Xara Webstyle 3.0 Review
by
Tony Thomas
So, you have labored for
weeks getting all of the editorial content ready for your spiffy new
web site. What about the graphics? You can put up another "plain
Jane" web site that is about as appealing as a root canal. Or,
you could always hire a web designer for hundreds--if not
thousands--of dollars. Or, you can pick up Xara Webstyle®. The
latest incarnation of Webstyle® is Version 3 and it is cooler and
more powerful than ever.
The first thing that caught my eye about Version 3 is the new interface. Instead of looking like your standard, boring, Windows application, the folks at Xara designed it to look just like a web page. What a concept! You can get an idea of what the program can do instantly since all of the features are right on the start page. No more digging through pull down menus to find the feature that you are looking for.
Well, what can Xara Webstyle® do?
You can use it to create logos, dividers, 3D and 2D headings,
bullets, backgrounds, buttons, theme sets, cascading NavBars and
menus (using DHTML), animated banner ads and even edit your photos.
Whew! It is the ultimate toolbox for web site design!!
Right now, you are
probably thinking that you will have to go to art school to get a
handle on the functions of a program like Webstyle®. Nothing
could be further from the truth. If you can surf the web, you can
create professional looking graphics quickly and easily in Xara
Webstyle® with the 1000+ templates included.
You simply click on the task that you want to perform--say, designing a banner ad--mouse over for a description, click on that task, find a design that you like and then click the editable design parameter buttons on the left side to customize it. As you change the various design attributes, the design window lets you see exactly what the changes will look like--instantly. So, real time, interactive editing is not only possible with Webstyle®, it is the way the program is designed to work.
Exporting your graphic
is quick and easy and Webstyle® allows you to change the size,
color depth, file format and dithering while monitoring the file size
(which is a critical feature for creating efficient web pages that
load speedily even with the slowest connections). Tight integration
is provided for using Webstyle® with Microsoft Front Page®
and Macromedia Dreamweaver®.
After playing with the
program for a while (in this and earlier versions), I can say that it
is a "must have" for anyone wanting to create stunning web
graphics. While it isn't designed to replace your web editor, it is a
great adjunct. And at only $69 US (and $10 more if you want a boxed
version with a manual), to me it is a no brainer!
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Copyright 2002
Tony Thomas
All Rights Reserved