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Re: Creating compliant websites using PhotoshopSliced files...

for

From: Joshue O Connor
Date: Jan 4, 2007 4:40AM

Christian Heilmann wrote:

> creating a final layout and then slicing it up into different
> parts to put it together as a web page in HTML again is probably the
> worst approach to creating an accessible web site

Christian is right, as this approach to graphic design for the web
really does not translate well in accessibility terms. In short, don't
export your designs as sliced images. There are several reasons for
this. When you are slicing a large image (say a page layout with
rollover effects on buttons etc) it is very easy to get carried away and
rather that using broad strokes to divide the image you can create some
very small slices. For each of these slices the application (Image Ready
or Fireworks etc) will generate HTML that tells the browser where to
reposition the slice, its size and other properties etc. The code that
these applications produce is bloated and AFAIK has no semantic aspect
(well it was the last time I exported sliced images) and I would feel
that it probably has not improved. If it has improved and If anyone on
the list can add to this thread, please do.

You could also take the view that you wish to slice your images and then
edit the exported HTML by hand - to clean it up and add alternate text
etc. However, even this method goes against the grain of Web
Standard/Accessible design at the very least because the HTML that the
editor exports is embedded with the HTML page so even for relatively
small images with only a few slices, this can generate a lot of bloated
code that will increase your page size, So this method is the antithesis
of separating content from presentational elements.

A better approach is to get to grips with CSS and improve your basic
HTML knowledge - This is a more powerful and cleaner way to create more
beautiful and accessible websites.

Josh

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