Macromedia created Fireworks as a complete graphics applications aimed towards Web designers. It offers more advanced image control than existing packages,
such as Photoshop or CorelDraw, for work that specifically relates to the Internet. Fireworks enables web designers to produce high quality images, export them in a variety of file formats while retaining excellent file
size compression.
Fireworks surpasses other rivals as it also enables you to edit text, graphics and effects at any stage during production. Fireworks also simplifies the process of making JavaScript buttons with
mouseover effects, all combined with automatic HTML generation.
This products is obviously aimed squarely at web designers who are currently restricted by the limitations of Photoshop and the endless workarounds that
are necessary to convert images accurately to the web.
Fireworks, in addition to greater palette features, has well-developed type controls and vector tools for creating and editing lines, shapes, and Bezier paths.
Fireworks goes one better than most by offering paint-style brush strokes, texture fills and special effects such as bevels and drop shadows. All objects can be scaled, skewed, rotated and made transparent. 
Fireworks, again surpasses Photoshop by enabling you to modify effects at any stage
and update them onscreen. When you change an object, Fireworks retains and updates the effects.
The Painting Tools are similar to current paint programs, with convenient points and dragging control handles.
Fireworks improves on the rivals, as after you've defined a vector shape, you can select a bit-map paint style to stroke the path. In addition the original vectors still remains
editable. The paint styles also includes oil brushes, charcoals and watercolors, as well as the standard solid strokes.
All normal drawing functions are provided, including grouping, layering
and a snap-able grid. Missing are Boolean controls and the ability to lock or hide individual shapes. Drawing tools include standard primitives as well as freehand, text and Bezier pen - with a welcome
modification to the Pen tool: When you click an initial point and drag out a handle to start a curve, the program displays a rubber-banding curve that shows what your shape will look like when you click the next point.
In addition to fill and stroke, any object can have a Live Effect added to it. These effects include inner and outer bevels, drop shadows, halos and glows, each with a number of parameters that can be changed at
any time. You can apply more than one effect to an object by grouping the object with it's effect, add another effect, group, ... etc.
Fireworks does a very good job in converting shapes into a bit-map. It can also import bit-map images created in another programs, such as
Freehand, and edits them using its editing tools. There are also a sleuth of brush, rubber-stamp, graphic-primitive and bucket tools, as well as blur and sharpen filters. Any Adobe Photoshop compatible filter can
also be applied.
Fireworks shows it superiority over rival packages with its excellent image map tools. This tools allow you to create very powerful server-side image maps. The URL toolbar allows you to draw primitive
shapes and then assign URLs to each. Navigation images can be created in a few simple steps. Fireworks also includes tools for creating simple animated GIFs.
