~:~ WEB DESIGN TIPS & TRICKS ~:~

Now that you have created some of your own digital graphics, you're going to want a website to show off your work! There are programs that will help you create a website without knowing any HTML or CSS, however, I highly recommend learning both. It's not as hard as you may think...and IMHO the results are more satisfactory than bloated and slow-loading webpages that usually result with those drag and drop WYSIWYG web editors.

Note: All offsite links should open in new window so you can take a quick glance without loosing your place here!

If you have any web design tips you'd like to share, please send me email with the link!

Spambusters Combat automated email address harvesting!

Learning HTML & CSS A selected list of websites with HTML and CSS tutorials.

Good & Bad Design Design tips such as ....Keep your pages under 40K and your graphics under 10K.

Using Color in Web Design A variety of links about making color choices.

Copy & Paste Code Scripts for menus, guestbooks, counters, etc.

Copyrights for Web Designers FAQs about copyrights and trademarks.

Spambusters

Do you have your email address listed on your website so that visitors can contact you? Of course you do! Are you aware that "robot" programs (called "spambots") search the web hunting for email addresses. Once they find your eMail address, you get a bunch of spam!!!! Anytime you post your address on the web, you're a target of these spambots! I think this is an important concern to webmasters...so this section lists ideas for hiding your address from the spambots.

Win the Spam Arms Race To quote article: ..."Most seasoned web designer/developers have learned that posting an email address on a website is a sure-fire way to guarantee a steaming pile of spam delivered to that address for years to come....Indeed, posting a naked email link anywhere on the web (or in a newsgroup, in a chatroom, on a weblog comments page) is generally the kiss of death for your once-healthy address."

Is your address vulnerable? ...online tool to check your webpage to see if your address is private.

Another website/email scanner ...free service to scan your webpage to see if your address is vulnerable to spambots (only does one page at a time....keep your url list handy!!)

eMail Hider ...hide e-mail addresses from spambots...this JavaScript enables you to dynamically write an e-mail address to a web page.

eMail Obfuscator ...Hide your email from spambot address harvesters...free online tool that creates obfuscated (hidden) address using HTML characters that you copy/paste into your HTML.

Email Address Scrambler ...from Upromote

Hidden Fields ...free script which masks your email address in submitted forms. With this you can still let your visitors contact you with a handy form but the spambots won't be able to harvest your address. (submitted by cmeek)

Spam Vaccine ...JavaScript email scrambler.

Escrambler ...Javascript program that regenerates your mailto:address.

Redirect ....How to use a redirect to hide address.

Spam abuse network ...Resource for fighting spam

Sneak eMail ...an address-hiding service.

The Spam Motel ...Spam checks in, but it never checks out! An address-hiding service with some extra features.

Spam Cop ...premier spam reporting service since 1998.

C.A.U.C.E ...Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email. Organization promoting laws against spam.

Learning HTML & CSS

There are many, many sites on the web for learning HTML and CSS. I've just listed a selected few. CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and is now recognized by nearly all browsers. CSS gives more control and flexibility in page design than using HTML alone. A must for today's webmaster!

Learn HTML ...Beginners course for learning HTML...free and detailed.

HTML Help

It's as Easy as 1-2-3 ...html tutorial

Getting Started ...tutorial on how to design a webpage

HTML Tips and Tutorials ...linklist of HTML tutorials

Web Teacher

HTML Editors ...list of various web editors

HTML Tips & Tricks ....at Bravenet

HTML Validator ...online tool that checks for errors in your code.

Linkguard ...online tool for testing your links

Net Mechanic ...also has online tool for testing your links

Website Garage ...another site with tools for testing your links and other things

View a selection of my favorite books on web design plus some other best-selling titles.

Good & Bad Design

Links to tutorials and tips about how NOT to chase away visitors because you have a poorly designed website! Example (from unknown source) ..."Ever wonder why you go to some pages and wait and wait, and then everything appears all at once? The site designer didn't use .... height...width".

Webpages That Suck ...examples of what NOT to do!

The Demanding Website ...How to design a website that visitors will be able to navigate easily and quickly.

DON'Ts and DOs in Web Design ..."These are common mistakes that immediately make your page look unprofessional and even clueless, along with solutions and suggestions for what to do instead."

Common Questions and Misunderstandings About Web Graphics ...A list of commonly heard sentiments, questions, and misnomers regarding the creation and use of web graphics.

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Using Color in Web Design

A variety of links about making color choices.... understanding the color wheel, using websafe colors, the meaning of certain colors (internationally), plus tools to assist in color design.

Color Wheel Pro ...this is a cool tool that allows you to see color theory in action: you can create harmonious color schemes and preview them on real-world examples.

Design Principles of Color ...Tutorial by Technet Guru about using the color wheel. Quote: "I see a lot of sites that use these principles incorrectly, so I know there are a lot of programmers out there who need a better understanding of these concepts"

Webmasters Color Lab ...This online tool is loads of fun! Experiment with different color combinations for a webpage. Click on a color and page will refresh and display a swatch of your color choice. Then select 2nd color, 3rd color etc.

X11 Palette ...X11 Colors are named CSS color constants. For some reason this link frequently won't work...if you get 'not found' error...click on homepage url and then navigate to 'Online Tools'

System Color Palette ...CSS System colors are identified by name rather than RGB value. They are supported by all modern browsers.

Essential Color Checklist ...web design article"...produce Website designs that are more user friendly. Not just for the partially sighted, blind or estimated 8-10% of men with red-green colour blindness, but for the majority of Internet users."

Choose Your Colors Carefully ...The different moods and meanings of colors. "Bad design and/or color choices can send the wrong message to visitors and send them away from your site...It's important to consider the cultural background and expectations of your visitors."

Designing With Color ...article at DevX Project Cool..."Color is one of your best tools-and one that needs to be used thoughtfully...Color has a lot of meaning attached to it-and you can easily find yourself 'saying' things you really don't mean."

View a selection of how-to books related to graphics software and color theory.

Copy and Paste Code

Scripts and CSS for navigation menus, free guestbooks, counters, etc.

DHTML Web Menu ...JavaScript/DHTML based web menu utility for creating drop down menu (purchase)

Site Navigation ...linklist of JavaScript/DHTML based programs/software for creating hierarchial navigation menus.

Dropdown Menu Tree ...linklist to free online tools for creating JavaScript menu trees.

Favelets for Better Surfing ....this site has a collection of free scripts that include Anti No Right Click (prevents web pages from disabling right-mouse clicking); Audio Killer (stops unwanted audio files from playing); and Script Killer (disables all JavaScript code in a web page to prevent web pages from doing annoying and malicious things with JavaScript such as disabling you from using the right mouse button or spawning multiple pop-up windows).

Copyrights for Web Designers

FAQs about copyrights and trademarks.

What is Copyright?

R.I.G.H.T.S. ...Redistribution In Graphics Has To Stop: Respecting the Rights of Artists on the Web.

Please Do Right by Copyright ...A series of exchanges between an experienced designer and a new one on the subject of copyright and use (and misuse) of non-original works.

Do you consider yourself a thief? ...Most people would say they're not thieves, but some people are ripping off artists and designers constantly, knowing or unknowingly. These people are thieves, and some of them are utterly shameless. Read more about it here.

Digimarc ....a paid registration service for protecting digital images

Grey Day Greyday is an annual event to promote copyright awareness on the Web.

Articles for Web Site Designers ...Various legal issues regarding copyright, compiled by Ivan Hoffman, Attorney at Law.

Web Law FAQ ...Frequently asked questions relating to copyrights and the WWW prepared by the law firm of Oppendahl & Larson.

WACCO ...Webmasters Against Copy Cats Online. Resources for webmasters who find their work has been misappropriated or misused.

Common Questions and Misunderstandings About Web Graphics ...A list of commonly heard sentiments, questions, and misnomers regarding the creation and use of web graphics.

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LVS Online is a great resource for learning HTML, CSS, Paint Shop Pro, web design and editing software such as HomeSite or Dreamweaver. There's classes on many more subjects, all supported one-on-one by an instructor, and all at a reasonable price! I'd be very thankful if you told them Arizona Kate sent ya!