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Web Design / HTML: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
Meta Refresh Tag
Learn how to use the meta refresh tag to reload a page, or force your readers to a new page
HTML Codes - Special Characters - ASCII Table
HTML codes to put ASCII special characters on your Web page.
Tabs in HTML
Using a tab character in HTML can be tricky, as Web browsers don't recognize tabs as anything different from other whitespace characters like space and return. This quick tip will explain how you can get the effect of a tab character on your pages.
span and div
Learn to use two useful style related tags - span and div. These elements are crucial for creating CSS pages including CSS positioning.
Stretch a Background Image
Stretching a background image seems like something that would be fairly easy to do, but until CSS 3 properties are more widely supported, we have to use a workaround.
How to Build a Website
Learn how to build a website in 7 steps. Building a website can be a challenging proposition, but there are only 7 things you need to do to get your website up and running.
Web Design Software Quiz
If you're looking to find the right Web design software to meet your needs you should take this questionnaire. After just a few short questions, you'll have a list of some of the best Web design software tools available to meet your needs and your budget.
Free Web Templates
These free Web templates will help you get the most out of your Web pages by doing the design work for you. You can manipulate these free Web templates to meet your needs, or just use the free Web templates as-is.
Absolute and Relative Paths
Learn how to link to pages and images using full domains, absolute and relative paths.
Comment CSS
Add comments to your Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to make them easier to maintain.
Color Symbolism Chart- Culture
Using color can be problematic if you don't design with the culture of your audience in mind. Colors have different meanings to different cultures. This chart should help make sense of the color symbolisms of various cultures.
<input type="image" />
The input type="image" tag creates submit buttons using images.
Center with DIV Tags and CSS
This article for beginning Web developers who are new to HTML and CSS will help you learn how to use the DIV tag and CSS to center text or images on your pages.
XHTML Photo Gallery Layout
This Web site template shows one simple way you can layout a photo gallery and use JavaScript to display the expanded image page.
Style the HR Tag
Learn how to use CSS to style the HR tag. If you want to divide sections of your HTML, one way to do it is with the HR tag. But this tag can be really ugly if you don't style it. Learn how to use CSS to style your HR tags.
CSS @import
@import rules with cascading style sheets allows you to import external style sheets into your CSS
Set up a Webcam Web Page
Learn how to setup a Webcam Web page with the correct HTML codes in the document and the Web cam image on the page.
What does !important mean?
An explanation of the !important property as used in CSS or Cascading Style Sheets
XHTML 101 - Free HTML Course
Take this 10 week course, and learn to create your own Web pages from scratch, using just a text editor like Notepad or SimpleText.
Creating a Mailto Link
Mailto links are the easiest way to add contact information to your Web site.
Basic Vertical Menu
This is a basic vertical menu using a free Web template using CSS and basic list XHTML tags.
Restart Apache (Linux)
If your Linux Apache Web server is started, you can stop and restart it with just a couple of steps.
Use Multiple CSS Classes
One of the more useful tricks with CSS is the fact that with the modern browsers you can use multiple CSS classes on one element to add styles as you need them.
Set Prices for Web Design Work
Web design pricing is a hot issue for new designers - learn how to set your web design prices and charge your customers reasonable and fair rates and fees for web design work.
The Mailto Command
Learn how to use the mailto command to write email links on your Web pages.
CSS Drop Shadows
Learn how to write CSS drop shadows without using any images. It's even possible to create drop shadows on text, but currently not in a standards-compliant or accessible way.
How to Install Apache
Learn how to install the Apache Web server on a Linux system from source files.
Font Families
A guide for beginning Web designers and anyone who uses fonts on Web sites to find the right font for the right situation. This article will help you choose fonts for your site that show your originality but also work for your readers.
Is there an HTML space tag?
The HTML space tag doesn't exist, but there are ways to create space on your Web pages without an HTML space tag. It can be very frustrating to add spaces in HTML the way you would in a print document only to have them disappear on the Web page. Learn how to create space on your Web pages without an HTML space tag.
Building an Automatic Frame
Source code for a Perl script to create automated frames around other pages.
Komodo Edit
Komodo Edit is a text editor for Windows Macintosh Linux or UNIX. It is best suited to Professional Web Developers or XML Developers.
Buying an HTML Editor
What to think about before you choose your HTML editor
display: hidden visib: none
These properties may seem like they do the same thing, but they actually act differently.
HTML Tutorial
Learn HTML and build your own Web page through a step-by-step HTML tutorial on the About Web Design site.
KompoZer
KompoZer is a text editor WYSIWYG editor for Windows Macintosh Linux or UNIX. It is best suited to Professional Web Designers or Professional Web Developers.
Calendar Layout
Learn how to set up a calendar layout.
The HTML DIV Tag
This article about the DIV tag is for beginning and intermediate Web developers who are interested in learning how to use the DIV tag to create XHTML+CSS layouts, align page content, and make logical divisions in their page content.
Comment Your XML
XML comments are very similar to HTML comments. tags create a space for you to keep your code clear.
How to Center with CSS
Learn how to center text, images or blocks on your Web page with CSS.
Free Dreamweaver Tutorials
Free Dreamweaver tutorials make it easy to learn how to use Dreamweaver. These free Dreamweaver tutorials will show you the basics of Dreamweaver and also teach you how to use Dreamweaver for other effects.
Scary Web Design
Design tactics that will often scare away even the most dedicated reader. These tactics are the worst of the Web - and should be avoided at all costs.
<input type="hidden" />
The input type="hidden" tag sends form fields to the server while hiding them from the reader
Using the DIV Tag
Learn how to use the DIV tag to create valid XHTML+CSS Web pages that are easy to read and change whenever you want to change them.
Include HTML
Use SSI, PHP, ASP, JavaScript, or other technology to include portions of HTML on many pages of a Web site.
HTML Tables Attributes
Learn how to use table attributes to create more useful tables
Linux/UNIX WYSIWYG Editors
WYSIWYG editors are HTML editors that attempt to display the Web page as it will show on the browser. They are visual editors, and you don't manipulate the code directly. Some HTML WYSIWYG editors also include a text editor, while others are purely WYSIWYG. This is my list of the best HTML WYSIWYG editors for Linux and UNIX.
8 Easy Ways to Learn HTML
It's easy to learn HTML, and there are so many different ways to do it, it's criminal if you haven't already started.
Color Wheel and Color Theory
Web pages are designed in color, but if you don't understand how color works, you could end up with some really ugly pages. Understanding the basics of color theory will help you create better Web pages.
Free Web Menu Templates
These HTML Templates will help you create menus using just simple HTML lists and CSS. You'd be amazed how simple the HTML is for these menus.
HTML Codes - Special Characters for French - ASCII Table - French HTML Codes
HTML codes to put French characters on your Web page.
background-size
A description of the CSS 3 property background-size
Understanding CSS Float
If you understand how to use the CSS float property, you'll have a lot more control over how your Web pages are laid out and you can more easily join the ranks of CSS designers everywhere.
Writing HTML in Notepad
You already have a great HTML editor built into your Windows operating system - Notepad. Learn how to use Notepad to write HTML.
Sending HTML Email
Learn how to use HTML to create email newsletters.
What is XHTML?
Learn to understand what XHTML is, how to write it, and how to convert your existing HTML to XHTML.
Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture - Cultural Color Symbolism Chart
Using color can be problematic if you don't design with the culture of your audience in mind. Colors have different meanings to different cultures. This chart should help make sense of the color symbolisms of various cultures. This visual chart shows different colors and how different cultures respond to them.
Tableless Layouts
CSS Positioning helps you create Web pages that have a creative layout without the use of tables. This is often called tableless layout.
Start Apache (Linux)
If your Linux Apache Web server is stopped, you can start it again with just a couple of steps.
CSS Media Types Create Prin...
Learn how easy it is to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) media types to define a printer-friendly page without actually building one.
Adding Links to Web Pages
How to add links and images to your Web site - this page discusses how to add links and anchors and bookmarks
Nvu
Nvu is a text editor WYSIWYG editor for Windows Macintosh Linux or UNIX. It is best suited to Professional Web Designers or Professional Web Developers.
Create a Mailto Form in Mac...
Mailto forms are one of the easiest forms to create because you don't have to learn any programming to write them. This document explains how to build one using Macromedia Dreamweaver MX.
Change the Font Color with CSS
It's easy to change the font color with one simple CSS style property.
Designing for IE
It is often very difficult to design a Web site when you need it to look the same in both Internet Explorer and Firefox or Safari. The trick is to start with a different browser than you're probably used to starting with - design for Firefox first.
BLOCKQUOTE and CSS
When you use the blockquote tag it can result in pretty boring looking quotations. But if you use Cascading Style Sheets, you can dress up your quotations to get blockquotes that pop on your Web page.
Free Web Menu Template - Example of Vertical Menu
Free Web Menu Template Example of Vertical Menu Home Free Website Templates Free Web Menu Templates More
ASCII HTML Codes - HTML Special Characters in the ASCII Set
HTML codes to put ASCII special characters on your Web page.
Comments on Comments
HTML comments allow you to write notes about the code, hide old information, and hold reminders on the page. Comments are not seen by the people viewing the page, but they show up in the HTML code.
Adobe Dreamweaver
Adobe Dreamweaver is a text editor and WYSIWYG editor for Windows Macintosh. It is best suited to Professional Web Designers or Professional Web Developers.
Box Model Hack
The CSS box model has very specific rules for how wide a box should be when a width is applied and padding, borders, and margins are applied. However Internet Explorer doesn't follow these rules. So we need a hack to make boxes in CSS the same width or height (whichever is defined) in Internet Explorer as in other browsers.
Links for Navigation Menus
Learn how to use CSS to style basic unordered lists into vertical navigation menus for your Web site.
What's My URL?
Getting a page to the Web server isn't that hard, but how do you know what your URL is once the page is up? These tips will help you figure out what your URL is.
Changing Font Attributes
Use CSS to change the size, color, and face of your text
Basic Tags for a Web Site
Learn the XHTML tags that are required on every Web page.
Building a Web Page for the...
In order to learn HTML, there are a lot of things that you will need to know. This pre-beginning tutorial will help you to assess how much you know and teach you the basics of creating a Web page with HTML.
HTML Download Tag
An HTML download tag would be very useful to set up links for people to download files. But while there isn't a specific HTML download tag, there are ways to create downloadable files and links on your website so that your readers can download your files to their computer.
Introduction to Dreamweaver
Learn how to define a Web site in Macromedia Dreamweaver MX so that you can edit it and manage it with Dreamweaver.
HTML Codes - Special Characters for Mathematics - Math Symbols - Mathematics HTML Codes
HTML codes to put Mathematics characters on your Web page.
SeaMonkey
SeaMonkey is a text editor WYSIWYG editor for Windows Macintosh Linux or UNIX. It is best suited to Newcomers to Web Design.
Best Windows HTML Editors
This is my list of the best Windows HTML editors in order. I evaluated over 100 Windows HTML editors in 30 categories, and these are the editors that I think are the best of the best. If you're looking for an HTML editor for Windows, you should find one that meets your needs on this list.
Web Page Widths
Once you've moved beyond beginning Web design, you'll come across the most aggravating question for a Web designer: what resolution should I design the pages for? This also comes out as how to decide how wide your pages should be.
Learn HTML
All you need to learn HTML and build a Web page.
Absolute v Relative Positions
Positioning elements with CSS can be very challenging, as there is more to it than just tacking elements to the page. One of the most confusing parts is the concept of absolute and relative positioning and why you need this propery to achieve CSS positioning.
&nbsp;
Use a non-breaking space anywhere you want to force a space where the browser would leave it out.
Spacing Out Your HTML
How to get blank spaces in your HTML.
Weekly Web Design Class
Take this free course, and learn to design Web pages that are vibrant and useful. Designing for the Web is very different from other design tasks, make sure that you know the rules before you break them.
Font vs. CSS
The font tag is deprecated, learn how to use CSS to do the same thing
@import vs link in CSS
There are two ways to load an external style sheet into your Web pages - @import or link. But why would you use one or the other? This FAQ explores the original purpose of both methods of including style sheets and then explains some of the common reasons for choosing one over the other or using a combination of both.
What is RSS?
Really Simple Syndication or RDF Site Summary or Rich Site Summary, no matter what you think it stands for, RSS is the answer to Web site syndication.
Ajax
Web applications can be a challenging endeavor where you try to get your customers to wait for data to load or pages to render. But with Ajax - Asynchronous JavaScript and XML - you can create multi-purpose Web applications that feel like desktop applications. No more waiting for pages to load, and the hourglass is gone.
CSS 3 Opacity - Example
CSS 3 opacity example: opacity image position loose dtd text position text filter
Styling Links with CSS
Don't let your links be boring, create links that are styled just like the rest of your Web pages. And before you think that just means changing the hover color - there's way more to it than that. When you're designing your page, don't forget to design your links.
3 Col Centered Flexi
This is a free Web template showing how to create a centered, flexible width layout with three columns. The width of the entire page is flexible upto a maximum size of 1000px, and the widths of the interior columns is flexible as well. It is a great layout to get a lot of information on a page at once.
background-color
A description of the CSS property background-color
CSS Positioning
Cascading Style Sheets allow you to position your HTML elements precisely on the page
CSS Drop Shadows Examples
Examples of how to create CSS drop shadows.: drop shadows deprecated tags drop shadow text shadow
Paths of a Web Designer
Whether you've just decided to learn how to create a Web page or you've been designing pages for years, there is sure to be something new to learn - once you know where you are on the path, you know what you're ready to focus on next - from beginning HTML, advanced HTML, professional web designers and programmers, to XML.
Magic with Meta Tags and Se...
Use Search engine optimization (SEO) to boost your marketing strategy with meta tags
Using Style Classes and IDs
Applying styles across sections of a document using class and id attributes
Background Colors and Images
Learn how to use background colors and images to enhance the look of your Web pages
Macintosh WYSIWYG Editors
WYSIWYG editors are HTML editors that attempt to display the Web page as it will show on the browser. They are visual editors, and you don't manipulate the code directly. Some HTML WYSIWYG editors also include a text editor, while others are purely WYSIWYG. This is my list of the best HTML WYSIWYG editors for Macintosh.
Dreamweaver CS4 vs CS3
Learn some of the practical differences between Dreamweaver CS4 and Dreamweaver CS3 to help you decide whether or when to upgrade. What new features are must-haves and what features can you live without?
Your First HTML Form
Building your first HTML form, hints on building and using HTML forms
Web Site Validation - Validate Your HTML Validate Your CSS Validate Your XML
When you have a problem with your HTML or CSS the first thing you should do is validate it. It's easy to validate your HTML with these forms. Just fill in the URL of your HTML file, CSS file, RSS or other file, and the online validators will check them for accuracy.
Color Symbolism
Color symbolizes many things to different cultures, but it is easy to forget this when designing a Web site. If you use color on your site, then you should be aware of the different meanings different cultures attach to color.
How to Send HTML Email
HTML has a lot of things that it can do, but there are things that it can't do
XHTML Form Layout
This Web site template shows one complex way you can layout a form using no tables. This is a very position intensive layout - and in fact, I find it quite cumbersome. It uses the standard left nav with top header - if you're willing to change the positions of every form element, you can move them wherever they fit on your screen. It's not as elegant as I would like, but it does the job.
Rounded Corners Using CSS
Rounded corners on boxes is a popular way to make CSS designs look less boxy, but the most common method requires a large amound of images which can drastically increase the download time for your pages. This method uses stripes and inline elements to get the effect of rounded corners.
How Can I Create a Watermark?
Learn how to create a watermark background image with just CSS.
Create a New Web Page
Learn how to create a new Web page using the Windows program Notepad
Tabbed Navigation
It's easy to add tabbed navigation into your Web pages with CSS and page identifiers.
How to Build an Image Map
Learn how to build an image map without an image map editor. It only takes a couple of HTML tags. Image maps are easier than they seem at first.
Padding and Margins
Learn the difference between padding and margins in Web page documents - a frequently asked question on Web design.
The CSS 3 background-size Property Examples
Use CSS 3 to stretch background images to fit the element.
Create an Image Map with Dr...
Image maps are images with "hot spots" that are clickable and take your readers to other Web pages. Dreamweaver MX has a built-in image map creation tool to make it easy to create image maps for your Web pages.
<input type="checkbox" />
The input type="checkbox" tag adds checkboxes to forms
Types of CSS Styles
Understanding the three types of CSS styles is important if you're going to use cascading style sheets effectively.
95 SEO Tips and Tricks
Ninety-five things you should and should not be doing on your Web pages to make them rank higher in search engines. This list looks at more than just meta tags and the basics of SEO, so even if you've got some of the factors, you may not have everything. Scroll to the end of the list to look at the things you should never be doing, as well as the things you should always do at the top.
Browser Safe Colors
Use browser safe colors to be sure that your Web page will look the same on most monitors
<span> and <div>
CSS Lesson 2: The &lt;span&gt; and &lt;div&gt; Tags
Avoid Tables for Layout
Learn why you should use CSS to position your pages rather than HTML tables
The HTML SPAN Tag
This article about the SPAN tag is for beginning and intermediate Web developers who are interested in learning how to use the SPAN tag to create XHTML+CSS layouts, align page content, and define changes to inline content on your Web pages.
New Dreamweaver Web Site
This visual tutorial will help the beginning Dreamweaver author create a new site using the site builder tool in Dreamweaver.
CSS 3 Opacity
Opacity is a method of making elements transparent in CSS 3. It is not supported in all browsers, but there are ways to get around it in the browsers that don't support it.
How to Use the Input Tag
The input tag is the primary tag used for forms. Learn how to make the most of it. Part 2 in the HTML forms tutorial
Web Design for the iPhone
If you're going to build Web pages that can be viewed on cell phones like the iPhone, you should be aware of some of the drawbacks to these devices so that your site is not impossible to use. These tips will help you build Web pages that are either designed solely for cell phones and wireless handheld devices or help you design pages that adapt depending upon what type of device is viewing it.
HTML Codes - Special Characters for Spanish - ASCII Table - Spanish HTML Codes
HTML codes to put Spanish characters on your Web page.
Basic Horizontal Menu
This is a basic horizontal menu using a free Web template using CSS and basic list XHTML tags.
<input type="reset" />
The input type="reset" tag sets the form elements back to their initial state when the form was first loaded.
<br />
The br tag defines a forced line break within an XHTML document.
Cascading Style Sheets Library
The Cascading Style Sheets library is a library of cascading style sheets (CSS) properties and syntax. Learn Cascading Style Sheets by learning the CSS properties. CSS 1 Properties.
What is a CSS Inline Style?
Once you understand what a CSS style property is, you'll want to apply them to your pages. One way to do that is to style the exact element with an inline style.
Choose List/Menu
Dreamweaver makes it easy to create drop-down menus for your Web site. And if you don't have the time to code them, Dreamweaver has a built-in tool for creating jump menus.
8 Easy Ways to Learn CSS
It's easy to learn CSS, and there are so many different ways to do it, it's criminal if you haven't already started. Cascading Style Sheets add so much to your Web designs that if you don't understand at least the basics you're cheating yourself and your designs.
Do You Want a Web Dev Job?
What does it really take to be a web developer? there are some drawbacks to the job that you should be aware of
text-align
A description of the CSS property text-align
Rhythm - Basics of Design
Rhythm is a basic principle of design. Rhythm or repetition is the expression of visual harmony within a design. Repetition and rhythm attract attention in a design and allow the viewer to relax as they recognize the pattern.
Color Harmony
Learning to put together colors in a harmonious fashion is one of the most important skills of a Web designer. Once you understand color theory, you'll be better equipped to create color schemes that really work.
Quick CSS
Take this 5 day course to learn Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to improve your Web pages
First Create the Form
Dreamweaver makes it easy to create drop-down menus for your Web site. And if you don't have the time to code them, Dreamweaver has a built-in tool for creating jump menus.
float
A description of the CSS property float
Tips to a Great Web Page
Ten helpful tips for creating better, more useful Web pages
Copyright on the Web
Just because something is on the Web does not make it 'free' for copying. Copyright and intellectual property laws still apply.
HTML Codes - Special Characters for Currency - Money Symbols - Currency HTML Codes
HTML codes to put currency characters on your Web page.
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