HELP ME I AM NEW
Graphics? Where do I find them? What should I use?
| . |
OK, you are ready to get serious about graphics and background colors. So many choices, where
is one to start?
My first suggestion, is to check websites which are hosting similar content to what you are posting. If you are a cc, and going to host a county for USGenWeb, go to your state and visit all the counties sites, and look at their main pages before deciding what YOU want. By reviewing all of them, you can see what is visually appealing to YOU and what will work with your visitors. Let me give you an example. If you are the host for AdamsCoWI, then you would want to go to the WIGenWeb county site at USGenWeb and click on each site. Now, you are wowed by the graphics, so check at the bottom of the page and see if they are giving credit to anyone for the graphics design. If you look at the bottom of this page, you will see a symbol for Cresswell Graphics, ©Pamela R. Cresswell:  She was gracious enough to share her graphics if I provided her button with link. If they don't have credits, it probably means they designed them or had a personal friend design them exclusively for their pages. That four letter C word, [copyright] comes to mind. Most of us have an inate desire to be exclusive, but if you REALLY love the look, email them direct. First butter them up (OK, keep it real - be sincere and truthful they will pick up on that quickly), and let them know you really liked their site, and you are a beginner. In the genealogy community, you will get lots of HELP, because we were all there once and wished someone would have been as nice as us (grin) or you get lucky like me and had tons of nice people helping, like Tina the WI SC ... Then ask where they got their graphics. WAIT WAIT WAIT for their response, on the off chance they will provide information or offer assistance (like Pmela did). If all else fails, and you absolutely decide you MUST use theirs, ask permission to use them and offer to provide "credits". That means you will put a notation on your page regarding the origination of your graphics and a link to their pages. Be sure to KEEP your word, as that person will check up on you, if only to see how you are progress and give you a well deserved pat on the back, even if your first efforts are less than stellar. OK, you are the independent type and want to forge out there on your own. You are thinking, are there some graphic sites that are better than others... OK, I am going out on a limb, but I do have a few that I use which others have referred me to. I don't get kick backs and won't be offended if you HATE the site, or just don't use it, so please don't email MAK to say that site SUCKS. But, if you accidently stumble upon a wonderful one not listed, you got it, [email MAK ], and I will add it to the list, to help the next newbee... which is where we all started, huh? [A touch of Country] [ColorMix] [Cresswell Graphics] [Flaming Text] [GIF Art] [JavaWeb Stigots] [MOOShu Pork] [Sacred Wolf Dreams] [Shashy Grpahic Designs] [Shawna Graphics] [Super Color Chart] [Victorian Treasures] OK, so I threw one in there to see if you were awake! Enjoy and if you have questions about those pages, please email them not MAK, as I really don't know about these sites... Here are some MEMBERS only, that means you must be officially affiliated with that project to use their graphics, other than link buttons to their pages... [USGenNet Graphics - members ONLY] [WHLN Graphics - members ONLY] [USGenWeb Help Pages] [WIGenWeb Help Pages] Keep in mind these are NOT all the sites, just some I have found helpful, or others have passed on. YOU be the judge, OK. But remember, you are a beginner, so only throw pebbles, NO ROCKS at MAK or other intended helpful CCs who offer assistance and guidanace and may or may not get out of the box at times (grin)... If you really hated all of these, you can go to [YAHOO] and type the word graphics in the search block. When I did it there were over 28,000 listings... Have fun exploring. Finally, Remember, just because you see it wonderfully on your browser, other browsers might produce a hideous color combination... So, ask people you know to check it in their browsers, before making ALL your pages, or announcing them to the mailing list and get comments like, "Love your site, but the lime green is TOO bright (huh, it is a lovely pastel green shade)", "Do you think you can turn of the blinking text, I can't read it" (what blinking text?). So you don't know anyone? OK, Go to the site you liked best, and send the CC an email. Remember, first butter them up and let them know you really liked their site, you are a beginner. Then, ask them if they would look at your page(s) and give you an objective opinion. When doing my pages, I asked three people to evaluate the main pages, waited for all three comments, changed what all three agreed needed changing, then went back to all three and said, here are comments which I don't understand WHY, could you explain? In the end, I got the pages you see in the background. OK, you are now ready to use your graphics. What you need more help? (grin)... Lucky you, go to [Graphics I found them but now what?] When in doubt, remember [email MAK ] and I will try to explain it better and update the site... to help the next newbee... which is where we all started, huh? |
![[MOOShu Pork]](http://myjokemail.com/chinese.jpg){kind=link}
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Revised: --Saturday, 02-Dec-2000 22:20:29 MST
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