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A Keynote presentation, Customize iWeb 08, is also available.

Customizing Apple's iWeb 09

Ideal for the beginner with decided ideas

Think of iWeb as one drawer in a filing cabinet. This drawer has a lot of Pendaflex folders—websites. Within each Pendaflex folder is a number of files—the pages in that folder's website.

Note the gray arrows to the left of each website name; the right-facing arrows point to a website that has been minimized (amtf and The Eye's Delight at the bottom) while the downward-facing arrow (kddiditIWeb at the top) indicates an expanded website showing all the pages.

How this tutorial works

Customize iWeb describes the main iWeb window, the left and right panels, and the primary toolbar at the bottom of the main iWeb window.

Primary toolbar is a detailed exploration of the primary toolbar.

Inspector details is a detailed exploration of the Inspector, one of the tools on the primary toolbar AND a tool you will use heavily.

Website set up, Page layout, and Nav links explains setting up a website, page layout, and the creation of the main navigational links.

Webpage content explores the basics of content for a webpage.

Publish website publishes your new website!

Troubleshooting is all about what you should not expect from iWeb and…sigh…the troubleshooting…

Main iWeb Window

The main window is composed of four sections:

  1. Left panel holds the sites and their particular pages
  2. Canvas displays the visual representation of a chosen webpage
  3. Right panel provides access to the various Media
  4. Primary toolbar, at the bottom, holds the tools you will use most often as you create your website

Introduction to iWeb Toolbar

Shortcuts defined:

    Add Page icon
  • Add Page opens the Apple Templates
    • Publish Site icon
  • Publish Site is one-click publishing to MobileMe
    • Visit icon
  • Visit is a one-click trip to see what your site looks like on the web
    • Theme icon
  • Theme opens a quick view of template possibilities
    • Text Box icon
  • Text Box inserts an empty box into which you type or cut-and-paste
    • Click the icon to insert a square empty box in the center of the webpage—begin typing or pasting as soon as it appears on the page
    • You cannot type or paste any text without a Text Box
    • Resize by grabbing a box handle and dragging it into the desired size
    • Move a Text Box by clicking inside the box to select it and dragging it into position
    • Shapes icon
  • Shapes pops up a column of 14 different shapes to insert onto the desktop
    • Double-click the desired shape to put it onto a webpage
    • Shapes can be:
      • Resized
      • Colored
      • Moved
      • Arranged (in front of or in back of anything)
    • Mask icon
  • Mask is used to quickly focus on all or part of an image
    • Rotate icon
  • Rotate, when clicked, turns a selected image 90-degrees counterclockwise
    • Adjust icon
  • Adjust provides a variety of techniques to manipulate an image:
    • Brightness
    • Contrast
    • Saturation
    • Temperature
    • Tint
    • Sharpness
    • Exposure
    • Levels
    • Inspector icon
  • Inspector is the primary palette box you will use throughout the entire project
    • Provides details about the individual webpage, handling text manipulation, RSS feeds, photo sharing, slideshows, shape manipulation, positioning and sizing information, hyperlink setup, and QuickTime for videos.
    • Colors icon
  • Colors permits access to five different ways to chose a color as well as transparency effects
    • Fonts icon
  • Fonts accesses font choices, text sizes, and text effects
    • There three TEXT choices in iWeb:
      • Text Box in the primary toolbar
      • Inspector > Text which adjusts characters, lines, and paragraphs spacing; creates lists; and, wraps text around objects
      • Fonts selects font, font-size, font-style, underline and strikethrough styles, and shadows
    • Show/Hide Media icon
  • Show/Hide Media causes a menu to slide out on the right side of the main window with four tabs at the top:
    • Audio holds all the music that is on your computer: podcasts, iTunes, GarageBand, Movies, etc.
    • Photos holds the contents of iPhoto
    • Movies holds all the video on your computer from iTunes to home movies
    • Widgets is a panel of shortcuts including MobileMe Gallery, YouTube, Google Maps, Google AdSense, iSight Photo, iSight Movie, Countdown, RSS Feed, and HTML Snippet

In the next section, we dissect the primary toolbar. Each icon is displayed and explained as to its purpose and how to use it.

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Questions about some of the terminology used in this tutorial? Get more information (definitions and links) on key computer terms by going to our Glossary of Terms Relating to Art, Computer, Therapy ++.

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Kathy Davie is an artist, educator, and author of the arts marketing series, Your Portfolio & You, aimed at helping artists survive (and thrive) at the business of being an artist.

As a self-taught artist, Kathy was frustrated by the lack of information on taking her career to a more professional level while meeting legal guidelines and learning about legal hiccups. Her drive for information fueled her to interview numerous professionals and compiled the information into a monthly news column. She now leads workshops and is converting the news columns into this continuing series of how-to books.

Kathy has a BS in Technical Writing & Editing with minors in Digital Media and History from Metropolitan State College, Denver, CO and is the author of Accounting for the SMALL Businessperson, How Copyright Applies to the Artist, the Buyer, the Employer/e, the Sold Artwork, Dealing with Photographs, Slides, Digital Images, and Surviving the Outdoor Arts Festival.

Visit her writing or arts websites or reach her by email.