Creating a website banner - looking for advice

[flyguy451]

I've got a friend that's starting a simple website and I'd like to try my hand at making a banner but I have a few questions about the basics. I have downloaded and installed Gimp and have played around with it a bit it and hoped to use it to make the banner. Does the banner need to be a specific size? I have stumbled across a template called "standard web banner" that is 468 X 60 pixels and have also looking at some professionally designed banners that are this size. Now, I have tried to create a banner 468 X 60 but I can't get the text clear enough to read. It just seems that this is not enough pixel density. What am I missing here?

Thanks
D

 

[simontarr]

Try using Fireworks- I use it and think it's great. It's designed for making website graphics. You can get a fully working 30-Day trial at www.adobe.com to have a go. It may seem a little scary at first to the newcomer, but it's a powerful tool.

The sizes you quote seem to be standard advert banner sizes, not actual website banner sizes. Really, your website banner can be any size you fancy. Try experimenting. Some site layouts lend themselves to small banners, like Apples site, while other sites look equally good with a banner 300px tall.

I've got a friend that's starting a simple website and I'd like to try my hand at making a banner but I have a few questions about the basics. I have downloaded and installed Gimp and have played around with it a bit it and hoped to use it to make the banner. Does the banner need to be a specific size? I have stumbled across a template called "standard web banner" that is 468 X 60 pixels and have also looking at some professionally designed banners that are this size. Now, I have tried to create a banner 468 X 60 but I can't get the text clear enough to read. It just seems that this is not enough pixel density. What am I missing here?

Thanks
D