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Macromedia’s Studio 8 Suite Academic Software
Package
Macromedia Dreamweaver
My first choice for HTML editors is Macromedia's
Dreamweaver. It has an easy to use, intuitive
user interface and state of the art design tools.
With a customizable user interface, you can work
the way you need to. Although the student software
doesn’t come with manuals, Dreamweaver has
excellent online tutorials.
You can design intricate CSS-based layouts and
designs easily with tools that allow for quick
selection and control of page and site wide style
properties. There is a built in graphics editor
that uses Macromedia Fireworks technology. Dreamweaver
allows you to develop HTML, XHTML, XML, ASP, ASP.NET,
JSP, PHP, and Macromedia ColdFusion websites.
It has a cross-browser code validation feature
that automatically checks tags and CSS rules for
compatibility across all the leading browsers
and allows you to configure browser preview for
multiple browsers.
One of the nicest features is the Property Inspector
that enables quick, comprehensive property editing
that makes getting it perfect a no-brainer. This
is the editor I use to create and maintain all
of my web sites. I have used all of the professional
and many of the other HTML editors available and
can say that Dreamweaver is absolutely the best
HTML editor. Since Dreamweaver is taught in most
graphic design curriculums, it inclusion in the
academic software package is needed.
Macromedia Fireworks
Fireworks is Macromedia’s answer to Photoshop
and is included in the student software package.
Fireworks has all the tools a web professional
needs to create everything from simple graphical
buttons to sophisticated rollover effects. You
can import, edit, and integrate all major graphics
formats, including vector and bitmap images and
easily export Fireworks images to Flash, Dreamweaver,
and third-party applications.
Besides all of the normal features you would
expect in a professional photo editing program,
fireworks includes new interactive design features
and the ability to create pop-up menus in the
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) format without the
need for programming. One thing Fireworks does
exceptionally well is batch processing. I use
Fireworks batch processing all of the time to
optimize entire directories of photographs. I
can resize and optimize 50 photographs in just
a couple of minutes.
Macromedia Flash Pro 8
Flash is the industry leader for creation animation
and video movies for streaming over the internet.
Flash creates movies with surprising small files
sizes. That translates to quick download times
and the availability to use flash animation on
slower links and mobile devices and comes complete
with tools for video creation especially for mobile
devices. Flash pro 8 provides everything needed
to create great looking videos. Since flash is
being used more frequently is essential that it
be part of an academic software package.
Macromedia Contribute
Contribute is Macromedia's answer to the problem
of content management. It provides the ability
to change the content of a website without having
to know anything about HTML, but does not need
all the expensive software and databases that
a regular content management system uses. Contribute
allows companies to buy an inexpensive tool that
lets them provide content without messing with
the design. Contribute is a solution that is custom-made
for small to mid-sized companies that don't need
all the power of CMS, but would like some of the
benefits. Being included in the academic software
package will give students an opportunity to see
how a very simple CMS system works.
Macromedia FlashPaper
FlashPaper generates compact, fast-opening Flash
documents that can be published to any website
using Macromedia Contribute, Dreamweaver, or any
other HTML tool. FlashPaper creates Flash documents
through intuitive Microsoft Office integration
and file drag and drop. Create Flash documents
that are immediately available cross-platform
on any web browser. Compact Flash documents open
within a web page, eliminating the need for a
separate viewer application. Flash documents can
also be incorporated into Flash projects. Adding
this to the student software package allows the
student to experience using a very handy tool.
Adobe Creative Suite 2.0 Premium Academic Software
Package
Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop is the graphics industry standard and
my choice of photo editing software. I have to
admit I love Photoshop. You can create original
images or modify photos using a wide range of
painting, drawing, and retouching tools. You can
work the way that's best for you by creating personalized
workspace and tool settings and customized keyboard
shortcuts.
You can achieve sophisticated results by compositing
images, text, and effects on hundreds of layers
that you control by grouping into sets, color
coding, and locking. You can simulate traditional
fine-art techniques with dry and wet brush effects,
pastel, charcoal, and more and even use brushes
to add special effects such as grass and leaves.
There are tools to improve the color, contrast,
and dynamic range of any image, easily remove
dust, scratches, blemishes, wrinkles, and other
flaws with the Healing Brush. Photoshop can give
high quality output by working with the complete
raw data files from most major digital camera
models. It’s great all-around imaging software.
Photoshop is taught in all graphic curriculums
and had to be included in the student software
package.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is also taught in every school’s
graphic curriculum and is another essential part
of a student software package. It is also an essential
tool for anyone who needs to express ideas visually
in print, on the Web, and in any other medium.
When my clients send me a rough pencil drawing
of the logo they want for their business, I create
the logo in Illustrator then import into Photoshop
to get it ready for their web page.
Illustrator has great 3D features, advanced typographical
controls, Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)
integration and enhanced printing options. Illustrator
will help create and efficiently publish your
artwork anywhere.
One of the nicest features is the ability to
apply live effects without affecting the underlying
artwork, so you can edit at any time without starting
over. There are blending modes and transparency
effects similar to those in Photoshop software
but, unlike Photoshop, Illustrator has intuitive
tools such as the Pencil, Smooth, Erase, and Pen
tools.
Adobe InDesign
InDesign is the best page layout software available
and is the choice of most print design professionals.
With the advent of paid subscription totally-digital
magazines, it is getting popular for laying out
the print like pages of these products.
It can integrate with both Photoshop and Adobe’s
Portable Document Format (PDF) file formats and
supports the multiple layer capability of Photoshop.
It is an all around necessary tool for the professional
graphic designer. Although not usually covered
in most curriculums, it is a welcome addition
to any academic software package,
Adobe GoLive
GoLive is Adobe’s answer to Dreamweaver.
It has all of the features that you can find in
Dreamweaver and is integrated directly into the
rest of adobe products. Personally, I prefer Dreamweaver
but golive is an excellent HTML editor and completes
the suite for a web designer. Although usually
on touched in classes, GoLive is welcome addition
to any student software package.
Adobe Acrobat
Acrobat is the number one tool used to create
the widely used PDF document format. With its
built in security features that can prevent the
user from copying or changing the document and
the ability to require a password to open the
document, acrobat is still one of the leading
choices for creating paid e-books. This program
is an absolute necessity for a web designer and
therefore a welcome addition to the academic software
package.
Adobe Version Cue
Version Cue is a file manager that tracks the
different versions of the files you create with
the graphics as well as some others. It is a very
nice tool if you have several people collaborating
on a project since you can maintains a complete
change history of the files.
About the author:
If you are a student, teacher or educational
institution that qualifies for the academic software
discount price, please visit http://www.sprysoft.com
to see what is available.
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