New Versions of Macromedia Graphic Design Tools Available Now

By Sarah Clark
sarah.clark@graphicdesignschoolreview.com
Graphic Design School Review Columnist

Macromedia, the maker of software designed to enhance user experiences on the Internet, digital and wireless devices, and fixed media, has recently issued an update of Studio 8, a popular desktop tool used by graphic designers. This new version is known to have more refined and integrated development capabilities.

Studio 8 is used to build and maintain interactive online experiences. It contains a suite of digital design development tools, including the following, which you'll likely find on a graphic designer's desktop.

Dreamweaver for Web Page Design

Dreamweaver is a web page design and development tool that includes new enhancements to manage XML and cascading style sheets. Drag and drop XML-based content and use the new CSS panel to ease editing and managing CSS content.

Flash 8 Professional

Flash 8 is also used in web page design and in other forms of digital design. Flash 8 now offers an encoder within the Flash authoring tool and a separate encoder for batch encoding video libraries. It also has the capability to support an alpha channel.

The new version also boasts hot new tools for designing animation, content, and other interactive features for mobile devices. Other new features aim to improve the overall quality of and control over effects relating to video, graphics, and text, and animation.

Fireworks 8

Fireworks is a web page design application that is noted for its ability to support both vector and bitmap images. Exciting new enhancements to Fireworks allow you to alter the look of colors and objects through 25 blend modes. A new shadow effect adds greater dimension to images. Fireworks 8 is also more integrated with Dreamweaver and Flash Professional.

Graphic Design Courses

If you feel your skills are lacking in your ability to fully use any of these graphic design tools, you can take a course on Flash, Dreamweaver, or on any of the other interactive design tools by Macromedia. Courses are available for newbies as well as those who have a basic grasp of Studio 8 products, but who could probably benefit from advanced training on some of the finer aspects of graphic design software. Find out about distance-learning or campus-based graphic design courses in your area.

About the Author

Sarah Clark is a freelance writer based in Arlington, Virginia.