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WebITS | Getting Started | Web Workshops | Online Courses | FAQs | Contact Us
Before you begin:
The information presented is divided into 5 basic sections and assumes users have some basic knowledge of web browsing and navigation. The sections are:
STEP 1: Basic knowledge
This introductory "how-to-get-started" page is designed to give you a quick understanding of what building a web page is all about.
Web pages are viewed in a browser, such as Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer. (These browsers are available from the web for download!)
There are several important steps that you need to go through, however, to accomplish the process from the beginning (using Macintosh and Windows-based software such as Claris Home Page which is freely available to the Drexel community) to adding in graphics; to uploading your finished page(s) and related graphics to a computer set up as a web server.
Here are some basic tips for designing a web page from the start:
- Web pages consist of a single page (or more related pages) that are referenced by textual or graphical links.
- Web pages can display graphics which are named and stored on the webserver as EXTERNAL files.
- A good web page does NOT have too much unnecessary text on it.
- Do not mix textual elements too much: use fonts and font sizes and styles wisely, but sparingly.
Commonly found programs you can use to make or edit (modify) web
pages are:
- DreamWeaver - (Mac & Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP)
- Microsoft FrontPage 2000/XP- (Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP)
- Adobe PageMill - (Mac & Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP)
- BBEdit - (Mac)
- NotePad - (Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP)
- Edit Pad - (Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP)
- TeachText - (Mac)
- SimpleText - (Mac)
(Underlined words or phrases are "links" which will take you to additional "how-to" pages or will DOWNLOAD files for you that you can revise and re-use according to your own needs.)
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STEP 2: Download a basic Drexel logo
for the web
You can insert your logo file with any HTML code generator or also type in or a word processor. (Code generators are a lot easier for newcomers!)
Remember that all web text documents must be saved onto the computer with the suffix ".html" or ".htm" before they can be properly read by the browser.
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STEP 3: Modifying the home page you are creating
Any existing web page's HTML code can be changed. You can add in your own text (and use differing sizes, alignments, fonts, and font styles).
Microsoft FrontPage and the other code generators
allow you to add in other popular features, such as:
- Tables - for organizing textual information (much like a spreadsheet); or for object placement, such as a text block or a graphical image. Tables can be formatted into a variety of sizes with differing numbers of columns, rows, and styles.
- Horizontal rules - for separating sections of a page or for adding in a graphical design element.
- Links - "address references" to connect (or navigate) to other web pages or send E-mail to someone. Links can consist of a single web page "address," such as index.html or they can be much more complex, such as http://www.drexel.edu/irt/support/webits/faqs.html which is more complete, and longer, and has a "path" associated with directories (also known as "folders") where the actual HTML document (and any associated files) you want to display is located.
- Graphics - Graphics can be created in many ways, including scanning-in photos or art. All web-ready graphics need to be in GIF format or JPG format to be viewable on the web. GIFs are often smaller in file size than JPGs - but not always. The rule of thumb is: the smaller the graphic file size ("k"-size) - the faster it will download on the web.
You can convert graphic file types or create new graphics (or animated graphics) using commonly found programs, such as:
- Adobe PhotoShop - (Mac & Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP)
- Adobe ImageReady - (Mac & Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP)
- Adobe Illustrator - (Mac & Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP)
- Macromedia Flash - Web Animation Software (Mac & Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP)
- GIF Converter - (Mac)
- GIF Animator - (Mac)
- Graphics Converter - (Mac)
- Paint - (Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP)
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STEP 4: Uploading Your Personal Web Page
Creating a web page that looks good and is useful may take time, especially if you are not familiar with HTML or code generators.Once you have completed a page that has all of the text and graphics in place, you will want to upload it to the Drexel Personal Home Page webserver.
- Click on the link immediately below to go to the Instructions on how to best upload (transfer) your page and your graphics to the various Drexel/MCPHU webservers via FTP-based software are available (detailed Windows or Macintosh FTP transfer-program examples are given there.)
Next: Web @ Drexel
or Return to Getting Started
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