Links & tools - Producing content for the web

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• Text content • Visual content • Animated and interactive • Video & audio • Software developers • Software archives

Text content

• Articles on web content development: http://www.clickz.com/experts/design/cont_dev/archives.php
• The ‘Reading Online’ site - reading and literacy in the educational online environment: http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp
• Jakob Nielsen:
  - links & resources on writing for the web: http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/
  - the ‘inverted pyramid’ approach to content structure: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9606.html
  - tips for writing on the web: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9703b.html
  - how people read on the web: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html
  - font size: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20020819.html
  - avoid PDF for on-screen reading: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20010610.html
  - the differences between print design and web design: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990124.html
• This site has some dos and don’ts for formatting web content: http://www.gooddocuments.com/techniques/techniqueshome.htm
• Effective web writing: http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/2001/02/kilian/
• Developing Information Content for the World Wide Web (article): http://www.december.com/web/develop/overview.html
• About the PDF format: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/adobepdf.html
• Online assistance with using Adobe Acrobat is available at Adobe Studio’s Expert Center: http://studio.adobe.com/us/search/main.jsp
• UNSW Copyright Info: http://www.copyright.unsw.edu.au

Visual content

• Image resolution • Image compression • Web colours • Image Acquisition
• Image manipulation • Image creation • Photoshop • Image editing software

Image resolution

• Adobe scanning basics: http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/311216.html and
  Scan resolution guidelines: http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/316720.html
• A few scanning tips: http://www.scantips.com/basics1c.html

Image compression

• http://www.elated.com/tutorials/graphics/general/image_formats/

Web colours

• Websafe colour chart: http://www.tashian.com/htmlguide/websafe.html

Image acquision

• Everything about scanning: http://www.scantips.com
• Sample menus: http://www.scantips.com/begin2.html
• Film scanners: http://www.scantips.com/basic13f.html
• Australian Copyright Council: http://www.copyright.org.au/
• Copyright at UNSW: http://www.copyright.unsw.edu.au
• Sample copyright notice: http://www.copyright.unsw.edu.au/secure/copyright/pguse.pdf
• UNSW Educational Copying Checklist form: http://www.copyright.unsw.edu.au/secure/copyright/check1.pdf
• For more information about the digital copying/communication of print/graphic material go to http://www.copyright.unsw.edu.au/secure/copyright/dig01.htm
• For more information about copyright and educational licenses: http://www.copyright.unsw.edu.au/#FAQ
• A short guide to electronic copying: http://www.copyright.unsw.edu.au/secure/copyright/eleccop.htm

Image manipulation

• Software archives: http://www.tucows.com, http://www.download.com
• Resizing images: http://www.scantips.com/basics2e.html
• More about using 'levels' controls: http://www.scantips.com/simple1.html

Image creation

• Basic colour theory: http://www.colormatters.com/colortheory.html
• Colour theory for web design: http://www.wpdfd.com/wpdpal3.htm
• Color Wheel Color Calculator: http://www.sessions.edu/resources/design_tools/color_calculator/index.asp
• Color Wheel Pro - See Color Theory in Action (free demo): http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/
• ColorImpact (free demo) - http://www.tigercolor.com/
• Graphic design theory: http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/designtheory.htm

Photoshop

• Photoshop 7 tutorial: http://www.trainingtools.com/online/photoshop7/index.htm (can be purchased as a PDF file)
• Photoshop 6 tutorial: http://www.trainingtools.com/online/photoshop6/index.htm (can be purchased as a PDF file)
• Tutorials for Photoshop beginners (lots of other tutorials on this site): http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshoptutorialsbasic/index.htm?terms=photoshophttp://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshoptutorialsbasic/index.htm?terms=photoshop
• Webmonkey - How-to and quick reference on:
  Photoshop - http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/design/graphics/tutorials/tutorial1.html
  Multimedia - http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/multimedia/tutorials/tutorial3.html

Image Editing Software

• Download free tryout of Photoshop Elements (expires after 30 days): http://www.adobe.com/products/tryadobe/main.jsp#product=40
• Download free tryout of Photoshop CS2 (disables saving, exporting and printing): http://www.adobe.com/products/tryadobe/main.jsp#product=39
• Download free tryout of Fireworks8 (expires after 30 days):
  http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=fireworks

Animated & interactive

Flash

• Macromedia's own Flash website - support, tutorials, etc: http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/flashpro/
• Download the Flash player: http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash
• The Internet.com Flash site: http://www.flashkit.com/

Shockwave

• Shockwave homepage: http://www.shockwave.com/sw/home/

Powerpoint

Video & audio

General

• Click and Go video project - A consortium of English Universities are working together to develop the framework for creating video-rich learning environments: http://www.clickandgovideo.ac.uk/
• The digital filmaker's resource centre - A very good all round site with detailed information on a wide variety of topics: http://www.2-pop.com  
• Codec Central - Compressing video for delivery on CD-Rom or the web: http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/HyperGraph/video/codecs/Default.htm
• The little quicktime page - A great source of tips and best practice all focused on Apple's Quicktime software: http://www.judyandrobert.com/quicktime/

Streaming media & plugins

• All you need to know about producing video and audio streams for the internet, with tutorials on using the "big 3" streaming browser plugins - Quicktime, Real and Windows Media Player: http://streamingmediaworld.com
• The Microsoft approach to streaming and the place to download Windows Media Player: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.mspx
• Download the free Realplayer plugin: http://www.real.com/international/?src=realplayer
• A presentation created at the University of Melbourne on using Realmedia for delivering video over the web: http://www.economics.unimelb.edu.au/RealServer/ASCILITE/video.html

Apple

• Final Cut Pro, Apple's high end editing and compositing software: http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/
• Apple's Imovie entry level editing software: http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/
• Quicktime - Apple's complete technology for handling video, sound, animation, graphics, text, music and even 360 degree virtual reality (VR) scenes: http://developer.apple.com/quicktime
• Support for Apple's products including hardware, software and peripherals: http://www.apple.com/support
• In depth information on all of Apple’s initiatives in the digital video arena: http://www.apple.com/pro/filmvideo/

Software developer websites

Macromedia (Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks, Freehand, Director, Authorware, Ultradev etc): http://www.macromedia.com/
Macromedia Support and Knowledgebase: http://www.macromedia.com/support

• Dreamweaver - http://www.macromedia.com/support/dreamweaver/
• Flash - http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/
• Fireworks - http://www.macromedia.com/support/fireworks/
• Extensions for Dreamweaver - http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?view=sn120

  Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, Pagemaker, Acrobat, GoLive etc): http://www.adobe.com/
  Adobe support - search the knowledgebase: http://www.adobe.com/support/main.html

Software archives

• TUCOWS -
  Windows: http://www.tucows.com/downloads/Windows,
  Mac: http://www.tucows.com/downloads/Macintosh
• CNET - http://www.download.com/
• Clip art/fonts - http://www.gif.com/
• Textures for backgrounds - http://grsites.com/textures/