Do your graphics have curb appeal?

 

If you want to sell a house the property must appeal to the potential buyer. In the Real Estate market this is called 'curb appeal'. In the web design arena, the 'curb appeal' is the graphics.

Designing stunning graphics yourself depends on your potential talent. If you've ever wanted to design your own web graphics, the tutorials I have created for you will help you to harness that hidden talent.

In addition to the talent I mentioned, you will also need a graphics editing package. The industry standard is PhotoShop, but not everyone can justify the expense. Jasc's Paint Shop Pro is a very affordable alternative. If you have it already, then my tutorials section will be your next stop. If even the meager cost of PSP makes your wallet cringe, then check out Serif's PhotoPlus. The free version is a very capable package, and if you want a little more power, you can upgrade to their more robust commercial version. You can check out both packages below.

Serif PhotoPlus PhotoPlus is a good choice for working with photographs and paint-type images, whether for the Web, multimedia, or the printed page. PhotoPlus has the features you'll need... from importing or creating pictures and animations, through manipulating colors and effects all the way to final export. Built-in support for TWAIN scanners and cameras makes it easy to bring in your own photos, while comprehensive import filters let you open just about any standard bitmap image. PhotoPlus can use most PhotoShop .8bf filters. Once you've got your image into PhotoPlus, you can enhance and alter its onscreen appearance with a diverse toolkit of functions and effects. A full range of export options (with special attention to Web graphics), plus powerful optimization capabilities, round out this high-performing package. (Click on the box to get your free copy.) [Registerware] "FreeSerifSoftware.com" is a registered trademark of Serif Europe Ltd.

Jasc Paint Shop Pro Jasc Software, now owned by the Corel Corporation, has produced one of the best graphics editing tools, and strives to incorporate many of the user's requests. This is a company that listens to its users. One of the best reasons for starting with Paint Shop Pro is the peer support that is available. There are a multitude of web sites providing tutorials and design ideas suitable for novice to seasoned users. (A downloadable demo is available.) [Affordable Commercial Software]