Fireworks 8 is the comprehensive solution for creating and optimizing high-quality, lightweight images for the web. Fireworks 8 has new creative tools, interactive design features, and mobile assets to expand the Fireworks palette for web designers and developers who need to create, edit, and optimize images quickly for websites or as mobile content.

The industry-leading optimization tools in Fireworks enable you to strike the balance between maximum image quality and minimum compression size. Fireworks integrates seamlessly with Dreamweaver and Flash for ideal conditions to create and optimize images without losing information or time with roundtrip editing. Use Fireworks’ visual tools to create professional quality web graphics and animations, like rollovers and pop-ups, without learning to program.

Build Interactive Pop-Up Menus in CSS

Fireworks 8 uses the Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) format to create interactive pop-up menus. The result is clean and easily customizable code that integrates well into sites built in Dreamweaver.

Figure 1. The CSS pop-up menu editor

Explore New Creative Possibilities

Unleash creativity with more than 25 new blend modes to alter the look of colors and objects. Blend modes are now preserved when you move objects to Flash.

More Than 25 New Blend Modes

Average Color Burn Inverse Color Burn Soft Burn Color Dodge Inverse Color Dodge Soft Dodge

Soft Light Fuzzy Light Hard Light Exclusion Negation Red

Overlay Green Blue Reflect Glow Freeze Heat

Additive Subtractive Subtract Interpolation Stamp XOR

Apply Changes to Many Files at Once

Take advantage of a dramatic rethinking of the batch processing workflow. Streamlined file renaming, the ability to check file dimensions when scaling during a batch process and the addition of a status bar and log file are just a few of the optimizations to this common task.

Figure 2. The batch process dialog box

Take Advantage of Improved Compatibility with Macromedia Flash

Vector attributes such as fills, strokes, filters, and blend modes are preserved when moving objects between Fireworks and Flash, and ActionScript color values are recognized when copied from Flash and pasted into Fireworks color value fields.

Streamline Your Workflow

Dramatic improvements to the workflow of common tasks maximize productivity.

• Use "Save As" to create different file types.
• Smarter default folders for remembering fonts recently used and optimization settings.
• Text layers are automatically named with typed text.
• Fonts and optimization settings remember last settings used.
• Grids now use a dotted line and a lighter default grid color.
• Path points can now be edited when text is attached.

Import More File Formats

Fireworks 8 now supports import of QuickTime Image, MacPaint, SGI, and JPEG 2000 file formats. (A QuickTime plug-in is required to use this feature on Windows OS).

Unprecedented Precision with Your Auto Shapes

The new Auto Shape properties panel lets you modify properties of Auto Shapes, such as the star, arrow, or smart polygon Auto Shape.

Figure 3. The new Auto Shapes properties panel

Use More Natural Selection Methods for Paths, Filters, and Settings

Turn active selections into editable vector paths and the reverse. Get instant feedback on filters and settings applied to selections.

Get Going Faster

New panels for special characters insertion and image editing add more options to customize workspace to match your projects' workflows. New sample content for buttons, animations, themes, and mobile development increase your options for creating content.

Figure 4. The new Image Editing panel

Amplify Graphics with Shadow Effects

New shadow choices abound in Fireworks 8. The new add shadow command adds a shadow to paths and text objects. The solid shadow live filter stamps the object it is applied to several times. Greater vector compatibility with Flash preserves drop shadows as images are moved between Fireworks to Flash.

Figure 5. The new shadow effects

These are just a few of the new features in Fireworks 8. To learn about more new features, please visit the Fireworks product page. We have a bunch of tutorials on the new features, which will be published on the Fireworks Developer Center with the product availability, so stay tuned. You can also pre-order Fireworks 8 now and be one of the first to get it.

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