CS3 Web Premium...Should I get it?

[maxiscool1994]

So, I was browsing the web, and I found that I could get CS3 Web Premium for around $500 w/ an education discount. I just started web design, and I know how to code and everything, but I have no idea how to really use most of the adobe applications. I have downloaded dreamweaver as a trial, and it seems to be way harder to use than notepad...I have also downloaded Illustrator, which seems to be an impossibly hard program as well.

So my question is to you, should I co-buy this (http://www.campustech.com/c/campust/23991.html?id=U4Lnxy7d&mv_pc=50) for about $250? It includes Flash, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Fireworks and Contribute.

I am just worried that I will just be wasting my money, because I never might fully use the power of these programs. On the other hand, I really, really want to learn how to make kick-ass websites.

P.S. If you look at the website in my sig as an example of my skills, just remind yourself that that is some of my really old work. I have some better stuff that isn't online yet...

[rabidbadger]

That is an awesome deal, I wish I could get it...

But. It is WAY too much for you as a beginner... At first all you are really gonna need is a photoshop type application. You say you know code, and what's a website but text and images organized by code? If you can find an older photoshop on ebay or something that would be cool. New photoshops are running out of things to add and aren't worth the money for beginners.

I most probably wouldn't go below CS1, though.

And as for illustrator, you really need to work up to it, and illustrator is really more for Print than web. Flash is fun, but you really need to study it, and as far as using it for web design it has fallen out of favor, you can do almost as much with code (xhtml+javascript+css=Ajax)

Dreamweaver is made for people like me: designer first, coder second. I need wysywig to design because code isn't my first skill. But if code is your forte, than stick with a nice text editor. You will have much more control and much cleaner code.

Fireworks is handy, but it really is just a bunch of shortcuts of stuff you can do in photoshop pretty easily. And contribute is a waste of code unless you are in some corporate place with brain dead IT doods. :)

So: I say just get PS, and save the rest of your money for beer!

[maxiscool1994]

OK...that makes sense. But the thing is, is that I want to make graphically pleasing websites as well. My goal is to be able to make something like this: http://www.ndesign-studio.com/

I have PS 7.0 and Paint.Net. Are these good enough?

[rabidbadger]

dude that website is all css. except for the pretty background. There's nothing on that site you can't do with PS7. I don't know what paint.net is?

[maxiscool1994]

check this site out:

http://getpaint.net

[rabidbadger]

looks nice for free!

I'm on Mac, so no go for me...but you might not need more than that to start out with.

[maxiscool1994]

Ok...

Do you know any tutorials or books that are really good for website graphics n00bs? I really want to spruce up my webpages with custom, beautiful graphics.

[acidburn]

I have Studio 8, but from what I hear CS3 very is similar. Even if you like to hand code, Dreamweaver makes it easier. You have the choice of 3 views: Code, Design & Split. In both Code & Split view Dreamweaver auto-fills the tags as you type. Makes coding go quicker

Fireworks is really easy to use, so I like that one as well. Flash is hard to learn at first, but once you get it, it is fairly straight forward. Illustrator and Contribute, I don't ever use. Photoshop is good to have.

I'd say buy CS3 if you can get it cheap. It is a good software suite to have. I don't think a lot of people ever take full advantage of most programs so don't worry about that.

[rabidbadger]

This looks like a nice starting point...

http://websitetips.com/graphics/

[maxiscool1994]

That's an awesome site! Now I just need to figure out how to get through all of that stuff...

[rabidbadger]

like everything else... One step at a time. Keep us posted!

Love your pet site, by the way.

[maxiscool1994]

thanks!

Right now I am working on a photoshop site tutorial, which is turning out great. I am thinking of making it the skin for my personal website.

[maxiscool1994]

OK, I've made my layout in PS- now how do I make it into a real website?