images with drop shadows on mixed background colours

[Mazzza webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

Hello there
Does anyone know how I can create an image with a drop shadow that will be layered over the top of a background of different colours? ie I need the drop shadow to be semitransparent with none of that damn awful smudgy stuff around it.

I have been surfing the web for the past three hours and while I have found many remedies none of them seem to do quite what I need. I have included a link to a page that is actually one huge image (I'm not going to use it for my actual webpage). You will see my dilemma.

It's not the blue background or gradient or curve that I'm having a problem with. It's the logo images. As you will see they all have a drop shadow but THE PROBLEM STARTS when I have an image laid over another image. See the right side of the Suds Vehicle Wash logo, it is sitting on a white background (on top of another logo) while at the same time the bottom drop shadow is sitting on a blue background. One image, one drop shadow, more than one colour underneath it. This page design was put together by my client who happens to be a designer (not of websites). I have another 5 pages of similar design to create. I would rather not have to go back to him and say I can't do it. Is there any way that I can achieve the same look that he has created (in Corel or whatever he uses) in my html page?

I would really appreciate any words of wisdom on this one.
Thanks in advance
For ever hopeful



Referring URLs
[url]http://www.webbit.co.nz/concept_design.asp[/url]

[Bob Boisvert]

Have you tried cloning the original, make its color black and send it to the
back or send backward. You can then change the angle of the clone with the
skew tool to simulate a drop shadow. Since you don't want and "smudgy stuff"
just make sure there is no feathering and drop the opacity to what you want
for the transparentcy.

Hope this helps,
Bob



"Mazzza" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:blqlt7$sh1$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> Hello there
> Does anyone know how I can create an image with a drop shadow that will be

layered over the top of a background of different colours? ie I need the
drop shadow to be semitransparent with none of that damn awful smudgy stuff
around it.

>
> I have been surfing the web for the past three hours and while I have

found many remedies none of them seem to do quite what I need. I have
included a link to a page that is actually one huge image (I'm not going to
use it for my actual webpage). You will see my dilemma.

>
> It's not the blue background or gradient or curve that I'm having a

problem with. It's the logo images. As you will see they all have a drop
shadow but THE PROBLEM STARTS when I have an image laid over another image.
See the right side of the Suds Vehicle Wash logo, it is sitting on a white
background (on top of another logo) while at the same time the bottom drop
shadow is sitting on a blue background. One image, one drop shadow, more
than one colour underneath it. This page design was put together by my
client who happens to be a designer (not of websites). I have another 5
pages of similar design to create. I would rather not have to go back to
him and say I can't do it. Is there any way that I can achieve the same look
that he has created (in Corel or whatever he uses) in my html page?

>
> I would really appreciate any words of wisdom on this one.
> Thanks in advance
> For ever hopeful
>
>
>
> Referring URLs
> [url]http://www.webbit.co.nz/concept_design.asp[/url]
>
>
>
>

[Lanny Chambers]

In article <blqlt7$sh1$1@forums.macromedia.com>,
"Mazzza" [email]webforumsuser@macromedia.com[/email] wrote:

> It's not the blue background or gradient or curve that I'm having a problem
> with. It's the logo images. As you will see they all have a drop shadow but
> THE PROBLEM STARTS when I have an image laid over another image.

The only way to get professional-quality results is to make the whole
thing one image (though you can slice it if necessary). It's only 44k as
a GIF, and it might be smaller as a JPEG, which you'll need to prevent
the gradient from banding. There is no solution using transparent GIFs.

If that's not acceptable, then you'll need to redesign the page to cope
with the limits of the technology, perhaps separating the logos or
losing the drop shadows.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
[url]http://www.hummingbirds.net/[/url]

[Mazzza webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

I suspected as much. Thank you for taking the time to answer me. It means I can get on with a solution at least and not waste any more time.
Cheers

[Mazzza webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

Sorry, but I'm feeling a bit dim after all these hours of failure. I don't understand what I should be cloning and what I should be making black??

[Mazzza webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

Can you attach that gif again please. It just looks like gobbledegook to me for some reason?

[Sam Poikail]

Hmm.... just checked and I can see the GIF ok in my newsreader. Drop me a
line offlist and I will send you the GIF directly. Remove the SPAMBITES
from my email before sending.

Cheers,
Sam

"Mazzza" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:blr1rs$cr6$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> Can you attach that gif again please. It just looks like gobbledegook to

me for some reason?

>
>

[ccnk]

That's because you're on the Webforum. It doesn't allow to see the pics.
I've taken the liberty of posting it on my server (since i'm (in Europe)
awake and he (in America) is probably sleeping..... 8)

[url]http://members.home.nl/ccnk/forum/maz.gif[/url]

Now I only hope he's not gonna sew me for copyright infringement 8)



"Mazzza" [email]webforumsuser@macromedia.com[/email] wrote:

>Can you attach that gif again please. It just looks like gobbledegook to me for some reason?
>
>
>
>
>

--


I hope this helps,

Coen


"People will always talk about you, especially when they envy you and the life you live. Let them... you affected their lives, they didn't affect yours."
_______________________________
Please, don't E-mail me about Fireworks questions. Post them on the Forum.

E-mail : ccnk at home.nl
================================
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[ccnk]

AAWWRRRR....... :s

Sam Poikail wrote:

>Hmm.... just checked and I can see the GIF ok in my newsreader. Drop me a
>line offlist and I will send you the GIF directly. Remove the SPAMBITES
>from my email before sending.
>
>Cheers,
>Sam
>
>"Mazzza" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
>news:blr1rs$cr6$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>
>

>>Can you attach that gif again please. It just looks like gobbledegook to
>>
>>

>me for some reason?
>
>

>>
>>

>
>
>
>

--


I hope this helps,

Coen


"People will always talk about you, especially when they envy you and the life you live. Let them... you affected their lives, they didn't affect yours."
_______________________________
Please, don't E-mail me about Fireworks questions. Post them on the Forum.

E-mail : ccnk at home.nl
================================
Enhance Fireworks with these Productivity Resources

*** DevNet ***
[url]http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/mx/fireworks/[/url]
*** Styles ***
[url]http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/mx/fireworks/articles/style_samples.html[/url]
[url]http://wetworks.nl/freestyler[/url]
[url]http://richiebee.ca/fireworks.htm[/url]
*** Flash Panels ***
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[Sam Poikail]

"ccnk" <ccnkHAHA@home.nl> wrote in message news:3F812534.2010005@home.nl...

> Now I only hope he's not gonna sew me for copyright infringement 8)

sew = sue?

Well, I was in the market for a new CPU and video card ;o)

Cheers,
Sam

[Linda Rathgeber]

"Mazzza" [email]webforumsuser@macromedia.com[/email] wrote:

> I suspected as much. Thank you for taking the time to answer me. It
> means I can get on with a solution at least and not waste any more
> time. Cheers

You could use a hard shadow instead of a gradient shadow. Basically,
it's a black rectangle behind the image and offset by a few pixels to
the right (or left) and down.

In your place I'd also talk to the client about the differences in
designing for print and for the Web.


Best regards,
Linda Rathgeber
----------------
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-----------------

[Mazzza webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer my question. I have been overwhelmed by the response and I've tried every possible solution sent to me. However, in the end the transparent dropshadow over a multi-coloured background got the better of me. I made up several alternative pages for my client to view and he agreed we should lose the dropshadow. Especially as we will be changing the images around regularly.

Once again, thanks to all who offered suggestions. Especially the helpful links and images.
Cheers