What does Fireworks have over Photoshop

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1

I’ve never used Fireworks but what are it’s strong points over Photoshop ? And are their any alternatives to Fireworks ?

I’m going to make a wild guess that one of it’s strengths is you can export slices and any desired resolution. In photoshop you can export slices, what I hate and I hope I explain this correctly is if you have a layout of 2000 x 2000 and you create the slice and you want the slice at 125x256 it won’t work. I know there is a slice dimensions option but it’s just that, for slice dimensions. I find I have to export the slice, re-import it into photoshop and then change the dimensions but I’m going to leave the door open if there is a solution to this.

2

I just took a class on this at the post-graduate level and this is how our professor outlined it: Adobe owns both Photoshop and Fireworks, so they must both have good qualities.

Fireworks is a web design product that happens to have image editing capabilities while Photoshop is an image editor that happens to have web design capabilities.

I read a pretty good comparison at http://imagexmedia.com/blog/2010/5/considerations-about-photoshop-vs-fireworks-web-design.

Hope his helps.

3

Fireworks is built to design for the web. Photoshop has been adapted to design for the web and is not optimized for it.

4

OK, at that level anything can be used for anything… if you know how.

Fireworks is especially suited for the web, mainly, for the following reasons:

  • FW is preconfigured for web work , as an example it will open files at 72 dpi ( tho this, like any default can be changed)
  • Less fine drawing tools, effects, etc., but more control over slicing and layering.
  • You can save for web using either HTML or CSS. This is kinda useless, but it let’s yousee the intended use of the program
  • Optimized file output. This is like save for web on steroids… and it seems to be set by default ( you cant save TIFF in FW…)
  • I would say, when using FW for images, that it behaves more like FLASH. In some cases , when doing web work this can be handy.
  • HERE’S THE BIGGIE: ANIMATED GIFS/PNGs!!! FW makes creating animated gifs quite intuitive; PS requires plug ins and a lot of effort.