AdobeStock_455007340

Tell Us How You Use Fireworks

I love Fireworks. I’ve recently started to use Photoshop for some projects. But for day to day use, for resizing pictures or adding drop shadows or doing quick crops or batch resizing … Fireworks is so quick and clean and simple.
But what about you? Do you use Fireworks, and if yes, how? Where does it fit in your workflow?
Don’t answer the question here. Doug Winnie (aka Agent Doug), Adobe’s Group Product Manager for Workflow, wants your input over on his blog.

9 responses to “Tell Us How You Use Fireworks”

  1. Lucas Engel Avatar
    Lucas Engel

    I found nothing useful in Fireworks. It does a bunch of things Photoshop do but it’s likely Photoshop Express. Why would I need a ‘Photoshop Express Professional’-like if I already have the original Photoshop? Fireworks for me is useless even for webdesigning.

  2. Matthias Avatar
    Matthias

    I almost completely agree with Lucas. ‘Almost’ in that I’m not a Fireworks poweruser and therefore don’t dare to form an opinion.
    But when it comes to PNG handling Fireworks is a real killer and there’s no way around it. (http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2007/09/18/png8-the-clear-winner/) Wonder why these capabilities haven’t made it into Photoshop yet.

  3. armen Avatar
    armen

    I was using Fireworks a lot 3-5 years ago, when doing mostly freelance work.
    But when i start working for companies : designers all work in photoshop, so being flash developer I should use photoshop on every project – working with design, getting required artwork to implement in flash. For web layouts fireworks is Definitely faster , but for complicated artwork , digital imaging photoshop is no1. Most designers are using photoshop in companies I guess, if not all :):)

  4. Isaac Avatar
    Isaac

    For me, it’s most useful for creating mockups of a website design that can be exported to PDF or Flex MXML. I create the multi-page layout, export to PDF (or HTML), mail it out, and receive instant feedback. I can than quickly modify the layout, and send the new PDF back for more feedback. Once a layout is approved, I export it to Flex and create the working site. I use illustrator for the real graphics design (I like scalable graphics), but I think Fireworks is king when it comes to the workflow of layout design.

  5. tony weeg Avatar
    tony weeg

    here here with the two at the top…
    ive tried to use it, cant wrap my head around it, i wish that photoshop
    and fireworks, were blended, into Fireshop or Photoworks or something
    and the vector coolness of fireworks + the bitmap coolness and toolset
    that MOST OF US USE in Photoshop and you’d have a winner ben.

  6. JE Avatar
    JE

    I really enjoy using Fireworks. I’m more of of developers vs. a designer and Fireworks makes it easy for me to edit PNGs quickly without knowing a lot about all the application features. I also have a Mac with Photoshop… but that takes me longer to figure out how I want to do something than actually doing it. For example… a project I’m working on right now… I needed to scale an image and replace some text… easy 1.2.3 using Fireworks… Would have taken me double the time in Photoshop. Long live Fireworks!

  7. John L. Avatar
    John L.

    I’ve never really got into the whole Photoshop. I always feel sort of guilty that after 10+ years in doing this web app stuff that I should at least know Photoshop. I agree with some of the other users that it just seems to take more steps to get something done in Photoshop. A good friend of mine is on the stance that fireworks is worthless since he seems to have mastered Photoshop. I can’t argue with the fact that photoshop gives you a whole lot more options so I just let him win that discussion.
    I use fireworks for quick site layout demos along with my everyday grind of generating graphics. Maybe they should make a Fireshop as mentioned above and let the user choose how they want it to operate more like – fireworks or photoshop – sort of like dreamweaver does with their designer / coder views.

  8. David McGuigan Avatar
    David McGuigan

    I’ve used Fireworks for all of my graphic design freelance including some print (though having been born in 1980 I haven’t done much print).
    The original reason I chose Fireworks over Photoshop and/or Illustrator is just because it can do 95% of what either of them can do, and do it better, AND do it in a single application. It’s superior and more intuitive and responsive interface was the first jaw dropper. Having become familiar with Photoshop before discovering Fireworks, the productivity gains and enjoyment-of-experience were stunning. I’ve never looked back (except for in classes that required me to demonstrate proficiency in Photoshop of course).

  9. David McGuigan Avatar
    David McGuigan

    Its interface. I keep doing that.

Leave a Reply