Adobe Dreamweaver CS3

Using Color Boxes

Colors and backgrounds can add a lot of character to web pages. The colors you assign to objects like text and backgrounds are important in determining the effectiveness and overall usability of your website. Dreamweaver allows you to assign colors to text, backgrounds, cells, tables, and borders. If you do not specify a color for an element, Dreamweaver applies the default color.

NOTES:
Not all web browsers are capable of displaying all background and text color combinations. In most cases, the browser will revert back to its default colors with no ill effects. Also, colorblind users will be unable to decipher pages with certain color combinations. To ensure document readability, you should user test color choices. For more information on using color, refer to Selecting Colors by Value and Web Publishing and Color Vision.

Selecting a Color
Working with Color Palettes

Selecting a Color

In Dreamweaver, you can assign color to specific elements using the color box on the Properties pane. Each element with color assignment availability has an individual color box on the Properties pane. For example, by placing the insertion point within a cell, the Cell Properties pane displays both the Cell Background color box and the Cell Border color box.

For more information on selecting colors, see Selecting Colors by Value.

This is a sample of the most common color boxes and their corresponding elements:

	Text color box
	Cell Background color box
	Cell Border color box
	Table Background color box
	Table Border color box

To select a color for an element, select the desired element
From the Properties pane, click the appropriate color box
The Color palette appears.
From the Color palette, select a color
The new color appears in the color box.
HINT: If the desired color is not displayed in the Color palette, you can use the Eyedropperto select any color appearing on your screen.

Working with Color Palettes

Color palettes determine which colors are available for selection. Although the Color Cubes color palette is the Dreamweaver default palette, you can select a color palette from five available color palettes.

Available Color Palettes

You can select colors from five different color palettes in Dreamweaver: Color Cubes, Continuous Tone, Windows OS, Mac OS, or Grayscale.

Color Cubes

Uses the 216-color web safe color palette
Dreamweaver's default color palette

Continuous Tone

Uses the 216-color web safe color palette.
All colors are web-safe

Windows OS (Windows Operating System)

Uses the Windows System's default 8-bit color palette
All colors are not web-safe
NOTE: To use Windows OS colors that are web-safe, from the Color Palette menu, select Snap to Web Safe

Mac OS (Macintosh Operating System)

Uses the Mac System's 8-bit color palette
All colors are not web-safe
NOTE: To use Mac OS colors that are web-safe, from the Color Palette menu, select Snap to Web Safe

Grayscale

Displays a range of grayscale color
All colors are not web-safe
NOTE: To use Grayscale colors that are web-safe, from the Color Palette menu, select Snap to Web Safe

Selecting a Color Palette

To select a color palette, click the color box
The Color palette appears.
From the Color palette, click COLOR PALETTE MENU
The Color Palette menu appears.
Select the desired color palette
HINT: To show only web-safe colors, select Snap to Web Safe