontPage 2003 because it looks and acts a lot like Microsoft Word.

However, if you prefer Dreamweaver, I've created supplemental instructions that are free to anyone who purchases Creating Family Web Sites For Dummies book. If you've bought my book and want the Dreamweaver instructions to create the template-based sites featured in Chapters 11-14, just send an email to me at janine@digitalfamily.com and I'll be happy to send you the instructions you'll need to use Dreamweaver instead of FrontPage.

Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004: By far the most popular choice among professional Web designers, Dreamweaver has received great reviews and attracted considerable attention because it offers high-end Web design features and lots of control for programmers who like to work in the code behind their Web pages. Dreamweaver features many customizable palettes and floating dialog boxes, which makes it look more like an image editor than a word processor. If you're serious about Web design, this is the tool to use. For a more comprehensive guide to using Dreameaver, I recommend Dreamweaver MX 2004 For Dummies (published by Wiley).

Macromedia Contribute 3.0: This program is reasonably priced and easy to use, but it's not a stand-alone program. Instead, it works with Dreamweaver. Contribute can be used to edit a Web site created in Dreamweaver, which makes it easy for anyone to update pages, but you'll need a pro to create the site in Dreamweaver first. Contribute is an ideal choice if you're hiring a Web designer to create your site or if one member of the family is an experienced designer who wants to use Dreamweaver.

Adobe GoLive CS: Similar in features to Dreamweaver MX 2004, GoLive CS is used by many professional Web designers, especially those who are loyal to Adobe and are already using Photoshop CS. GoLive CS is a professional design tool and not generally recommended for beginners or hobbyists.

Learn more about Web design and domain names

If you're still not sure what kind of Web site is best for you, check out the "Comparing Web Site Options" section.

No matter what kind of Web site you choose to build, you should definitely consider registering your own domain name to make your site easier to find and provide you with your own address.

For more advanced tips on Domain names and why you might want to register more than one, read Janine's column, "More domain names make your site easier to find"

If you build a custom Web site and want to make sure you site is accessible to the disabled, read Janine's column, "Make your site accessible to everyone."

You'll find lots more tips, tricks, and step-by-step instructions in Janine's books, Creating Family Web Sites For Dummies and Dreamweaver For Dummies.