“Fireworks” by Adobe is a bitmap and vector graphics editor. It is primarily used by website designers to create graphics for their websites and enables them to add various features such as slices and hotspots. It is remarkably easy to use and often used in conjunction with Dreamweaver. Ultimately, a full-fledged website with beautiful graphics and high-definition pixel count is the end result, if this tool is properly mastered by its user.

Fireworks is a part of the Adobe Creative Suite bundle and is available for students at the CHASS Lab at Tompkins 113.

What you need to know in FireWorks:

Edit a graphic: You should know how to edit a vector graphic. For this purpose, you need to know how images are used in a website. Apart from this, you should also know how to modify the resolution of the image according to the webpage specifications.

 How it is used in the industry:

FireWorks is not widely used by technical communicators in the industry. Managers do not specifically mention the need for new graduates to know how to use this tool.

How it is used in the MSTC Program:

Adobe FireWorks is taught to undergraduate as well as graduate students in the MSTC Program. It is taught when students are taught how to use DreamWeaver. Fireworks is mostly use to create banners for webpages.

Courses in which Adobe Fireworks is taught in the MSTC Program:

ENG 317 – Designing Web Communication

Students are taught the basics of editing and manipulating an image using Adobe Fireworks. They are given more information on how FireWorks works with HTML based software and how it is used for web development.

ENG 517 – Advanced Technical Writing, Editing, and Document Design

In this course, students are taught FireWorks as an extension to DreamWeaver. Adobe Fireworks is used to create banner that will be used by students in their DreamWeaver project. Students are given assignments on creating banners and customizing them according to the requirements of a webpage that they will design in DreamWeaver.

Where can you get more information about FireWorks:

If you are interested in learning more about Adobe FireWorks, refer http://tv.adobe.com/product/fireworks/.