How should I work with a website template based on a Photoshop document?

Question

The template folder contains a large photoshop file, an index.html file and an images folder. When I open the index.html file in Dreamweaver, a complex table comes up which is packed with images. Some of the images are filled with "Lorem ipsum" blocks of text.
Now I want to add my own text, instead of Lorem ipsum which is built straight into one of the images. Is editing the text from Photoshop the only way of dealing with this kind of template?
I'm sorry if I'm not clear enough.
Many thanks

Answer 1

In a word, yes. As a web designer I get asked this sort of thing every day.

I'm presuming that you've bought yourself a web template from a cheap website? I can imagine that you've picked yourself up a website template for approximately £10-50 yes?

The problem with these sorts of templates revolves around the fact that to make them cheap and easy to sell, the companies usually skimp on quality coding and go for a "quick fix"...ie. a high impact design without all of the practicalities. I know this because I have been approached on several occasions to change a client's website based on these templates. Unfortunately I can tell you that it tends to cost the client *more* than they would have spent on a bespoke design, due to the fact that I end up recreating images in photoshop OR completely recoding the entire site.

If you wish to carry on and use this template on your own I would suggest that you start to either:

a) go through the images and work out what has text on it and then create yourself a series of "text-less" versions of the same images in photoshop - which will allow for easy changes at a later date; OR

b) create text-less versions of the images and put them as backgrounds on the table cells, which will allow you to put standard HTML/CSS text over the top.

or if you want to go the whole mile (and this may work out quicker)...scrap the index.html/images folder entirely and recreate the site using photoshop and dreamweaver. This may take you a day or two but will be worth it in the end - especially when you notice that the code in the bought template is so bad, the search engines reject it or you start getting complaints from disabled users who cannot easily view your website.

As I said earlier I am a professional web designer and have dealt with this sort of thing on many many occasions (too many unfortunately) so if you would like to discuss this further with me, please feel free to drop me an email. Don't worry, I'm not going to do the hard sell on you or anything - I am happy just to advise you via email or phone. I have built my business on the reputation of honesty and no-obligations advice.

Answer 2

I would photoshop just for images.........and minor graphics.......

Don't use a template to create your website......start from scratch and create everything......this way you will learn faster.....