Photoshop Tutorials:

30 Awesome Photoshop CS4 Tutorials From MirazWeb

Using Photoshop Gradient Tool from FreeTimeFoto.

Photoshop 101 – The Gradient Tool from Shape Shed.

A Gradient Tutorial from 9rules.

Creating Web 2.0 Effects with Photoshop – Part 1 from SitePoint.

Smooth Gradient Header Photoshop Tutorial from Tutorial Blog.

How to Create a Transparent Gradient in Photoshop from MediaCollege.com.

Creating Stylish Gradient Buttons from Wipeout44.

Jazzed Up Text With Gradient Effects from Wipeout44.

Become a Gradient Junkie from Wipeout44.

Gradient Mapping Effect in Photoshop from Wipeout44.

Web 2.0 Badge Photoshop Tutorial from Ajax Lessons.

Create a Shiny Badge Photoshop Tutorial from Tutorial Blog.

Tutorial: Rays of Light from Bartelme Design.

Sleek and Spicy Website Header Tutorial “Web 2.0 Style” from Photoshopit.

Gradient Text with Photoshop from Depiction.net.

Underwater Scene with Gradients from Heathrowe.com.

Warm Gradient Sunsets with Gradient Maps from Photoshop Essentials.

Using Gradients to Make Light and Shadow – and a Coffee Cup! from PSDTUTS.

Illustrator Tutorials:

Create Realistic Illustrations Using Illustrator’s Gradient Mesh from Veerle’s Blog.

Colorful Gradient Effects in Illustrator from Veerle’s Blog.

Transparent Gradients in Illustrator from CreativeTechs.

Adobe Illustrator – Gradient Mesh Tool, Gradients and Blends from Kevin Hulsey.

Transparent Gradient in Illustrator from Creative Bits.

Create Abstract Backgorunds in Illustrator from Vectips.

Illustrator 101: One Gradient Across Multiple Paths from BittBox.

Gradient Mesh – The Adobe Illustrator Video Podcast.

Gradient Meshes Introduction from Biorust.

How to Create Gradient Text in Illustrator from Wow Web Design.

GIMP Tutorials:

GIMP Gradient Tutorial from TankedUp Imaging.

GIMP Gradient Tutorial at YouTube.

General Tutorials:

Gradient Text Effect from Web Designer Wall.

Super-Easy Blendy Backgrounds from A List Apart.

Pure CSS Text Gradients from CSS Tricks.

Span-Free Gradient Text Effect from Sam Rayner.

Cross-Browser Gradient Backgrounds Without Images from Slayer Office.

Web 2.0 Design Kit from Photoshop Lab.

Gradients – The Web 2.0 How-to Design Guide from Web Design from Scratch.

Gradient Tiles with Shadow from Projectseven.

CSS Gradient Background from DMXzone.

Background Gradients and CSS from TankedUp Imaging.

CSS Web 2.0 Glossy Text from Just Talk About Web.

Creating Gradient Fills with ActionScript from Lukamaras.com.

The Push vs. Pull Gradient from Blogoscoped.

Gradient Generators:

Gradient Image Maker from Dynamic Drive.

Gradient Text Generator.

CSS Gradients Demo.

The Amazing Gradient Generator.

Online Gradient Image Maker.

RoundedCornr – Create a rounded corner with a gradient.

Form Style Generator – Includes a gradient generator.

Gradient Generator.

secretGeeks Gradient Maker.

Gradient Resources:

600+ Photoshop Gradients to Download from Best Design Options

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Gradient Pack from Estetica Design Forum

CSS Text Gradient from CSS Globe.

CSS Gradient Shadow from Dynamic Drive.

900 Gradients For GIMP from Deviant Art

Tabs Generator – Create Gradient Tabs.

Dynamic Gradient Background.

1000+ Gradient Pack from Deviant Art

Color Blender.

Ultimate Web 2.0 Gradients – Free Downloads from Deziner Folio.

Ultimate Web 2.0 Gradients – Volume 2 from Deziner Folio.

Ultimate Web 2.0 Gradients – Volume 3 from Deziner Folio.

Gimp 2.2 Gradients Muted from Deviant Art

130 Web 2.0 Gradient Swatches for Illustrator from Deziner Folio.

Ultimate Web 2.0 Layer Styles – Free Download from Deziner Folio.

Some Gradients to Save Some Time from GoSquared.

Free Photoshop Gradients Download from Euphorish.

Gradient Progress Bar from Slayer Office.

Lose the Images: How to Get Rounded Corners, Gradients, Drop Shadows and More Using CSS from DesignVitality.

The Gradient Green Navigation Bar from Listamatic.

Plasma Gradient Gradation PSD from Deviant Art

130 Ultimate Web 2.0 Gradients for Gimp from Gimp-Tutorials.net.

GIMP Gradients from Gimp.org.

36 Color Gradient Sets For Photoshop from 1stwebdesigner

Inspiration:

Yukio Miyamoto – Master of Adobe Illustrator Gradient Mesh Tool.

Color Inspiration: Blends, Gradients, Steps, Oh My! from COLOURlovers.

AND DO NOT FORGET

25 Great Examples of Using Gradient Effects in Web Designs by Listelog

5000+ Color Gradients Set For Photoshop by Listelog

30 Light and Sleek Web Designs for Inspiration by Listelog

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To help, we have compiled a list of the most sought after Photoshop textures tutorials, not only useful as resources, but, also good means to learn new skills.

Realistic Grass Texture

Glass Texture

Leather Texture

Honey Texture

Red Slate Texture

Rust Texture

Brick Texture

Leather Type Texture

Flower Texture

Wood Texture

Realistic Stone Texture

Metal Texture

Leopard Skin

Alabaster Texture

Dry Wall

Wood Texture

Asphalt Texture

Wave Texture

Lava Texture

Plaid Texture

Brushed Aluminum Texture

Grungy Metal Texture

Rust Texture

Rock and Stone Textures

Dirty Screen Texture

Jeans Textures

Stone Texture

Dots Texture

Fence Texture

Technodots Texture

Wood Texture

Liquid Blood Texture

Wrinkled Paper

Gold Texture

Marble Textures

Desert Texture

Water Texture

Dragon, Snake and Reptile Scales

Grungy Paper Texture

Military Style Texture

1st share date : Apr 14th, 2009 by designreviver.com

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If you’re interested in honing your Photoshop skills to create spectacular compositions, this is for you. In this article, you’ll find 35 basic Photoshop tutorials for getting started with Photoshop.

General tutorials

1. Getting Started with Photoshop

If you’ve never had any experience with Photoshop, this tutorial from SitePoint will get you up to speed with Photoshop’s basic features.

2. Adobe Photoshop Interface Tutorial

This tutorial outlines Photoshop CS2’s interface. Even if you use an earlier or later version of Photoshop, this tutorial is still helpful in familiarizing yourself with how Photoshop – in general – is laid out.

3. You Suck at Photoshop (series)

This wildly popular and humorous screencast on Photoshop techniques by (probably) fictional character Donnie Hoyle is an excellent Photoshop series to follow if you like laughing and learning at the same time!

4. Photoshop’s Toolbox

This tutorial goes over the anatomy of Photoshop’s Toolbox.

Photoshop tools and features

5. Retouch and Healing Tools

Photoshop has a host of tools and options for retouching and correcting images. This tutorial goes over the tools at your disposal and what situations each tool excels in.

6. Photoshop’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide

Photoshop’s Pen tool gives you the ability to draw objects in a vector-like fashion. This thorough tutorial even comes with a practice sheet that will help you master the concepts of working with the Pen tool.

7. Photoshop’s Painting Tools

Photoshop’s Painting tools allow you to draw and fill in objects with colors and color gradients. This tutorial showcases Photoshop’s painting capabilities.

8. Photoshop Color Replacement Tool

Sometimes you want to replace certain colors in an image. With the Color Replacement tool – you can specify which colors you’d like to change and Photoshop will automatically replace them for you. This tutorial goes through the color replacement process and discusses all the things you need to know about the Color Replacement tool.

9. Understanding Layer Masks

One of the fundamental skills to learn in Photoshop is the art of masking (isolating certain parts of a composition). This comprehensive tutorial goes over the Layer Masking features of Photoshop.

10. Photoshop’s Image Masking Tools

There are different methods of masking objects in your Photoshop composition. This tutorial goes over the basic masking tools available to you.

11. Layer Styles in Photoshop

Layer Styles are the effects and options you apply to a particular layer. This tutorial discusses the concept of Layer Styles and how to utilize them in your Photoshop documents.

12. Understanding Bevel and Emboss

Bevel and Emboss is a particular Layer Style. There are many options you can tweak and change (such as the shading and the angle of light); this tutorial goes over what each option does.

13. Understanding Drop Shadows

Drop Shadow is another Photoshop Layer Style that applies a silhouette to the objects in a layer. In this tutorial, you’ll learn about the different options and settings of the Drop Shadow Layer Style.

14. Introduction to Blending Modes

In this video tutorial, you’ll learn about the different Blending Modes available at your disposal.

15. Photoshop’s Filters

Photoshop filters are simply effects applied to your image (much like the concept of using photographic lens filters). For example, the Blur filter unsharpens the focus of your images. This tutorial goes over the Filters interface in Photoshop.

16. Useful Applications for the Clone Stamp Tool

This tutorial goes over some excellent uses of the Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop.

17. Getting to Grips with the Vanishing Point Filter

Master the Vanishing Point filter (a Photoshop filter that adjusts the image’s perspective) with this excellent Photoshop tutorial.

18. The Hidden Power of Photoshop Brush Tool

The Brush tool is a versatile drawing feature of Photoshop the mimics different art brushes and styles like water coloring, oil painting, or charcoal painting. This tutorial covers some of the best features of the Brush Tool in Photoshop.

19. “Background Eraser Tool” is the new Magic Wand

This tutorial goes over the usage of the Background Eraser tool in Photoshop.

Common tasks and techniques

20. A Comprehensive Introduction to Photoshop Selection Techniques

In order to become a Photoshop master, you’ll need to understand how to select different sections and objects in your composition. This guide goes over some techniques you can use to selectively isolate certain objects or groups of objects.

21. Sharpening the Details

You’ll often need to sharpen photos for image correction. In this video tutorial, you’ll learn about various sharpening techniques.

22. Saving Images for the Web

One of the most powerful features of Photoshop is its ability to save compositions in a variety of web formats. This tutorial explains the different options and settings of saving images for the web.

23. Create Your Own Custom Shapes in Photoshop

Custom Shapes are reusable objects in Photoshop. It gets stored in a library and you can access them later on from another Photoshop document. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create, import, and save your own custom shapes.

24. Photoshop Smart Objects, smart but not always that smart

Smart Objects are instantiated objects – that is, you can create multiple instances of a source object and make a change to an instance of that object while still keeping the original object intact. This tutorial goes over how to use Smart Objects.

Enhancing your workflow and efficiency

25. Using Pen Tablets in Photoshop

You can use a Pen tablet (an input device that lets you draw images directly into an image editor) over a mouse to create more accurate drawings by hand. This tutorial shows you the basic concepts behind utilizing a Pen Tablet to supplement your workflow.

26. Automating Photoshop with Actions

An Action is a sequence of Photoshop tasks that you can repeat and reuse. For example, if you find yourself constantly resizing images to 550 pixels in width and then saving them in  PNG file format, you can record a Photoshop Action that will apply these settings automatically. This excellent tutorial covers the basics of creating and using Photoshop Actions.

27. Using Palettes in Photoshop

Palettes are sets of tools and options that help you organize Photoshop’s interface. In this tutorial, you’ll get a great primer on how to take advantage of using Palettes.

28. Installing and Managing Brushes & Other Presets

You can install pre-made brushes (instead of creating your own) in Photoshop as well as save important settings for future use. This tutorial will show you how to work with brushes and other Photoshop presets.

29. Layer Comps in Photoshop CS

A Layer Comp is a version of your composition that you can switch back and forth to. Learn a little about an actual use of Layer Comps.

30. Photoshop Secret Shortcuts

Shortcuts enable greatly increases your efficiency. In this excellent tutorial, you’ll learn about some of the lesser-known but tremendously useful Photoshop shortcuts.

31. Manage your shortcuts in Photoshop

If you don’t like the preset keyboard shortcuts the Photoshop comes with out of the box, this tutorial will show you how to change and manage your Photoshop shortcuts.

Learning by doing

32. Manipulate an Image with Scripting

Scripting allows you to automate and extend Photoshop’s features by authoring your own code. Learn about Photoshop Scripting with this tutorial that uses image manipulation as a working example.

33. Use Photoshop’s Filters to Make Simple Illustrations

Learn to use Photoshop Filters to transform a photo into an illustration.

34. Custom made Seamless Texture Tutorial

Learn to create seamless textures in Photoshop.

35. Simple organic shapes in Photoshop

This tutorial goes over a technique for creating simple organic shapes using several Photoshop tools and techniques such as the Shape Tool and Gradient Masks.

1st share date : Nov 10th, 2008 by Jacob Gube

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Vimeo-Like Top Navigation

URL : Vimeo-Like Top Navigation »
Description : If you like the top navigation used on Vimeo, you will love this tutorial. The menu drops down when you hover over the search box and tt offers you different search options that you can choose and narrow your search.
This is an excellent tut to give you an insight into how the high-end sites cleverly use CSS.
Demo : View Demo »

Tabbed Navigation Using CSS

URL : Tabbed Navigation Using CSS »
Description : In this thoroughly detailed (and easy to follow) tutorial you will be taught how to create low-bandwidth tab navigation on a web page using CSS, as an extra bonus you’ll also learn how to switch tabs without loading the page more than once.
Demo : View Demo »

Sexy Drop Down Menu with jQuery and CSS

URL : Sexy Drop Down Menu with jQuery and CSS »
Description : In this tutorial you will learn how to create a ’sexy’ drop down menu that will also degrade gracefully with CSS and a some jQuery. Excellent tutorial from Noupe,as always.
Demo : View Demo »

Bulletproof CSS Sliding Doors

URL : Bulletproof CSS Sliding Doors »
Description : A variant on the original sliding doors tecnique from Douglas Bowman, this tutorial tackles issues such as dead pixel areas, empty <span> tags, Internet Explorer and older browser inconsistencies and solving the problem of increased font-sizes.
Demo : View Demo »

Vertical CSS menu with jQuery toggle effect

URL : Vertical CSS menu with jQuery toggle effect »
Description : In this tutorial you will learn how to create a vertical CSS menu with a show/hide feature using jQuery.

PHP and CSS menu

URL : PHP and CSS menu »
Description : You will learn how to use PHP to control CSS styles to highlight the tab or hit area of a html menu with styles controlled by CSS.
Demo : View Demo »

DropDown CSS Menu

URL : DropDown CSS Menu »
Description : This CSS menu will have submenus and will use the web-techniques HTML, CSS and the “whatever:hover” behavior file to make things work in Firefox and IE6.
Demo : View Demo »

Pure CSS Vertical Navigation Menu

URL : Pure CSS Vertical Navigation Menu »
Description : You will build the second most common site menu navigation, the vertical navigation menu, in this tutorial. You are going to be using only pure CSS and unordered lists to create the vertical navigation menu with three levels of pop outs. Thie navigation menu will work in IE5, IE6, IE7 and IE8 as well as Firefox and Safari.
Demo : View Demo »

Nested Side Bar Menu

URL : Nested Side Bar Menu »
Description : This is a simple yet professional looking multi level side menu. Markup wise it’s just a regular nested UL list, turned into a drop down menu using a very small JavaScript code.
Demo : View Demo »

CSS Overlapping Tabs Menu

URL : CSS Overlapping Tabs Menu »
Description : In this tutorial you’re going to learn to create a simple, yet cool menu with overlapping tabs, that is easily customised, lightweight and versatile.
Demo : View Demo »

Creating a glassy non div navigation bar

URL : Creating a glassy non div navigation bar »
Description : In this tutorial you will not use any divs, instead you will be forming a navigation bar using a unordered list. This tutorial will show you how to style and control lists in CSS, as well as showing you the valid ways of using lists and where to use them.
Demo : View Demo »

Rounded corner CSS navigation bar with jQuery

URL : Rounded corner CSS navigation bar with jQuery »
Description : You will be shown how to add some nice round corner effect to your anchor elements with jQuery, for your navigation, without using any image.

Create a multilevel Dropdown menu with CSS and jQuery

URL : Create a multilevel Dropdown menu with CSS and jQuery »
Description : This tutorial is split into two parts, the first part is dedicated to the task of building a working CSS-only dropdown menu , the second part will show you how you can pimp the whole thing with a few lines of jQuery.
Demo : View Demo »

CSS Navigation Menus

URL : CSS Navigation Menus »
Description : This tutorial will teach you how to create different menu styles for a main menu, submenu, and footer menu.

Simple CSS Vertical Menus

URL : Simple CSS Vertical Menus »
Description : In this tutorial you will learn the basics of creating simple vertical menus for your website using only HTML and CSS.

Multi-Level CSS Dropdown Menu in Dreamweaver CS4

URL : Multi-Level CSS Dropdown Menu in Dreamweaver CS4 »
Description : Traditionally, multi-level dropdown menu navigation have been done in JavaScript, these kinds of menus can be very confusing for a beginner, and even more confusing to go back and edit later. You will learn how to do this better and more beautifully with CSS and Dreamweaver CS4.
For this tutorial, you’ll be making a horizontal navigation bar for a zoo. It will have dropdowns and a couple of items will have flyouts to the right.
Demo : View Demo »

Designing the Digg Header

URL : Designing the Digg Header »
Description : The Digg navigation is compacted with the use of simple drop-down menus. Important things like subscribing, searching and account information are right up top where you would expect them to be. It’s fluid width, but it doesn’t shrink too far or grow too big. Like the Vimeo tutorial above, this is also an excellent tut to give you an insight into how the high-end sites cleverly use CSS.
Demo : View Demo »

Pure CSS Fish Eye Menu

URL : Pure CSS Fish Eye Menu »
Description : A pure CSS technique to transform your icon menu into an interactive zooming icon navigation menu inspired from Mac OSX Dock with fish eye effect. One of many ways to style html list tags into interactive, usable, and accessible menu using pure CSS.
Demo : View Demo »

CSS Navigation Image Rollovers

URL : CSS Navigation Image Rollovers »
Description : This tutorial will show you how to create a navigation menu with image rollovers built with CSS that uses only one image and very minimal HTML / CSS code.
Demo : View Demo »

Vertical CSS Menu With a ‘Behavior’ File

URL : Vertical CSS Menu With a ‘Behavior’ File »
Description : This tutorial will teach you how to build a vertical CSS menu with rollover submenu’s. The menu will be written in CSS and HTML, and will also use a so-called ‘behavior’ file.
Demo : View Demo »

Navigation bar with tabs using CSS and sliding doors

URL : Navigation bar with tabs using CSS and sliding doors »
Description : Create a simple navigation bar with tabs using CSS with status effects active, hover and link with PHP URL variables to set a tab “active” when the relative page is loaded.

CSS Sprite Navigation

URL : CSS Sprite Navigation »
Description : This tutorial teaches how to build a css navigation using sprite images. With the mobile web becoming more important than ever before, load time and the size of a web site are some of the biggest factors to consider when developing a site for mobile users.
Demo : View Demo »

CSS Menus (with some help from jQuery)

URL : CSS Menus (with some help from jQuery) »
Description : The menu in the image of the dynamic menu are driven completely by CSS and work in all modern browsers, create up to 3 sub menus, hover persistence and uses jQuery for IE fixes. Nice and simple.

CSS Play Navigation Menus

URL : CSS Play Navigation Menus »
Description : If you are not aware of CSSplay.co.uk or Stu Nicholls, shame on you. If you are serious about CSS then get yourself over there, have a look at the many possibilties of CSS and view the hundreds of working CSS Demos. Below you will find his latest CSS menus. Great resource.

View more CSS menus from CSSplay »

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So in today’s post, you’ll find an assortment of top-notch tutorials, resources and .PNG downloadable files that others have freely contributed to the design community for making your next adobe fireworks effect.

1. Add Radial Gradient in Text

A tutorial which will give you step-by-step instructions to create a peeling effect. Great for placing in a corner of a website to reveal news or offers.

Download .PNG file is available

2. Add Radial Gradient in Text

A tutorial which will give you step-by-step instructions to create a peeling effect. Great for placing in a corner of a website to reveal news or offers.

3. Awesome Light Effects in Fireworks inspired by the James White’s O series

This tutorial will reproduce James White’s style using Fireworks. The process is simple, just playing with some circles, blend modes and a bit of color!

4. Abstrakter Effekt in Fireworks

This tutorial will teach you how to create an abstract effect in adobe fireworks.

Download .PNG file is available

5. Extracting Logos

This tutorial will show you how to extract a logo and/or logotype from a raster image, using only Adobe Fireworks Live Filters. With this method, you also have the option to re-color the lifted logo in anyway you want: solid, gradient, or textured. All of this, while avoiding the temptations of the quick-and-dirty Wand Tool.

Download .PNG file is available

6. Circular Shadows & Highlights

Gradients and masks are all it takes to create lighting effects for circular shapes in Adobe Fireworks. Generate as many layers of shadows and highlights as you need. This tutorial will start by putting into a canvas a circular graphic to add shadows and highlights to.

Download .PNG file is available

7. Simple Orbs Tutorial

The Simple Orbs Tutorial is a very simple technique , yet it could add some dramatic touches to your design. It is just one layer object but you can replicate it over and over, and change the sizes.

Download .PNG file is available

8. Papel de Parede 2009

Learn how to create a grass text effect in adobe fireworks.

Download .PNG file is available

9. Create a vector in Adobe Fireworks

This is a video tutorial that will teach you how to create a vector graphic in Adobe fireworks.

10. How to make Animations and Animated Graphics in Adobe Fireworks

11. Text effect download

Download .PNG file is available

12. Creating the iPhone Interface on Fireworks

Learn how to create the iphone interface on Fireworks.

Download .PNG file is available

13. Fireworks 101

This tutorial will cover some basic functionalities and it’s very useful for those willing to improve their Fireworks skills. You will learn how to play with paths, combining, subtracting and much more. Also you will end up creating a logo.

14. Creating the IE7 logo effect in Fireworks

Learn how to recreate the IE7 logo in Fireworks.

15. Remove Foreground Object in Fireworks/Photoshop

Learn how remove a foreground object from a picture and keep the background with amendments to make it appear as though the object was never there to begin with.

16. Adobe Fireworks: Text to path

Sometimes we want to align or place our text freely, without having to limit our self to vertical and horizontal view only. Maybe we want to create some so called typography art – which requires us to place text in, let say, a circle, or any free form shapes, created using pen tools. With Adobe Fireworks, you can easily attach texts onto any shape or path created using pen tools.

17. Beautiful night scene

You don’t have to be Van Gogh to create a beautiful night scene. Fireworks artist Angelo Sabal will show you how you can easily create a realistic night sky using Fireworks.

18. Creating Fading Light Vectors in Fireworks

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create some cool effects with fading light linear vectors in Fireworks. It’s really easy to do and takes just a few minutes. Create fading lights using vectors, then convert these vectors into bitmaps, and learn to use effects from Fireworks CS3.

19. Pixelate Effect Tutorial

Have you ever wanted to create a pixelize look on your designs but you didn’t know how? Well here is your answer ! In this tutorial you will learn how to install 3rd party plugins in adobe fireworks and use them.

20. Awesome Floral Type in Fireworks and Photoshop in 5 minutes

Download .PSD file is available, you can open in fireworks as well

21. Creating A Thick Text Outline

22. Masking Effects Using Bitmap Masking

Learn to use layer masks (Group as Mask) in Fireworks CS3 to create faded image silhouettes.

23. waterDrop

Download .PNG file is available

24. Sticky Notes

Sticky notes are little pieces of bright-colored paper with an adhesive strip on the back, allowing you to jot down reminders, checklists, or *gasp* passwords and post them onto a surface. This Adobe® Fireworks tutorial will show you how to recreate them digitally, with a certain degree of realism, for your own design projects.

Download .PNG file is available

25. Create Vista-like Wallpapers with Fireworks

Download .PNG file is available

26. Fireworks 101

This tutorial will go through some of the features that help with fast prototyping, like the fit canvas button and the optimizing panel.

27. Amazing Neon Lights on Fireworks

This tutorial will go through a few steps to create neon effects on Fireworks.

Download zip file

28. Glowing light trail

This tutorial will teach you how to create a colourful glowing light trail. This is rather a simple tutorial that can be performed in only 6 basic steps.

Download zip file

29. Exporting CSS and images in Fireworks CS4

Wouldn’t it be nice to simply draw a website design in Fireworks and then instantly export the HTML, CSS code, and all associated files required to display the page, so that all the files are ready to upload to your web server. This article describes the new “CSS and Images” export option available in Fireworks CS4 and gives tips for getting the best results out of it.

30. Create Windows vista buttons

31. Create a Slideshow in Adobe Fireworks CS4

This tutorial will teach you how to create a beautiful slideshow gallery with transition effects, categories, captions and resizable images in Fireworks CS4.

Click here to view the finished gallery

32. How to Change the Colour of an Image Object in Adobe Fireworks

Quite often, when searching for a relevant image to go on a new website we are designing, we’ll find one that’s almost right, but not quite! Read on to find out how simple it is to change the colour of a selected part of an image in Adobe Fireworks.

33. An example of how to create a computer mouse

34. Light Painting in Fireworks

How to create Light Painting in Fireworks.

Worth Checking Resources

- 131 Web 2.0 Layer Styles for Fireworks

This set is based on Ultimate Web 2.0 Layer Styles for Photoshop and is re-done for Fireworks.

- 75 Powerful Adobe Fireworks Extensions

Here are some of the best 75 Adobe Fireworks Extensions (MXP), nearly all are compatabile with Fireworks MX, 8 and CS3 (and quite a few with Fireworks 3 and 4).

- Fireworks Developer Center

- List of Fireworks compatible plug ins

- The Things You Might Have Missed

- Rapid prototyping in Fireworks CS3

Let’s take a quick look at how the prototyping process works today in the real world.

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The list below is made up of the best 50 FREE scripts available, they are all of the highest quality and more or less easy to configure. Give them a try.

1. Ajax Forms

Submitting a form with AJAX doesn’t get any easier than this!

1.1 Server side jQuery with Jaxer

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Jaxer here

1.2 Ajax login form (PHP & Javascript)

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Jaxer here

1.3 Form Plugin

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Jaxer here

2. Ajax ShoutBox

2.1 wTag (Ajax shoutbox)

• Demo can be found here.
• Download wTag here

2.2 Shoutbox Ajax

• Download Code here

3. Validate a Username AJAX

3.1 Validate a username using Javascript and PHP ( AJAX )

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

4. Ajax Instant Messenger

4.1 Ajax Instant Messenger

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

4.2 Ajax and XML: Ajax for chat

Learn to build a chat system into your Web application with Asynchronous JavaScript™ + XML (Ajax) and PHP.

• Download Code here

5. Ajax Tabs Content

5.1 Ajax Tabs Content

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

5.2 AjaxControlToolkit TabContainer

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

6. Ajax Shopping Carts

6.1 Drag and drop shopping cart

7. Ajax Star Ratings

7.1 Starbox

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

7.2 Unobtrusive AJAX Star Rating Bar

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

7.3 CSS: Star Rater Ajax Version

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

8. Ajax Inline Edit

AJAX, DOM, whatever you call it makes it possible to let people edit a piece of text inline without having to use a submit button.

8.1 Easy AJAX inline text edit 2.0

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

8.2 Ajax.InPlaceEditor

8.3 Edit In Place with AJAX Using jQuery

• Demo can be found here.

9. Ajax Progress Bar

Sometimes, when we are building websites and web applications, we need a percentage bar / progress bar to show the progress of a specific task. However, it is very difficult to find a working and easy solution without using Flash. Here are very interesting Progress bars using ajax instead of flash.

8.1 jsProgressBarHandler

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

8.2 A YUI Loading Panel Widget

• Download Code here

10. Ajax Pagination

10.1 Ajax Pagination Script

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

10.2 Preloading Data with Ajax and JSON

• Demo here
• Download Code here

11. AJAX File Browser & Manager

11.1 jQuery File Tree

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

11.2 jQuery File Tree

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

12. Ajax Calendar

Online calendars are often used in many web applications. Though popular, the logic behind creating a calendar can be scary especially for those who are new to programming. There are many web calendars in the market but some of them are quite complicated. Check out these excellent ajax calendars.

12.1 Vista-like Ajax Calendar version 2

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

12.2 Quick Calendar Using AJAX and PHP

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

13. Ajax Photo Manipulation

13.1 Phototype

• Download Code here

13.2 mooImageCrop

• Demo here

14. Ajax Dynamic Image Gallery and Slideshows

14.1 Dynamic Image Gallery and Slideshow

• Demo here
• Download Code here

15. AJAX File Upload

15.1 Max’s AJAX file uploader

• Demo here
• Download Code here

15.2 Ajax Multi Image File Upload

• Demo here
• Download Code here

15.3 jQuery Multiple File Upload Plugin

• Demo here
• Download Code here

16. AJAX AutoCompleter

16.1 Autocomplete Control Version Released

• Demo here
• Download Code here

16.2
FaceBook Like – jQuery and autosuggest Search Engine

• Demo here
• Download Code here

17. AJAX CMS

17.1 NicEdit

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

17.2 FCKEditor

• Demo can be found here.
• Download Code here

18. AJAX Polls

18.1 Ajax Poller

• Demo here
• Download Code here

18.2 Creating a Dynamic Poll with jQuery and PHP

• Demo here
• Download Code here

19. AJAX Tabular data manipulations

19.1 Sorttable

• Demo here
• Download Code here

19.2 FlexiGrid

• Demo here
• Download Code here

19.3 DDDrasticGrid

• Demo here
• Download Code here

19.4 Improving Extra wide Grid View

• Demo here
• Download Code here

20. Miscellaneous

20.1 Ajax Scrolling pages

• Demo here
• Download Code here

20.2 jTip – A jQuery Tool Tip

• Demo here
• Download Code here

20.3 Ajax Broken Link Checker

This module checks your links on the current page by requesting them and reading the server response. If the server returns 200 OK the link gets ‘active’ class, if other header – the link marked as inactive.

• Download Code here

20.4 Facebox

• Demo here
• Download Code here

20.5 Drop Down Panel script

• Demo here
• Download Code here

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If you’re interested in expanding your understanding of Ajax techniques and practices, check out these 25 hand-picked Ajax articles and tutorials that outline various methods and concepts involved in the development of Ajax-based applications. Though most are geared for budding and intermediate developers, veterans might find a trick or two they haven’t encountered before.

1. Ajax RSS reader

Build a simple RSS reader that takes remote XML data from RSS feeds using Ajax, PHP, and MySQL. This example allows users to view feed content from multiple sources in one page. At the bottom of the article, you’ll find an animated demonstration of the RSS reader.

2. Ajax Desktop Tutorial

This tutorial is a step-by-step guide on how to create a desktop/homepage similar to Pageflake and Netvibes. The goal of this tutorial is to showcase some common techiques involved in developing web-based applications like manipulating the Document Object Model (DOM), listening to events (i.e. certain mouse movements), and working with remote data.

• Ajax Desktop demo

3. Ajax for Chat

Learn to build a simple web-based chat client using asynchronous JavaScript, XML, and PHP. The tutorial’s example utilizes the Prototype JS framework, MySQL, and PHP.

4. Create your own information space with Ajax and del.icio.us

This article outlines the basic foundations of using Ajax alongside an API service. It uses the del.icio.us API, but the methods and concepts can be adapted to other popular services such as Digg’s or Flickr’s. It’s an essential resource for those contemplating on creating web applications that use remote XML data – a couple of live examples are popurls and SocialBlade, which obtains information from social media sites using available API services. This tutorial requires you to register (for free).

5. Ultra-lightweight Charts For AJAX

See how to create a super-lightweight (1.78 KB) charting component using Flash with Ajax. The example allows you to generate visual graphs using dynamically-loaded data. The solution involves ActionScript-JavaScript communication, and covers the use of the setData and setStyle ActionScript methods for generating and styling the charts.

6. Quick Calendar Using AJAX and PHP

Learn how to create a calendar component using Ajax and PHP. Ajax is used for navigating through the calendar months without refreshing the page.

• Quick Calendar demo

7. How to integrate Google Calendar in your website using AJAX

This tutorial shows you how to create a web page component that calls a publicly available Google calendar. Google Calendar allows you to easily create, share, and manage events and is an excellent feature for community websites.

• AJAX calendar demo

8. Edit In Place with AJAX Using jQuery

In this example, users are given the ability to edit the XHTML of the web page they’re currently viewing. The example is a proof-of-concept – presenting how this functionality can be achieved using jQuery. Normally, you’d want to send the user’s edits to server-side code to perform processes such as validation or saving the changes in a database.

• Edit In Place demo 1
• Edit In Place demo 2

9. Creating an AJAX Rating Widget

Learn the concepts of creating a rating system without prompting the user to click a submit button or refreshing the page. The tutorial showcases how you can do this in a variety of ways by including examples for the following four JavaScript frameworks/libraries: Dojo, jQuery, mootools, and Prototype JS.

10. AJAX file upload tutorial

In this tutorial, you’re shown how to create a file uploader. The tutorial uses JavaScript and PHP.

• AJAX File Uploader demo

11. Use AJAX and PHP to Build your Mailing List

This tutorial from SitePoint walks you through the development of a mailing list form that accepts submissions asynchronously. It uses MySQL for storing the data inputted by the user and Prototype JS for simplifying Ajax requests and binding event handlers.

12. Safer Contact Forms Without CAPTCHAs

One way to reduce spam from public web forms is to implement a system to verify if the submitter is human by using image CAPTCHAs. Problems arise with accessibility when individuals using visual assistive technologies are presented with the test (and thus cannot continue on). This simple technique uses an Ajax call to a server-side script to drop a cookie on the user’s computer.

• Safer Form demo

13. Using AJAX with CAPTCHA

Avoiding the use of image-based CAPTCHAs is a good idea. With that said, many sites still prefer using this technique to distinguish between humans and computers. If forgoing web accessibility is appropriate for your situation, this article outlines a unique method for administering CAPTCHA tests. The user is presented with a sequence of descriptions (i.e. Animal, Costume, Boy), and asked to click on a set of images in sequential order. The clicks are recorded and validated, returning the appropriate status message. Though probably not an ideal solution to CAPTCHAs, it does outline a fundamental technique for developing responsive user interfaces – use it for inspiration.

14. Ajax-based login form

Create a basic login form that asynchronously validates the inputted data. The example uses the jQuery form plugin and PHP to process the request.

• Ajax-based login form demo

15. Nice Ajax effect for message box using Mootools

In this example, a message box that fades after a specified duration is displayed when the user clicks on the “save” button. This is a model for supplying users with the status of their request, and an real Ajax request should typically happen when the user clicks on the “save” button.

• Nice Ajax Effects for messages box demo

16. AutoCompleter Tutorial

The AutoCompleter tutorial teaches you how auto completion of input fields can be accomplished. The example uses jQuery, PHP, and MySQL.

• AutoCompleter tutorial demo

17. Auto-populating Select Boxes using jQuery & AJAX

A key technique in Ajax applications is to populate content without a page refresh. In this tutorial, you’ll witness how this is done with a PHP and JavaScript (jQuery to make it easier).

• Auto-populating Select Boxes demo

18. Build an Ajax Dropdown Menu

Here’s a basic example of working with external data to load content into a drop-down menu – from our beloved Webmonkey. Though the example uses a text file, you can use your own data source when applying the technique to your own purposes.

• Ajax Dropdown Menu demo

19. Ajax/PHP Shoutbox Tutorial

Make an Ajax-powered shoutbox using PHP and JavaScript. This tutorial walks you through the server-side and client-side requirements of creating a shoutbox, which can be adapted to other functions such as a commenting system.

• AJAX Shoutbox demo

20. Building Tabbed Content

Learn how to build a tabbed content component with the data populated via Ajax. The tutorial uses PHP and Prototype JS.

• Building Tabbed Content demo

21. How to Load In and Animate Content with jQuery

This step-by-step tutorial shows you how to load data into a web page using jQuery to handle the Ajax request and manipulation of the DOM.

• Load In and Animate Content demo

Best practices and workaround techniques to common issues

22. The Hows and Whys of Degradable Ajax

This article discusses the concept of creating Ajax-based applications that degrades effectively when JavaScript is not detected, providing increased accessibility and bulletproof-ness. Completely successful degradation means that an application is still usable and information is still accessible without reliance to JavaScript or CSS.

• Degradable Ajax demo

23. Avoid unnecessary Ajax traffic with session state

This article presents a method for minimizing unneeded database/computational processes and avoiding large status updates if no changes have occurred. By using client cookies to keep track of the session’s state, you can cut down on processes that may be redundant. Though the article presents an example using Python for server code – the model remains the same in virtually any language you use.

24. A Better Ajax Back Button Solution

Here’s a workaround to issues pertaining to Ajax-loaded content breaking web browser controls and bookmarking capabilities. The solution involves firing off a function at a set interval that checks the #value of the URL, and then presenting the correct content. It restores the ability to bookmark the content. In Part 2 of the article, you’ll see a working example and additional discussion of this method.

• A Better Ajax Back Button demo

25. Making Ajax Work with Screen Readers

One of the biggest drawbacks of loading content via Ajax is that it fails to indicate an update of the content to users who are reliant on screen readers. For people who are not visually-impaired – messages and status indicators can be visual queues that the content is changing; this isn’t effective for users with visual impairments. This article draws out the underlying issues and proposes techniques to make Ajax-based applications work with screen readers.

There we have it… some brilliant Ajax techniques and examples. I hope you’ve found some links of interest that will help you in a future project or in advancing your command of Ajax.

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So in today’s post, you’ll find an assortment of top-notch tutorials, brushes, patterns, vector packs, tips & tricks and .EPS downloadable files that others have freely contributed to the design community.

Adobe Illustrator Tutorials

- Create a Gang of Vector Ninjas

- Logo Design Project Step by Step Walkthrough

- Logo Design Project Step by Step Walkthrough

- How to Draw Your Own Vector Wings

- Master Painting in Illustrator

- Woman and Cats How-To Advanced

- Experimental text effects

- Create A Wood Grain Texture

- How to make retro/futuristic curves in 10 Steps

- Twitterlove Bird, from sketch to vector in Photoshop and Illustrator

- Create an envelpe icon with a satin feel

- 3D Text Tutorial

- Create the First Page of a Fairy Tale Story Book, with a Hint of Kitsch

- How to Create a Cute Bunny Vector Character

- 30 Tutorials That Will Teach You Illustrator

- Use Adobe Illustrator to Create a Clean Website Layout

- Easily Make Shiny Realistic Vector Hair

- Vectoring Hair

- Creating A new Typeface in illustrator

- Super cool abstract vectors illustrator and photoshop

- Crazy cool vectors illustrator and photoshop

- Creating vector characters in Illustrator

- Character Illustration

- 20 Exceptional Websites for Learning Adobe Illustrator

- 50 Excellent Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorials

Creating Adobe Illustrator Patterns

- Create a Themed Repeating Pattern in Illustrator

- Memory Lock

- Design your own pattern swatches

- 3 ways to apply a line pattern effect on text in Illustrator

- Creating-Pattern

- Creating geometric patterns in Illustrator

- Create a Burberry Style Plaid with Illustrator in 4 Steps

- Pattern Maniac

- How to Create a Seamless pattern in 10 steps

- Patterns and Shapes in Adobe Illustrator

- 450+ Abobe Illustrator Patterns

Adobe Illustrator Brushes

- 30 Illustrator Pattern Brushes for Making Flowers and Circular Designs

- 105 More Delicious Water Color Illustrator Brushes

- Floral n Veins Brushes

- 81 Amazing Argyle Illustrator Brushes

- 50 Killer Retro Starburst Brushes

- Hair and line art brush for AI

- Swirly Curls – Sick Brush Kit

- Thorny vine brushes

- 10 custom vector-based Art Brushes

- 16 “Sketchy” Illustrator Brushes

- Ink/Watercolor

Adobe Illustrator Tool Tips & Tricks

- Illustrator’s Blend Tool: A Comprehensive Guide

- How to Use Effects to Create a Cool Design

- 10 Illustrator Resolutions for 2009

- Transform Again in Illustrator

- Illustrator Pen tool exercises

- Using the Blend tool and Distort Zig Zag Effect

- Recolor artwork using Illustrator’s LiveColor

- Colorful Waves

- Realistic Curtain

- Simultaneously Expand When Creating Compund Shapes

- Illustrator’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide

- Adobe Illustrator Shortcuts

- Huge List of Adobe Illustrator Plugins & Filters & Tools

Free Vector Packs & Resources

- Safari and Zoo Animals

- Free Vector Icon Set 1 – 25 Icons

- Free character pack

- The Ultimate Collection Of Free Vector Packs

- Transportation Silhouettes

- Vector Elements

- Ornate, Floral, Swirly and Curly Vector Roundup

- 60 Free Vector Icon Packs for Design Professionals

- Seamless Swirls

- Free Floral Vector Ornament

- Illustrator pattern swatches and textures

- 64 Vector Arrow Icons

- Free Vector Social Icons

- 125 free Japanese Patterns

- 10 Vector Sets of Flowers

- 17 Exclusive Web Icons

- Flourish Vector Ornaments

Vector Sources

- Free Vectors

- QVectors

- Cool Vectors

- Vector4free

- AllSilhouettes

- 123FreeVectors

- Vecteezy

- VectorVault

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Javascript Framework

1. Prototype

   

   Prototype is a JavaScript Framework that aims to ease development of dynamic
   web applications.

2. Yahoo! User Interface Library (YUI)

   

   The Yahoo! User Interface (YUI) Library is a set of utilities and controls, written in JavaScript, for building richly interactive web applications using techniques such as DOM scripting, DHTML and AJAX. The YUI Library also includes several core CSS resources. All components in the YUI Library have been released as open source under a BSD license and are free for all uses.

3. Rico

   Javascript framework designed for building rich Internet applications.

   

4. qooxdoo

   

   qooxdoo is one of the most comprehensive and innovative Open Source multipurpose AJAX frameworks, dual-licensed under LGPL/EPL. It includes support for professional JavaScript development, a state-of-the-art GUI toolkit and high-level client-server communication.

5. Ext Javascript Library

   

   Ext is a client-side, JavaScript framework for building
   web applications. In early 2006, Jack Slocum began working on a set of extension utilities for the Yahoo! User
   Interface (YUI) library. These extensions were quickly organized into an independent library of code and distributed under the name “yui-ext.” In the fall of 2006, Jack released version .33 of yui-ext, which turned out to be the final version of the code under that name (and under the open source BSD license). By the end of the year, the library had gained so much in popularity that the name was changed simply to Ext, a reflection of its maturity and independence as a framework. A company was formed in early 2007, and Ext is now dual-licensed under the LGPL and a commercial license. The library officially hit version 1.0 on April 1, 2007.

6. MooTools

   

   MooTools is a compact, modular, Object-Oriented JavaScript framework designed for the intermediate to advanced JavaScript developer. It allows you to write powerful, flexible, and cross-browser code with its elegant, well documented, and coherent API.

7. Dojo

   

   Dojo is an Open Source DHTML toolkit written in JavaScript. It builds on several contributed code bases (nWidgets, Burstlib, f(m)), which is why we refer to it sometimes as a “unified” toolkit. Dojo aims to solve some long-standing historical problems with DHTML which prevented mass adoption of dynamic web application development. .

Scripts and Tutorials

1. AjaxLine

   

2. Ajax Rain

   

3. Ajaxlines

   

   Ajaxlines is a project focused on providing its audience with a database of most of Ajax related articles, resources, tutorials and services from around the world.

4. Dynamic Drive

   Dynamic Drive offers free DHTML, Javascripts and updates their archives frequently.

   

5. Free Javascripts

   free-javascripts is a database listeings of free basic javascripts that help your website gets more interactivity.

   

6. HTML Goodies

   

7. Javascript.com

   

8. Javascript Kit

   Tones of free Javascripts, tutorials, references, DOM references, applets, DHTML.

   

9. The Javascript Source

   The Javascript division of Internet.com

   

10. jQuery Javascript Library

    

    Query is a fast, concise, JavaScript Library that simplifies how you traverse HTML documents, handle events, perform animations, and add Ajax interactions to your web pages.

11. Javascript Toolbox

    Collection of Javascripts source, examples and concept from Mattkruse

    

12. Mini Ajax

    Cool collection of AJAX scripts you can port to your website in no time.

    

13. Mochikit

    Making Javascripts suck a bit less.

    

14. moo.fx

    

    moo.fx is a superlightweight, ultratiny, megasmall javascript effects library, to be used with prototype.js or the mootools framework.

15. Page Resource

    

16. script.aculo.us

    

    script.aculo.us provides you with easy-to-use, cross-browser user
    interface JavaScript libraries to make your web sites and
    web applications fly.

17. Server Scripts

    

18. Tutorialized

    

19. W3Schools Javascript Tutorials

    

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