Hi Everybody!
We'd like to open a new department for web site design, but I know nothing about PRO graphics software. Can you tell me what software to choose and what it will cost me?
Thanks in advance for your help!

I would recommend Fireworks for creating/updating web graphics. You can also get a 'bundle' of other web related products (e.g. Dreamweaver for crating websites etc) if you want to splash out. Fireworks on its own comes in at $300.

Photoshop is THE premier tool to have. Fireworks is good, but PS CS2 can do SO much more when you need it. Photoshop is not cheap, but it's worth every penny. I use it every single day and do all my site designs with it.

LadynRed, you are right about PS being more powerful than FW - it certainly is! Just out of interest though, the things that you do every single day in PS - are they things that you can't do in FW?

Certainly from my experience I've been very impressed with PS and what it can do, but the things it can do that FW can't, I just don't need.

Just all of my predeccessors said Photoshop or Fireworks, I would add Paint Shop Pro, also.

But my first choice is Photoshop for editing graphics. There are also a bunch of nice tutorials on web about using it.

You must try and decide.

But most important things are: good idea and willingness with your imagination

Count me in on Photoshop. I have the art skills of a two-year-old and can do some nice stuff with it. If I can draw with it, you can too.

It doesn't matter if you shell out $600 - $1200 USD for Photoshop CS2 or not. If you don't have an eye and talent for design and a in-depth knowledge of the software tools - expensive software is not going to be much of a benifit.

If you're using it mainly for web graphics you might also want to consider Photoshop Elements, which costs $100 or less. The things that Elements doesn't have that Photoshop does aren't really going to be missed.

Also, you can get Photoshop CS2 for less than $600. If you get an older copy of Photoshop from someplace like eBay and buy the CS2 upgrade from Adobe, you get Photoshop CS2 for about 1/3 the cost of a new copy of CS2.

Originally Posted by LadynRed

Photoshop is THE premier tool to have. Fireworks is good, but PS CS2 can do SO much more when you need it. Photoshop is not cheap, but it's worth every penny. I use it every single day and do all my site designs with it.

completely agree, photoshop CS2 -- you will not regret it. Though it has so much you will fell like theres always something to learn.

Photoshop is the only great web graphics design software for Professional use, go for it. I have also tried other, but no other can really be compared with Photoshop.

Photoshop and dreamweaver. They will set you back about $700 but is very important that you get good software if you are serious about design.

Adobe Photoshop hands down for the pure graphics department.

As far as for the programming and layout of websites after graphics is done, yeah Dreamweaver is a solution, but far from every programmers choice.

Alot of developers probably have the software covered already, i would have a little conference with your developers before buying expensive licences for that cause.

DW can be hell just as much as it can be a blessing. But Photoshop is a safe bet for professional graphics.

HTML coding is NOT programming !

Dreamweaver is the best TOOL for creating web pages and managing sites, but it creates LOUSY code left to it's own devices in the hands of an HTML newbie. If you have someone who KNOWS html, and can code BY HAND in notepad, Dreamweaver is the tool of choice. DW is certainly hell to those who don't know their HTML and CSS to start with.

Photoshop and I use Fireworks when it comes to working with Frames / PNG / Anim

Originally Posted by mgraphic

It doesn't matter if you shell out $600 - $1200 USD for Photoshop CS2 or not. If you don't have an eye and talent for design and a in-depth knowledge of the software tools - expensive software is not going to be much of a benifit.

Word!

my advice is the PHOTOSHOP any version that u have...

fireworks or photoshop or you can use both

As you can see from the number of posts in its favor, Photoshop is the de facto standard. If you learn to use Photoshop, you can almost be certain that anywhere you go they will be using the same.

Fireworks is good as well, and most Linux users swear by the GIMP, but they seem less intuitable once you're used to the Photoshop workflow.

Originally Posted by wearelegion

but they seem less intuitable once you're used to the Photoshop workflow.

That doesn't mean that use of other apps is less intuitive, that just means that you are used to working with photoshop.