Im a Print designer looking to get into Web Design. Advice on what to learn first?

HTML/XHTML are pretty similar, just focus on XHTML since it's really the way forward. "XML" isn't really a language, it's more of a human readable data storage format, of course there are ways to "format" an XML document to look like a web page, but this isn't really common and I definitely wouldn't worry about it starting. CSS is of course as essential as XHTML these days.

You should know how to use a framework like jQuery, MooTools, etc for design effects, but you don't really need to know the ins and outs of JavaScript, there are "xxx framework for designers" tutorials out there that should give you most of the tools you need.

ActionScript lives in it's own little world, it's really not related to web design unless you're working with a flash based site where it's everything.

Oh, the only thing you should be using in Dreamweaver is the code view, it's a piece of junk at WYSIWYG (well, everything pretty much is).

 

I recommend starting with the stickies in this forum, which are also in my sig. Nothing you listed is outdated.

 

I was in print design exclusively before going into web design myself - which has been since 2001 or there abouts..

Beef up on XHTML and CSS; A great place for seeing how/why/what is accomplished with these two is CSS Zen Garden. The stricter you use these, the less likely accessibility and usability are to be issues.

Dreamweaver is good, but I try to code my hand as much as possible. I've known people were used to be good hand-coders but began depending on Dreamweaver and after a while they were forgetting how to do stuff (Use it or lose it..)

Web design differs from Print in that you have to think almost '3D' when you design - rather than static pages you're now designing mouse events and interactivity as well as the interface. My philosophy of designing a site is to create the same one-page impact you get from a static, one-page ad, and then designing subsequent pages to reinforce that same sense of place and brand. But that's just me..

An excellent portfolio to look through for this type of design is Phinney Bischoff They used to be print and identity and now handle web design. Take a look at how they create the look and feel of web sites - they're a cut above the rest imo.

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Personally I would want to know CSS cold gbefore touching Flash.

All the modern sites, and CMS paltforms are all CSS based...