Adding Effects

The effects panel can enhance almost any project you design. For ease of use, you may want to leave the multi-tabbed panel open in your workspace. To open the Effect panel, choose Window>Effect.

• Select the object you would like to add an effect to.
• Click the Effect tab and, and from the pop-up menu, choose the effect you would like applied. This menu contains the effects from the menu box's Xtras category, plus Shadows and Glows and Bevel And Emboss. These two choices are ones that you may find yourself returning to often.
• After you make a selection of Shadows and Glow/Drop Shadow, for example, you will be presented with a dialog box to set the distance of the shadow, the softness amount, the angle, and opacity. The settings are similar for most effects.
• Press Return or Enter, and the changes are applied.
• Make sure you save it as a PNG file!! If you export it and make it a gif, you will not be able to make changes in Fireworks. If you want a gif file, save the file both ways, as a gif and as a png.

Editing Effects

If you ever want to go back and change an effect or if you want to see how you achieved a certain look, all you have to do is open your PNG file and follow these instructions.

• Click the object that contains the effect you would like to view or alter.
• After the object is selected, open the Effect panel. You will see a list of effects added with checkmarks next to them. To view what the object would look like without a certain effect, uncheck the effect. If you decide you don't want a particular effect, select it and click the trash can icon in the lower-right corner to delete it.
• To view the specific settings of any effect, double-click the effect name. You now have access to the settings and can make any alterations here.