Dynamic Dreamweaver Tutorials and Books

If you're an experienced web designer, or new web designer, you are probably familiar with the term, "Dynamic Website." If you aren't familiar with this term, time to get familiarized!

Any website that is not dynamic produces simply static pages, with an overload of useless pages. Dynamic websites allow the web designer to cut down on pages, more efficiently get data up on the site, all users to log in through the front end and more.

Examples of Dynamic website Types:
Forums
Blogs
Wikis
Photo Sharing

Examples of Dynamic website uses:
Content loaded quicker
Website security
Easy duplicating of content
Easy templating
And much more...

Dynamic Dreamweaver books and tutorials are difficult to come by, especially if you are not experienced with programming languages...Why? Because web developers and programmers don't often write comprehensively and because some programmers choose not to use Dreamweaver, and use other solid programming UI software programs.

I, personally, have found Dreamweaver to be an exellent tool for developing dynamic websites. I began without ANY programming knowledge, and even now I don't posses a great deal. But, Dreamweaver makes it pretty easy.

When I decided I wanted to learn how to develop dynamic websites, I bought, Web Database Applications with PHP & MySQL, 2nd Edition

While I use it often NOW. When I first began, it was impossible with all the code. It is a great resource though, and I'm not sorry I bought it. I teaches you to create a shopping cart and secure access all yourself.

Now, the #1 best dynamic Dreamweaver book:

Foundation PHP for Dreamweaver 8

I learned how to create log ins, blog applications and more with Dreamweaver and with hardly any programming! It also shows you how to manage MySQL databases from Dreamweaver, while ALSO giving you detailed instructions for downloading PHP and MySQL and setting up a local server. MACS and PCS both.

These are the only two I've tried, but here are some newer books out there for Dynamic Dreamweaver applications...with reviews :)

Dreamweaver 8 Dynamic Development

Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 with ASP, ColdFusion, and PHP: Training from the Source

External Link Resources

Tutorial Find Dreamweaver and PHP
Dreamweaver Tutorials
Dreamweaver 8 Video Tutorials

Related Design Posts

Learn Adobe CS2 With Video Tutorials
HTML, CSS, PHP, Drupal, Alright Already!
CSS Tutorial for Beginners: Part 1

Easy Online Contests, Win Free Gift Cards From Home!

Here are some easy contests I came across, and the greatest part about these contests is that you can enter as many times as you have e-mail addresses.

Why not? Part of the benefit from being online all the time is that you can enter contests, get free stuff, and get ahead utilizing the internet and it's many promotions...

These contests are easy, and each have rules that apply to them that I suggest reading. Other than that, it's as simple as 1-2-3, enter e-mail address or addresses and you can be the lucky one who wins!

Free Gift Cards! Win free gift cards to your favorite restaurants and stores with a quick field entry:

• Get Delicious Food Delivered by Attractive Women! Click here now to get a $100 Hooter's Gift Card.
• Take our survey & Get $100 in Restaurant Coupons
• Act Now & Save on Cotton Casuals for the entire family with your HANES $50 Sleepwear & Underwear Shopping Spree!

Victoria's Secret and Women's Collections (Your or your other :)

• $250 Gift Card Promotion
• Win the The Ultimate FREE Rachel Ray Collection.

Best Education Resource and Directory Online

Looking for a college? Online education solution? Trade school in your area? Want to compare online degrees and programs? Deciding on a school to attend for higher education can be a tedious endeavor. Your first steps may be to ask around, consult friends and family, look to the local colleges in your area, etc. But, this method doesn't always ensure that you are going to pay for the best possible education for YOUR needs and in your budget.

Directoryofschools.com is a directory of educational institutions in every area and in all subject matters. From online colleges, 4 year degree programs, trade schools, vocational schools and more.

What makes directoryofschools.com directory unique?

• Represents over 1,355 schools
• Partners with trade schools, universities and colleges
• Verification process to review schools and degree programs through each institution

Their database represents the educational community as a whole with information regarding high schools, homework helpers and career resources.

Win a Vacation, Contest Entry Online!

Why Not?

I live in Orlando and I recently wrote an Orlando Vacations Guide, with reviews of the theme parks in Orlando, you can check out here...

Orlando Theme Parks Guide to Vacation

Staying on the vacation theme, here's an easy contest entry to win a free Bahamas vacation. What I love about this contest is that it's so easy to enter, and you can place as many entries as you have e-mail addresses! Tripling, quadrupling, and more your chances to win!

Wait! Want to win a vacation to Florida or the Bahamas?
Win Accommodations at Bahamas' Luxurious Water-Themed Resort!

FREE TO ENTER, ONE FIELD, EASY!

Online Shopping: Save Money With Instant Coupons!

Saving money isn't always about hard work and pinching pennies...Sometimes it's just about WHAT YOU KNOW. If you could save money on every purchase you make, would you complain? As a freelancer, one method of making money from home, is saving money from home and using the web to achieve income success and more cash. You save on gas, save on work clothes, now save money on everything using online coupons.

Coupon Chief is a website dedicated to saving you money on almost every type of purchase you make. Being on the "inside" of this best kept secret is more than just knowing that coupon chief will save you cash money on every type of purchase you make, it's about actually using this great tool and resource when you make your purchases. Their coupon codes give you the ultimate opportunity to save serious money when shopping

I'm not talking about a buy 1 get 1 free coupon for electronic alarm clocks here, I'm talking about MONEY SAVING coupons that can be used at just about every store you shop at and just about everything you are going to buy.

Their office supplies coupon store is a valuable resource, saving you 25% on Photo Paper right now, $30 off batteries and more. Coupons change day to day so you have to check out the website before every purchase you make to start saving some money, and consequently, putting cash right into your pocket!

Think about it, all your freelancing and working from home to make money through hard work and research can now make you money every time you buy something. Lucky you!

Discount Disney Tickets for Your Orlando Vacation

I live in Orlando, and have been to almost every park, dinner theatre and attraction made available. Believe me, they are all different and geared to specific age groups and interests. Here's my complete guide to some of the most popular Orlando theme parks!

The best place to purchase Discount Disney Tickets is Orlando fun tickets, they have all day passes, ticket packages, 3 day passes and more to all your favorite Disney theme parks, dinner shows and attractions.

Remember, if you wait till you get here to purchase your tickets, you'll end up paying 3 times as much! Buy your tickets at Orlando Fun Tickets online and make the process easy and cheap.

Here are my two favorite theme park reviews that Orlando fun tickets offers discounted tickets for!

Disney World Theme Parks

Magic Kingdom

Magic kingdom is definitely magical, themes and fantastic scenery surround almost every edge of this park. It is most appropriate for adults and younger children, or the vacationer looking to just have a relaxing, fun time. The most exciting roller coaster at Magic kingdom is Space Mountain, and it doesn't come close to the scare factor that Busch Gardens and Six Flags give you with their roller coasters.

Epcot

Epcot is my favorite Disney theme park and always has been. But, I’m a technology geek and always loved all the cool gadgets and technology toys throughout the park. It’s also exciting to visit every country in only 3 hours.

Basic Color Theory for Graphic Designers Part 1

Color theory is essential when designing any graphic, whether logo or website design, understanding basic color theory is an essential asset to your designer tool belt.

This is going to be a two part series. This first post is covering color basics and fundamentals of the color wheel, the second post will talk about tone, hue, saturation and neutrals using Photoshop to get better control over your graphics and designs.

While you may have taken a graphic design course, covering Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, the lessons you learned in grade school art class are just as important. Once you master these basic fundamental theories for color and color design, you will not remember how you ever designed without taking into consideration color combinations and effects.

Primary Colors

Red

Yellow

Blue

These three colors can be combined to make almost every color you can imagine. Acrylic painters often only need to buy these three tubes of acrylic paint in order to create their art.

Combining the three primary colors in different amounts and proportions will give you varying levels of colors.

Secondary Colors

Made by combining only two of the primary colors...Cyan, yellow and magenta.

Additive and Subtractive Colors

While the second series is going to cover how Photoshop and your computer interpret and control color, their is one thing that is a fundamental aspect of colors...Additive and subtractive colors.

Additive colors

Red, green and blue...Why?

Because as you add color to them they turn more white. This is how a computer works with additive colors. But, color printed on paper is different because computers use light, the color turns more white, but printed color on paper uses pigment like toner, dye or ink. These types of colors absorb light and reflect other colors.

Subtractive Colors

Cyan, yellow and magenta...Why?
ARTICLE CONTINUES! >>



Because as you add more color pigment to these, they become darker as they are subtract light and reflect the color coming from a flat piece of paper emiting no light like a computer screen does.

There are fundamental theories involved with hue, saturation and brightness that do not directly relate to Photoshop...But, I'll cover those aspects in the second part of this color theory series.

Time to UpGrade to Adobe Photoshop CS2

Before I start, here are the latest deals on design and production suites at Adobe:

Special offers on Adobe products.


If you haven't upgraded your Adobe Photoshop Suite to at least CS2, you are missing out on time saving features and essentially, money saving features!

The Adobe Photoshop and the entire Adobe suite for graphics and design is an essential tool, and really there isn't a stand in if you are serious about your design work. But, I realized the other day, while talking to a graphic designer who hasn't upgraded his version since Adobe Photoshop 8.0, that Photoshop gurus are hesitant to switch, thinking that they have all they need in their current version.

Think again Photoshop Users!

Here are the features available in the Adobe Photoshop CS2 suite, read about the new Adobe Photoshop CS3 suite that I wrote earlier here: Before Upgrading to Adobe Photoshop CS3 Read This Review!

Perspective Creator and Cloner...3-D Images in Photoshop!

Add another story to a 4 story building, add another floor to a house illustration, add books stacked on top of other books. The new Photoshop CS2 has a unique

Photoshop Creative Suite 3 Extended.
Render and incorporate 3D images into your 2D composites. Order Now!

Adobe Bridge

An included application that allows you to browse all your design project files like browsing your computer...with one very big enhancement: You can see all your art files, enlarge the art files, filter the files and even do simple editing without ever opening your actual Adobe Program!

Select Multiple Layers

Can I hear an amen? Think about all the time you'll save not having to move your related layers into a folder? There are scores of ways that this new feature will save you some serious time and money.

Enhanced Customization of your Menus and Work Space

Basically, you can customize your Adobe Photoshop environment to make it your very own. The degree to which you can personalize your settings for work spaces is not only specific to the tee, it is also easier and more intuitive. You can also save work spaces for different types of projects and clients. Personally, I have a separate work space per client I am designing for...This saves me tons of time so my menus, tool bars, swatches, files, etc. are all ready for me and the current design job.

Smart Objects

If you haven't heard of smart objects yet, I question whether or not you are living on planet earth. Smart objects are the absolute essential and greatest invention since sliced bread. You can easily copy, paste, move, manipulate and edit any type of file...ai, eps, inDesign, etc. into all of your applications keeping the pixel rate in tact and editable as if it were part of the application you are currently using.

Example: you have illustrated an incredible logo in Illustrator, with gradients, vectors, shadows, clipping masks and more. Now, you want to put it in InDesign to create a brochure. Simply copy and past the image into InDesign as a smart object and lose absolutely NO Quality. You can also edit it even further in the new InDesign CS2, which is an entirely new article focused on InDesign.

Animate Easier, and Correctly in Adobe Photoshop

Using features from Image ready you can now easily create flash animations in Photoshop far easier than using flash if the animation is simple.


With all these incredible features packed in CS2, imagine the CS3 suite. It is time to upgrade, or time to call yourself a waste of design space!

Creative Suite 3 Web Premium. Redefine the extraordinary in web design and development. Order Now!

Monex Deposit Company Purchase Gold

The only true universal monetary investment is Gold, it is the standard by which our current money sytem based itself on. Ever wanted to purchase gold or any other precious metal for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository?

Monex companies have been America's gold and precious metals investment leader. For 30 years they have been allowing Americans to invest gold in a coin or ingots.

What is the difference?

Ingots are generally gold ingots of pure bullion cast in a convenient size and shape. Coins have a currency value or they are actually defined as ingots.

Besides the obvious monetary value of Gold Bullion, it is also a beautiful and timeless investment, from the time of ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to more modern times, man has had an affinity for gold bullion. Monex Precious Metals employs hard asset professionals committed to providing you with precious metals investment needs and being America's best dealer with a convenient market and competitive precious metals prices.

Through Monex Deposit Company (MDC) you can purchase gold or other precious metals for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository. For over 30 years, the Monex companies have been America's gold and precious metals investment leader. As an investment product, gold, is available in coin or ingot form. Ingots are generally gold ingots of pure bullion cast in a convenient size and shape. Coins have a currency value or they are actually defined as ingots. Buying gold has been recognized for centuries as one of the best ways to preserve one's wealth and purchasing power. Gold bullion is a unique investment. From the time of ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to more modern times, man has had an affinity for gold bullion. In all ages, man has been fascinated with the beauty and magic of gold, and with its power to change men's lives. Today, the beauty of a gold bar lies in its proven ability to diversify investments, protect wealth and preserve one's purchasing power. Monex Precious Metals is home to a large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals committed to serving your precious metals investment needs and being America's best dealer with a convenient market and competitive precious metals prices.

Graphic Design Bleeds and Printing

A bleed is the area outside of a graphic, image, document, etc. that extends beyond the edge of the page. For example, if you want some part of a graphic to go all the way to the edge of a document with no margin. Here's a rough example picture:

The circles on the outside bleed to the edge of the paper.

It's important to note that most printers cannot create a natural bleed because the rollers that print the ink need a part of the paper to grasp on to. So, there will always be a margin of some kind.

To get the bleed effect without going to a professional printing company, you can print your document on 11x17 or any size bigger than the document you wish to create. Then, use a paper cutter to accurately resize the document.

Taken from www.leniche.com online freelance Terms Glossary

If you've ever been involved with graphic design printing you have probably been given specs that involved bleeds as well. In Adobe illustrator and Adobe Photoshop you can create bleeds by simply offsetting the design a set distance, most of the time in inches or centimeters using guides. Adobe InDesign has an option to create bleeds very easily and exactly in a more suitable way, because InDesign is made for printing purposes.

When preparing a set document or graphic for print in say, an event program or booklet, you will want to make sure your design is offset to bleed on one side more than the other sides. Because, the booklet pages when printed will be bound together, thus taking extra paper on the inside of the page design in order to bind with the other pages.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your online printing and graphic design preparation!

Best Web 2.0 Focused Articles and Tutorials

Web 2.0 is an ever growing phenomena, dictating the future of web design as we know it. It is more of a philosophy if anything at all, and while anyone can think they know what Web 2.0 website design is, it is the select few who have taken the time to study, research and implement the Web 2.0 techniques that truly understand what it's all about. Web 2.0 design can mean many different things, including but not limited to:

Social Bookmarking

What is Social Bookmarking?

Socialize Social Bookmarking Website

Social Networking Websites

Top Freelance Writing Online Community

Free Online Resources to JumpStart Your Career Search

Web 2.0 Text and Font Design

Web 2.0 Color Scheme Templates

Photoshop Tutorial: Create Web 2.0 Reflective Font Design

CSS Web Design Basics

Simple CSS Tutorial Sliding Doors Navigation

Beginners Guide to CSS Website Design

How to Create CSS Liquid Layouts

How To CSS Block Quotes Tutorial

Money Making Websites

Freelancer's Make Money Through Multiple Income Streams

Other Resources:

Top 25 Web 2.0 Businesses most likely to succeed

This information is taken straight from the "Business 2.0" magazine, which is an awesome magazine, if I don't say so myself. With all the so-called "Entrepreneurial" magazines out there, filled with mostly advertisements and web nonsense written by non-professionals, Business 2.0 Magazine is a great haven for those who are internet savvy and want the latest, most exclusive, highly educated information regarding web 2.0 business and the internet.


Why Web 2.0 Social Bookmarking is Difficult to Understand: Personal Story

You'll have to start at this story if you haven't read it yet. It was too long to put in one post!

Americans Say Web Is Useless

Personal Story: "Social Bookmarking Sites Are Useless"

Here's a story for you. I had a client, venture capitalist who thought he was really in on the internet and it's new technologies. Under his suggestion, wanted me to start bookmarking some of his articles through social bookmarking sites. So, I created some accounts and began to bookmark his articles, and other relevant articles to his industry...

What to know Before Buying CS3

Right when my Adobe Photoshop CS2 fix was coming to a close, right along pops up Photoshop CS3. In case you have not heard, Photoshop is now almost of legal age....17 years old! This means that thousands of kids have caught onto the idea that Adobe Photoshop can be an incredibly fun, useful tool (As well as the entire Adobe CS3 line).

I jumped into the Adobe CS2 products pretty hard. In particular, Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. I used these applications in a number of ways both at home and work. While I'm not an incredibly great artist, I have developed the skills needed to be efficient and professional in my endeavors. Along the way, I've been developing little tricks that have made me the life of any party (yeah..right).

This is the best Photoshop CS3 review I've seen floating around.

Every line of Photoshop seems to get a little easier for users while adding great features. This time around is no different.

Mac users will love CS3 because it will allow Intel Macs to run Photoshop at full speed. I don't own a Mac but have heard about CS2 being a pain in the ass sometimes. There are other improvements to the interface, selecting and filtering, smart objects and overall intigration between outside resources and the CS3 programs.

Still Not Sure

It's good to be skeptical. Nobody likes the jerk who gets the nicest car but does not know how to drive it. Wasted money is a waste, period. If you are thinking of joining the Adobe game for the first time there are some things to know.

Every new line of Adobe products brings cool new features to play with. The number of people and businesses that have bought Photoshop over the years is astounding. In reality, much of the time and money spent toward buying and learning the software is wasted.

Someone buys Adobe and a book, then read 15 pages and they don't read it again. They then periodically mess around with a couple simple tools and give up or never advance. Photoshop can perform some awesome tasks for users fairly easily. It's a matter of knowing how to use the tools. What buttons to press, basically and general direction. I spent $400 dollars on CS2 Training videos and improved my work speed literally overnight. Simple keyboard shortcuts alone make it worth it. Also, just the whole process of creating a product out of one of the unique tools and programs. I suggest them to anyone who is serious about using the program in an effective manner.

They are much easier to follow and understand than any of the books (for me anyways). After awhile they can move too slow and you'll not pay attention, then miss something and have to rewind. But overall they are a must. You won't believe what you've been missing.

Is Photoshop CS3 worth it? If you like CS2 and don't want to bother spending money than no, it's not. If you are like me than of course it's worth it. It's the newest, latest and greatest version, dummy.

Photoshop has become like a new video game for me.

Check out the Adobe CS3 Video Tutorials at: Adobe CS3 Video Tutorials Website

Bid 4 Prizes Cool Web 2.0 Bidding Website

It's about time there was a bidding system online made for the freelancer, truly giving back to the internet enthusiasts donating hours upon days upon months of time entirely devoted to the web.

I recently came across a website where you can bid on items and prizeds, like e-bay, but with a cool Web 2.0 style interface. As freelancers, we spend enough time on the internet that it's often refreshing to come across a truly unique and aesthetically pleasing website. We keep reading industry professionals write, "Yea, you built another community site, but where's the next big thing? Where's the next E-Bay? Where's the next Yahoo Directory?

Well folks, bid4prizes is it!

Here's the coolest part about bid4prizes...Ready? Are you sure? It's pretty good!

They have prizes available on their bid site, far below retail that you can bid on. If you have the highest bid you win the prize....Ok, well, that is not it!

For us freelancers and striving work from home web obsessed gurus, they also have a super fun game attached to each prize. Here's how it works, you find the prize you're interested in and in a morbid twist of fate you decide to bid a ridiculously low amount on the prize. This is where the fun begins, the website is actually playing with you and gives you hints, tips and guides to help you determine the lowest unique bid on the prize. If you get it right you win the great prize, no matter what the highest bid was! Seriously.

Love crossword puzzles? Riddles? You're going to love this, with the added bonus of a big fat winner's deluxe prize package at the end.

Try it out: Bid4Prizes.com

Getting A Degree Online Best Resource

Whether you're going to back to school, just beginning your education or would like to further your knowledge in a specific subject area and have a diploma to show for it, Capella University is a commendable option. They are an accredited online university offering graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, and bachelor's degree programs in business and information technology. You can get a distance learning degree through Capella in the easiest way, customized for your needs and offering you hands on training. Within those areas, Capella offers 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate specializations.

Technology is moving so fast, and it's up to us to keep on board and utilize it through to it's full advantage, elearning is the future of true college education. With an online University, like Capella, you can work, take care of your children, and still have time to come home and finish your college course work.

The online university currently serves 16,000 students from all 50 states and 63 countries. It is a national leader in online education, committed to providing quality academic excellence and ensuring the growth and prosperity of all of their students. It is a part of Capella Education Company and currently has headquarter in Minneapolis...But, no matter where your location is, you can still work towards and receive a degree through Capella using nothing more than your computer and internet access. For more information on the Online Course, please visit www.capella.edu or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552).

“This (or “the following”) blog post was (or “is”) based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.”

Free CSS Templates: Web 2.0 Design

Free templates aren't just for newbies or for people looking to create a quick website without knowledge of web design. They're for everyone! :)

I have found TONS of Free CSS Templates, distributed under the: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License, requiring absolutely nothing in return for using the templates. Some specific sites ask that you link back to them, but other than that you can use, distribute, alter, recreate and play with these incredible Web 2.0 style FREE pure CSS templates!

Here they are, have fun!

Free CSS Templates Super Web 2.0

Professional CSS Templates No Back Link Required!

Cute CSS Blog templates and More!

Hope you make great use of these resources.

TIP: As a web designer, graphic designer or webmaster these tools still come in handy. I can vouch that these templates are pure CSS, XHTML properly formatted sites, and you can use them as inspiration, a base to start from or to alter and re-design to offer clients!

Here are some stripped, simple CSS Tableless template layouts. Whatever CSS layout you want, you'll find a starting point here!

Web 2.0 CSS Layout Templates

Basic CSS Template Layouts