Getting Started with Fireworks • A few tips: – Before you begin an assignment, be sure to create a folder on your drive for it. – If your canvas is checkered, Go to the Modify at the top menu, select ‘canvas’ and then ‘white’. – You can change canvas size when you open a new file but also in the properties window found at the bottom of your screen. – Save your file as a .png (fireworks file) and then as a jpg/gif file so that you can insert it into other program applications such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. – You can zoom the image to make tracing easier with the lasso tool, this won’t permanently affect the image size. – When you are using the lasso tool and you reach the top of the screen but there is more image to trace, just move your mouse in the direction you wish to go and you will be able to continue tracing.
Transcript
Getting Started with Fireworks
• A few tips:– Before you begin an assignment, be sure to create a folder on
your drive for it. – If your canvas is checkered, Go to the Modify at the top menu,
select ‘canvas’ and then ‘white’. – You can change canvas size when you open a new file but also
in the properties window found at the bottom of your screen. – Save your file as a .png (fireworks file) and then as a jpg/gif file
so that you can insert it into other program applications such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
– You can zoom the image to make tracing easier with the lasso tool, this won’t permanently affect the image size.
– When you are using the lasso tool and you reach the top of the screen but there is more image to trace, just move your mouse in the direction you wish to go and you will be able to continue tracing.
1. Select File > New. The New Document dialog box opens.
2. Enter the canvas width and height measurements in pixels, inches, or centimetres.
3. Enter a resolution in pixels per inch or pixels per centimetre.
4. Select white, transparent, or a custom color for the canvas.
5. Click OK to create the new document.
6. Fireworks creates a PNG file. Using a PNG file as your source file has the following advantages: ■ The source PNG file is always editable. You can go back and make additional changes even after you export the file for use on the web. ■ You can slice complex graphics into pieces in the PNG file and export them as multiple files with different file formats and various optimization settings.
To save an image as a jpg /gif file
• Make sure you have saved your image as a .PNG file first in case you wish to go back and make changes.
• To save as a picture file (.jpg or .gif) – Go to File -> Save As -> Under doc type select .jpeg/jpg or .gif. And then add doc name.
• These newly created .jpg/.gif files can now be imported back into fireworks to put on a collage, re-manipulate in other ways, add to PPT, Word, etc.
Change Image Color - BEFORE
Change Image Color - AFTERHow is my tracing with the lasso tool?
Tip – Make sure to pay close attention to the edge, zoom in if you have to. Small clicks as you move around an object with your lasso tool will make more clean cut edges. Make sure that when your end and beginning trace marks come together that a small black square shows up first – this will indicate that your line has met up.
Horizontal Line - BEFORE
Horizontal Line Effect - AFTER
The horizontal line tool will be found in the properties window at the bottom of your screen in Fireworks 8. Under solid window in fill options.
Cool Photo Frames- BEFORE
Cool Photo Frames- AFTER
Feathering - BEFORE
Feathering – FINAL
Tips for feathering
-Remember you are outlining the area you want to delete! (the negative space)
-When tracing with the lasso tool, be sure to be just a little bit inside the positive space (the inner edge of this baby for example) so that you don’t have any background left after you feather.
-To feather: right click on the selection you wish to delete, select ‘modify marquee’ then ‘feather’. Change pixel size - The large the pixel the more feathered (soft) the edge.
-Remember to then press delete, this will take the background away!
Critique? What could I have done better?
Motion Trail Effect - Bitmaps
• In this exercise you will need to convert the text to a Bitmap. Bitmaps are graphics composed of small colored squares called pixels, which combine like the tiles of a mosaic to create an image.
• To create a Bitmap in Fireworks 8, select the image with the marquee tool or select (arrow) tool, go to Modify and click on ‘flatten selection’. This will convert it to a bitmap for you. Once you do this you can’t change it back.
