Data Becker Web Graphics Designer – The Banner Factory?

With Web Graphic Designer, Data Becker is launching a special program for the creation of advertising materials for the Internet. Our short presentation clarifies if the tool meets professional requirements despite the low price.

Yesterday, today, tomorrow

When the first advertising banners were tortured through the fashion lines, the advertising media were still created with the typical tools of a graphic artist: images processing and, if necessary, the vector program had to serve for the scarce pixels 468 × 60. Some producers, including Platzhirsch Adobe or Corel, have subsequently published tools specialized in the creation of web graphics of each type, but they all disappeared again, from the market.

The next evolutionary level were the programs that combined both raster images and vector graphics and therefore proved to be an ideal tool for creating web graphics. The best known representative of this software guild is Adobe Fireworks (previously Macromedia Fireworks), which is also seen perfectly with other web products such as Adobe Dreamweaver or Adobe Flash.

The fireworks are not a real deal and should clearly overcome the budget by many masters of hobbies or occasional textures. And it is precisely this target group that seems to direct the Becker data with web graphic designer.

Features and functions

The description of the web graph made us curious:

• Very easy by professionals Banners, Bottons & Co.!
• In just three steps for the perfect web graphics
• Over 500 design models that can be customized on all important topics
• Library with more than 1,000 graphics and symbols
• Effortless adaptation to the intuitive publisher with level management

For only 35 euros, the user gets a lot here at first sight.

After the beginning, he is welcomed by the welcome screen.

Opening screen

Models

In addition to the possibility of opening your projects or creating a new project, the assistant of the model attracts.
There are several style models separately after actions (competition, new opening, etc.), industries and other sections. The models on a topic are offered for different advertising formats. The quality of the models is mixed, but it is certainly sufficient for a smaller website.

Models

In the example, for example, the Super Banner with 720 × 90 pixels and a 200 × 600 pixel skyscraper, but no complete banners (468 × 60) or half of rectangle (300 × 250). Even the skyscraper does not correspond to the usual standard of 160 × 600 as a wide skyscraper. In other models, suddenly there is a full banner and a large skyscraper, but no super banner.
Then this crosses all the models. Because the manufacturer is not on common formats in Germany

300 × 250 – average rectangle
728 × 90 – SuperBanner
160 × 600 – Skyscraper Largo
400 × 400 – Universal Flash Layer
468 × 60 – FullSize Banner
234 × 60 – Crescent banner

It has a limited mystery. The user will not be satisfied with the many different formats.

Model in the publisher

After selecting the model, all the formats of this model are open in the editor.

Model in the publisher

Anyone who now think that they will change the texts that repeat on all formats in a central point will be disappointed. The modification of the texts or elements of style only affects the modified advertising material/format, not for everyone.

New project

If the user starts a new project, he receives a selection of possible advertising formats.

New project

The requirement for size is not limited only to standard formats. I icon formats, header or graphics graphics for «web to date», the Data Becker web administration are also available.

New project

Publisher

In the editor, the user defines the background, adds elements such as graphics, lines, shapes or text and also determines the properties.

Publisher

Different properties are negative:

There are no auxiliary lines to organize and align, which-like is usually pulled out of the pixel line. Objects can be aligned with each other and on the scene and a variable grid helps with the setting, but you still want auxiliary (magnetic) lines for complex compositions.

Even the text editor no longer looks to date. Instead of modifying the texts directly in the graphics, a text window opens. The effects of the changes are visible only when I confirm them with OK. The choice of the right size of the character can quickly start playing patience.

Text input

In general, the writing functions seem very old, shadow, outline and ready. No 3D effect, no alignment on the routes, no color gradient etc.

Icons, clipart

The symbols and graphics provided are very mixed in quality and benefits. While some convince and also meet professional needs, others may come from cheap clipart collections.

Clipart and graphics

Clipart and graphics

The user can also import his graphics. However, the program supports only the typical Bitmap formats such as PNG, JPG, GIF, TIF. Unfortunately, vector formats are not accepted, which is very annoying due to the possibility of reducing.

Nothing happens without animation

Despite the defects listed so far, the graphic designer web for occasional banner and webgraphics could be an alternative if at least it would allow animations.
«Why the animations with the banners?» I will ask for inexperienced readers. Well, even a flashing or changing text requires an image change. The way this is made in the program is not so important, only that there should be such an option. The fireworks work with frames, for example. The banner is located in its basic structure on each frame and only the elements that should move or change, frame (thumb cinema principle). With the time specifications for the change and grinding of the frame, it is possible to create an animal banner relatively easily with the changes of text that change. The finished «film» is then exported as an animated gif or flash animation.

Unfortunately, the web graphic designer does not know all these options. For the price of 35 euros, it could be too much.

Conclusion

The graphic designer couldn’t really convince us. The range of functions is streamlined, the implementation is not very comfortable and the cliparts and the graphics are mixed. Only the number of models could contain what the manufacturer has promised. If you have no design talent and quickly depend on finished banners and graphics on canned food, you can take a closer look at the product. For professional banners and graphics with your ideas, the product is too inflexible. Here the user with a good change of images or a vector program is certainly better and faster. Good cliparts do not cost the world and are also freely available on the Internet in many places.

	Data Becker Web Graphics Designer Order this product now through Amazon
Producer:	Data Becker
Prey	35 euros
System:	Windows 7, Vista, XP
Positive:	Extended models collection
Negative:	Weak editor, mixed cliparts and graphics