Layout-making advice? Please? -_-;;

[jedkent]

Ok... it's not that I can't do it, but, I know I must be doing things in a much harder way than how it can be done.

As for now, I am just using photoshop 7, making layouts w/ the pencil/brushes. This way takes forever to fill stuff in with/etc. Plus, I'm currently trying to make curves and such by hand, which is near impossible--what's the easier way to do it?

I see people make so many layouts in such little time... so... I figure they must be doing things a lot different and a lot more efficient than I am. So, could someone please fill me in?

Are there any programs I should be using that will greatly help? Any photoshop 7 filters? Any tips I need to know?

I would really appreciate some help here... because I love making layouts, but find it irritating to do it the way I am currently.

Thank you.

(that message was pasted from a different forum)

Since then, someone recommended Xara X to me... so I tried it out... but it seems quite limited at first glance. I like how you can draw the curved lines so easily... but... it hardly has any tools to make full layouts with/etc. Unless, of course, I am missing something -_-;;

Help :/

[jedkent]

Ok... it's not that I can't do it, but, I know I must be doing things in a much harder way than how it can be done.

As for now, I am just using photoshop 7, making layouts w/ the pencil/brushes. This way takes forever to fill stuff in with/etc. Plus, I'm currently trying to make curves and such by hand, which is near impossible--what's the easier way to do it?

I see people make so many layouts in such little time... so... I figure they must be doing things a lot different and a lot more efficient than I am. So, could someone please fill me in?

Are there any programs I should be using that will greatly help? Any photoshop 7 filters? Any tips I need to know?

I would really appreciate some help here... because I love making layouts, but find it irritating to do it the way I am currently.

Thank you.

(that message was pasted from a different forum)

Since then, someone recommended Xara X to me... so I tried it out... but it seems quite limited at first glance. I like how you can draw the curved lines so easily... but... it hardly has any tools to make full layouts with/etc. Unless, of course, I am missing something -_-;;

Help :/

[stlewis]

Jed

I am another XaraX user for webpage designs, but you could use another vector tool; although we would all say that XaraX is good and fast...

I use the Layers extensively so I can mix and match elements; for example a white heading over a green colour or a green-tinted texture. I put the text in one layer, the green in a second and the texture in a third.

I then export a series of versions of the complete page as gifs or whatever and tuck them into a Word document explaining each.

I've a attached an example. As it opens it shows the design that, with a few tweaks, went live.

www.bricksandbrass.co.uk

[Mike Bailey]

Yep! Vector graphics software like XaraX or, should I say it? Corel Draw, will give you the precision your after, you can import and export between Photoshop and Xara.

Cheers

[dk_art]

Photoshop 7 should have basic vector tools ... use those not brushes and pixel tools. This is faster and you can adjust the shapes.

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"it hardly has any tools to make full layouts with/etc. Unless, of course, I am missing something"
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XaraX can make incredible page designs. Have you used the texture fills, transparencies, colour fills, bevels, etc etc?

Give it some time. Since you are coming from Photoshop and it appears you haven't used the simpler vector tools in that , you probably have a mind used to the concept of paint and pencil lines. Vector shapes are totally different (like shapes cut out of carboard which you can move around and color and reshape.

You should be able to do alot with Photoshop's more basic vector stuff too.

David K ... www.dkingdesign.com http://www.dkingdesign.com/stuff/signature.jpg