How should I supply front-end design to web designer?

[mistercitizen]

Hi,

I am a graphic designer, working primarily in print. I have to design the front end of a basic web site, which will then be made to function by a web-designer.

How should/could I supply the files to this person? Is there a standard way to do this?

I assume that I supply all my files at 72 dpi in websafe colours - but is there more to it than that? Should I supply layered files, for rollovers etc? Should I have to slice the images myself?

I know this is a lot of questions, but I have never done this before. Thanks in advance for all of your help!

 

[DaRNCaT]

It does depend on who you are giving the design to, and what kind of software they are going to use.

First thing to be aware of though is that print sizes and screen sizes are different, I had a print designer create a design and asked me to put it online- I had to completely rebuild it as it was sized for an A4 sheet of paper.
Dependant on the web designer, you should be building for a 800x600 (design size 760x420 to allow for toolbars) or 1024x786 (design size 955x600) resolution.

Yes you should use 72dpi, but websafe colours aren't vitally important these days as most screens handle the higher colours.

Dependant on what software you are using, I would strongly suggest you use layers, but don't slice the images, as the web designer may have their own way of doing this that they prefer.

Really if you know who you are handing your work on to, you should be asking them all these questions before starting, so that you don't get the work fired back at you to "redo" to specs.

I suggest you do a "design" that shows how the site will look, and then consult with the web designer as to what software, screen resolutions and format they want the design in.



Sometimes, when my code just won't behave, I take it outside and make it listen to britney spears music, and when it comes back it's really well behaved. I wonder if it's suffering from post tramatic stress syndrome now..

 

[rufc]

Ideally a layered image should be supplied. That way if the developer can slice up the image however they prefer to code and can still edit your images.

For example I will need to create different headers/straplines, I can then just change the text layer, flatten, grab and voila. Had the image been flattened I would have had to closest match your font settings.

Also let the developer flatten as he/she will/should know how to optimise the images for download sizes etc.

"If a man is a fool, you don't train him out of being a fool by sending him to university. You merely turn him into a trained fool, ten times more dangerous."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.kennelweb.com

 

[lebisol]

You should give them to whatever u agreeed.Layerd file is always better than just the slices. It is nice if u would slices it up for at least one version...or to demonstrate 'your vision' of the GUI.
So a packet I found to be fair is:
-PSD file (with slices)
-1 corresponding HTML with sliced images
..and if they dont like your suggestion they can always re-slice it to fit their exsisitng HTML structure

Above all this is the question you need to ask the Developers...some people dont care to deal with Photoshop or GUI in general..they just want a 'few pretty icons' so they can continue dealing with the code...

Now, keep in mind that no image is "non-editable" when it's under the claws of PS!

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