A banner is a marketing tool that enables you to promote your message on the World Wide Web. For example, you can use this graphic to announce an event, offer a service or display a product so that you reach a large audience and make them aware of your presence on the Internet. Using the Adobe Fireworks application, you will have various tools available to create your own distinct banner graphic, even if you do not have design experience.

1. Launch your Adobe Fireworks application and select “New” under the “File” menu. Enter a “width” and “height” value such as 468 x 60 for your banner and click the radio button next to the canvas color option of your choice, such as “White.” Click the “OK” button when done.
2. Step 2

   Click the “Rectangle” or “Rounded Rectangle” tool on the “Tools” inspector, and then click and drag your mouse over the canvas to create the shape.

3. Step 3

   Click the “Fill Color” option on the “Properties” inspector to add the shade of your choice. You can also apply a special effect, such as a “Radial Gradient,” by selecting this title from the “Fill category” drop-down menu.

4. Step 4

   Add an image by selecting the “Import” option from the “File” menu and then clicking on the photo that you want in the dialog box that appears. Click the “Open” button, and then click and drag your mouse over the banner to insert your graphic. Additionally, select the image and apply an enhancement, such as a “Drop Shadow,” by selecting a title from the “Filter” drop-down menu in the “Properties” inspector.

5. Step 5

   Click the “Text tool (T)” in the “Tools” inspector and type your content on the banner. Select the entry and format it by selecting options, such as the “Horizontal Scale” and “Alignment,” in the “Properties” inspector.

6. Step 6

   Click “Image Preview” under the “File” menu and choose a format, such as “JPEG,” from the “Format” drop-down menu. Enter a value for the “Quality” or select the “Better Quality” or “Smaller File” under the “Saved Settings” section. Click the “Export” button when done to name your file and save it with the extension that you chose.

7. Step 7

   Click the “Save As” option under the “File” menu, name your file and save it as a “Fireworks PNG” so that you can go back and edit this source file later if you choose.

The Convert to Alpha effect in Adobe Fireworks CS3, is applied to change an image or other object into a transparency. This simple effect can be applied in a manner of minutes and can be used for many applications within your Fireworks documents.

1. Start Adobe Fireworks CS3. Open an image that you would like to use the Convert to Alpha effect on to turn the image into a transparency. This can be a single image file or a Fireworks document that contains multiple objects including an image you would like to change to a transparency.
2. Step 2

   Select the image that you would like to convert to alpha by clicking anywhere on that image. The selected image will now be surrounded by a blue outline. The properties fro the image will be displayed on the “Properties” pane at the bottom of the screen.

3. Step 3

   Click the “+” button the right of the word “Filters” in the “Properties” pane. You will get a submenu of the effects that can be applied to the selected image.

4. Step 4

   Choose “Other” from the submenu and click on “Convert to Alpha.” The effect will be applied immediately, turning the selected image into a transparency.

Once you have saved a selection in Adobe Fireworks CS3, you can restore that selection at a later time. Saving a selection can save you time from making the selection again because you can apply it with a few clicks of the mouse. Read the steps below to find out how you can use this time-saving method to apply a saved selection in Fireworks.

1. Start Adobe Fireworks CS3, and open the document where you saved a selection to be applied later.
2. Step 2

   Choose the “Select” menu, and click “Restore Bitmap Selection” to open the “Restore Selection” dialog box.

3. Step 3

   Verify that the name of the document you have open is displayed in the “Document” drop-down list.

4. Step 4

   Select what you previously saved and now want to apply from the “Selection” drop-down list in the “Source” section of the “Restore Selection” dialog box. The selection you have chosen will appear in the document.

5. Step 5

   Check the “Invert” selection in the “Source” section of the “Restore Selection” dialog box to invert the saved item. This means that the inverse of the chosen selection will be selected.

6. Step 6

   Keep “New Selection” in the “Operation” section of the “Restore Selection” dialog box selected.

7. Step 7

   Click the “OK” button to close the “Restore Selection” dialog box and return to your Fireworks document. The item you restored is now visible and you can work on your document using this selection.

There may be times that you spend a good deal of time and effort to make a selection using one of the bitmap tools in Adobe Fireworks CS3. If you think you might need to make the same selection in the future, then you can save that selection so you can restore it later. Find out how to save a selection in Fireworks below.

1. Start Adobe Fireworks CS3, and open an existing document that contains an item or area you want to save.
2. Step 2

   Use the Marquee, Lasso or Magic Wand to make the selection that you want to save in your open Fireworks document. You will see a moving dotted line indicating that you have made a selection.

3. Step 3

   Choose the “Select” menu at the top of the Fireworks screen and click “Save Bitmap Selection” to open the “Save Selection” dialog box.

4. Step 4

   Verify that the name of the document you have open is listed in the “Document” drop-down list and the word “New” is listed in the “Selection” drop-down list of the “Save Selection” dialog box.

5. Step 5

   Type a name for the selection you want to save in the “Name” text box. Keep “New Selection” as the option picked for the “Operation.”

6. Step 6

   Click the “OK” button to close the “Save Selection” dialog box and save the selection you have just made. The dialog box will close and the selection will be saved so you can use it at a later time.

In just a few steps, you can use an object you have created or an image in Adobe Fireworks CS3 to create an animated symbol. This is a straightforward way to take an object or image and make it animated. You can then choose to use standard animation settings or take the time to create each frame for your animated symbol.

1. Start Adobe Fireworks CS3 and open a Fireworks document from your files that contains an image or object you want to convert to an animation symbol.
2. Step 2

   Select the image or object you want to convert to an animation symbol from the Layers palette so that layer is highlighted.

3. Step 3

   Choose the “Modify” menu, point to “Symbol” and select “Convert to Symbol.” The Convert to Symbol dialog box will open onto the Fireworks screen.

4. Step 4

   Type a name for the new symbol in the “Name” text box. Select “Animation” for the “Type” of symbol that you want to create from the object.

5. Step 5

   Click the “OK” button to close the Convert to Symbol dialog box and open the Animate dialog box.

6. Step 6

   Select the animation settings you want to use in the Animate dialog box. You can choose the number of frames, distance of move, direction of move, scale, opacity and rotation. Use the “Edit” button to create your animation by physically moving the frames.

7. Step 7

   Press the “OK” button to close the Animate dialog box. The object you selected is now an animated symbol.