Web Design without Adobe Suite?

[dalecooper]

Hi peops,

Since I’m creating my new business, I’ll have to buy software licenses. And since I don’t have much money to spend to begin with, I would like to know if it is realist to think I could work without any Adobe Suite.

I’m a web designer, and my work will focus mainly on creating web sites and print designs.

I was thinking on using Pixelmator and Fireworks instead of photoshop and Sketch & Inkscape instead of Illustrator.

What do you use ? Do you think I’m being realistic ? Should I buy an Adobe (expensive, all the more in france) license and hoping it will show profit in a few months ?

Please help me on this, I’m really torn apart !!

[davidlab.be]

Adobe is the standard for web design, but by all means not the only one. Fireworks is part of Adobe and alot of people use it over photoshop just because Fireworks is designed based around web design as photoshop is sort of morphed into using it for web design. Gimp is another powerful free tool you can look at. Inkscape is also a good alterative…made popular by Linux users.
Don’t let commercialism change the direction on how you want to style.

[Paulie_D]

These days you don’t have to BUY Adobe products…you can licence them on a month to month basis.

Yes, it can work out more expensive in the long term than buying but you COULD include that cost in the quote to the client.

[davidlab.be]

renting software is just plain stupid. No cost saving…and do you really think I client that knows what he is getting into will pay for designers software rental. Ummm no.

[joshuanhibbert]

When you say ‘creating websites’ do you mean simply designing them, or actually marking them up too? I mostly go straight from rough idea/wireframe/sketch to designing in the browser.

[chrisburton]

I agree with @springlab. You can’t make or ask your clients to do that. It’s irresponsible and unprofessional. As a designer, I use Illustrator and Photoshop, that’s my style. But I have noticed developers designing in the browser.

[brentwpowell]

I hear you on that. Adobe CS Licenses are expensive, but the software is good for the job. I too use Illustrator and Photoshop, but have used Inkscape and Gimp to get by before I had the resources to get software. Lately though, I’ve been designing in the browser. Some good free IDE’s that I use are Aptana Studio 3 and Komodo Edit. Just work hard and set up your budget to save for the licenses for the software that will make you the most efficient.

[dalecooper]

Thanks for all your answer!

First of, I’m working alone, so I’ll design web sites from scratch (from rough to publishing). I’m used to design the websites right into the browser (after some sketches on paper of course), but I’m planning on doing so with Fireworks, since I’m being told it’s far more efficient and less time consuming.

Actually, right now I’m really used to work with the Adobe suite. That’s what I used at school, and then in my previous jobs and when I wanted to practice! It’s really the softs that I know the most. So by buying those softwares it would not be because of a trend but because it’s necessary. I’m used to work with them on graphic and vector design. And also with indesign for the print jobs.

Still, I wondered if other softwares could do the job just as well, and if paying adobe license fees would be justified. Right now, nobody seems to work without them, even though you say that I *can*. I was hoping some feedback from people that use some alternatives, although your remarks are still really welcome!!

For code, I already found the software I can’t work without: Espresso. It’s just the right one for me!

As odd as it can seems to you, I never coded html nor css in my life. I’m just a really quick learner (autodidact in fact, I learned qbasic when I was 12) and know quite well print design (it’s what I learned in school, along with 3D production). So I tend to apply my knowledge in layouts typo and all to the web, and it seems to work. I learned HTML and CSS in fourth speed during several days and I have to say it’s quite an easy language (for the basics at least), and I’m here in this forum to learn the best practices to avoid total mess. Coding is one thing, being rigorous is another !!

So right now, I have yet to learn what program are best for what I’m going to do, and adobe suite seems really to be something recurrent in web designers workflow.

[chrisburton]

I think it’s an industry standard simply because it’s hard to duplicate what some Adobe products can do. I think there’s no other product like Illustrator and to me it’s simply amazing. My suggestion is that you wouldn’t need the Adobe Suite. Illustrator would be perfectly fine along with Photoshop for what you do.

[dalecooper]

Yes, but Photoshop and Illustrator alone would cost me more than the whole suite !!! (almost)

I really can’t afford to put 2000 euros on the softwares. Maybe 1800, at max^^

[chrisburton]

Your friends or family couldn’t loan you the funds? If you’re ready to start accepting clients, use the monthly license until you can afford to purchase it in full.

[dalecooper]

I loaned money to the state, but I need some of this money for my working capital. I could afford a design premium suite if I could find one for less than 1800 euros.

I was actually wondering if a US suite could work in Europe. I heard that Adobe used to block foreign licenses. Is it still the case ? Because US prices are much more in my budget!!

[TheDoc]

Are you a student? Or perhaps have a family member that is? I know they have a pretty good discount.

[dalecooper]

No, I’m not and I don’t know any. But student editions are not suitable for commercial use…

[davidlab.be]

“student editions are not suitable” ????? they are the same program or at least 99% of it is. Not sure what you are talking about.

[Author]

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