Gimp vs Inkscape vs Fireworks for website development?

Question

InkScape users, can you recommend Inkscape for website-template development. I have to learn a tool for website templating, to create layout and export slices, one of my friend is suggesting fireworks i have seen him working ie why i am aware about slicing/css, and web-says lnkscape shall be fine, nothing detailed review.
Has someone, you know have used it to template creation/development. Can this tool have decent good looking layout, and then i can export the slices.

Answer 1

I've never used Fireworks, I do as much as possible of my web design outside of a graphics editor, my tool of choice for website mockups is a whiteboard, I do the layout of my websites in raw (X)HTML/CSS, and in general I only end up using the Gimp/Inkscape for quick sketches or when I specifically need to create/modify an image.

That said, I have used the GIMP and Inkscape a fair amount, so maybe my perspective will be helpful.

Right now, for anything that doesn't specifically demand vector graphics work, my general preference would be the GIMP. It's a far more mature and polished program. (And there are a lot of tutorials and plugins floating around if you end up needing them.)

Here though, Inkscape does have the advantage of being a vector graphics editor. If you're going to be moving things around a lot and resizing things to get them how you want them Inkscape is going to be a lot easier to work with here. That said, if you're making images for a website you're going to end up using raster graphics in the end, and the GIMP's going to give you more fine-tuned control.

I would tend to believe that in this case, a vector graphics editor like Inkscape is going to be better for quick mockups and prototyping, and the GIMP's going to be better for creating the final products. I don't think either is really very well-suited to web design (yet), but if I were doing my web development primarily in graphics editors, this is probably how I'd do it. If I had to choose a single tool it would be the GIMP.

(Final note: despite what many people say about the GIMP's user interface, I'd take its over Photoshop's any day. It still has a few quirks, but it's mostly opinion at this point.)

Answer 2

Check this slides, they are about prototyping in inkscape. Using a vector graphics tools it's better as you can drag things, duplicate and move all easily. The downside is that you're far from having a final product.

Answer 3

If you are using windows, try Paint.NET - it's open source and free, like GIMP, but is easier to use, starts up faster, and is more like photoshop (the most famous image manipulation program).