Here is my normal process of designing a page for me.

I create the layout/graphics in Photoshop and then fire up Imageready to slice up the layout and save optimized for HTML. Then I open up (with Dreamweaver) the HTML files that Imageready creates and add the text with layers, create links with the slices that I created in Imageready.

Anyways. This works but is a pain to update once the client wants something updated. Not to mention the layers dont always present well on different computers and limits my ability to get exact positioning on the text.

Is there a way to export the non rendered text layers as html so that I can edit the text in Dreamweaver and not have to create layers in Dreamweaver manually (once image is sliced up it is just a image and non editable text).

Also how well does the update HTML feature work in Imageready.

Everytime I use the feature it creates a secondary file on the top folder outside of the image folder and then the html file links to the image folder file by default which is not the changed file.

Sorry for the confusing post.

Sorry, i did not understood you quite well but here`s how i do it:
Creating the graphics/layout in Photoshop, then slice it up (Photoshop still), and export it as html. Then i open it in Dreamweaver, and try to replace graphics with background color- for fast loading.I try to use the same graphic for duplicates, and i use CSS for positioning some elements of the website-etc etc etc. Then i introduce the text, images, content from within dreamweaver. And that`s itEasier than this it can`t be, only if you use templates
I hope that helped

Originally Posted by ghiavolu

Sorry, i did not understood you quite well but here`s how i do it:
Creating the graphics/layout in Photoshop, then slice it up (Photoshop still), and export it as html. Then i open it in Dreamweaver, and try to replace graphics with background color- for fast loading.I try to use the same graphic for duplicates, and i use CSS for positioning some elements of the website-etc etc etc. Then i introduce the text, images, content from within dreamweaver. And that`s itEasier than this it can`t be, only if you use templates
I hope that helped

so it sounds like I almost doing it like you except you use PS the whole way until you get to dreamweaver.

-What do you mean that you replace graphic colors with background color. Do you just select the slice and set a background color?

-Do you manually go and replace certain slices that look alike so they dont have to load many slices to speed up downloading of the pages.

-With introducing text do you add layers on top of the slices where you want text and then type into the layer or some other way. I did that with some sites and it seems like you cant get exact positioning.

Thanks for the input!!

Well I have been doing this for quite a long time actually and here is my process also keep in mind I use the phrase "If you want it done right, do it yourself!".

-Photoshop/3d studio max/anything else that involves graphics and setting up the layout.

-Contact the client and show them the layout...

-Upon final approval from client I begin the coding process. I NEVER use dreamweaver, imageready, PS to slice my site for me. I do it all manually. Why you might ask? I will cover this after my process.

-Show client basic html layout completely coded.

-Upon approval, depending on the contract initially signed by the client this would be the start of the backend coding process where I code the PHP, etc that would control the site.

-Once the project is completed...well you know the rest.


As for slicing the site manually, first of all. ImageReady and Dreamweaver do not follow html 4.01 strict standards which I do. Second of all they do not follow CSS 2.0 standards. Also if you rely on those programs to code your site for you, you will nto learn anything.

Sure there will be room for human error while coding the site yourself from scratch liek I do, especially cross-browser compatability but I know exactly what I want, how to do it, etc. So it gets faster and faster everytime I do it.

Plus slicing yourself really isn't that hard....use the markers in PS or even the slice tool in PS to get an image of how you want to code it but save the images individually.

I do this for several reasons. First off you can control the image quality, compression, and file size much easier. You don't want a 1pixel x 768 pixel image to be saved at high quality if it only contains like 8 colors. This will overly bloat your website and make the load times slower.

thanks, this helps to give me perspective on how other ways I could do things to work more efficiently and effectively.

My process is pretty much the same as Chris. I usually do the design work in Photoshop and then code the site by hand after the client approves the design.

Hand codig also gives you a better idea of what will and won't work easily in your design. Now when I design I'm always thinking of how I will code what I am designing. It helps keep the designs simple and makes the coding quicker too.