Software for Web-Page Designing
There are tons of options for creating your own website. With free and paid applications, you can develop your own site on your own time. This article looks at the different types of web design software and which are most popular.
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Types
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Graphics editors are programs that allow for the creation of graphical content. If you want to design a graphics-intensive site, this software is necessary. These programs also allow you to edit photography.
WYSIWYG editors are for people who have little experience designing websites. They are built around a graphical interface that allows for the simple creation of a site. These programs often give you templates, step-by-step guides and free content.
Text editors are for users who want to hand-write or code their own sites. They are for advanced users who want to have full control of the code on their site. If you want to design websites for more than a hobby, this is the best software.
Adobe Photoshop (Graphics Editor)
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This is the industry standard for graphic design. It allows you to create detailed mock-ups of sites before you build them. If you're looking for software that allows you to design sites and graphics and edit photography, this is for you. Photoshop is available for a fee (see Resources).
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Adobe Fireworks (Web Graphics Editor)
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Adobe Fireworks is the little brother of Photoshop and is aimed at users who want to design website mock-ups. It has limited graphic-design features but is appropriate for creating simple site designs. If you're only interested in site mock-ups and not graphics creation or photo editing, this is your best bet. Adobe Fireworks is available for a fee (see Resources).
GIMP (Graphics Editor)
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GIMP is a free software package that is very similar to Adobe Photoshop. It offers a lot of the same tools and a similar interface. Although a solid alternative, it does lack a dedicated support team; software issues are only supported by the user community. If you're not concerned about support, this is a great free software package.
Adobe Dreamweaver (WYSIWYG)
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Dreamweaver is another industry standard in website design. It provides a robust set of tools for creating websites. In addition, it offers several templates and pre-made site features that can be added with a click. If you're interested in building quick sites with little technical involvement, this is the best software. Dreamweaver is available for a fee (see Resources).
NetObjects Fusion Essentials (WYSIWYG)
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Similar to the GIMP software package, NetObjects is comparable to Adobe Dreamweaver but is available as freeware. It provides a lot of the same tools, premade scripts, and templates. Essentials is a less feature-packed version of Fusion, the paid version of the product.
Notepad ++ (Text Editor/Free)
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If you're interested in professional site development, this is a very popular text editor. It offers several features for testing code, highlighting errors and organizing sites and their structure.
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