How do people get those neat looking graphics in their emails and pages that they create?

Question

I know nothing about creating web pages, but was wondering how people get graphics in their messages and emails and on their personal pages? And how they make such awesome looking personal pages or websites or whatever. Does it require extra software?

Answer 1

Writing a web page requires only text editing software, such as Notepad, and knowledge of (X)HTML. You can gain this knowledge by looking at the sourcecode of simple pages (if you're using Firefox, go to View > Page Source), reading tutorials such as http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp , and once you've tried creating a few simple pages, using the official specifications at http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/ , specifically http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/ as a reference.
A web page is simply a text file that you give the extension .html to instead of .txt. Note that the file must be unformatted text (Don't use .doc files or office suite formats).
No-one but you will have access to the pages you store on your computer (unless you run special software called an HTTP server, but you would need a lot more technical know-how, and the money to pay for a connection that allows you to run servers). Most people upload their files to large permanent servers, such as Tripod or GeoCities, so that the rest of the world can access them. These sites also provide methods of editing your web pages online. See http://geocities.yahoo.com/join/ .