What's Brewing at CoffeeCup

Easy graphics editing —> endless design choices

You already know this: Your website can have great content, and perfect code, but it's the graphics and images that make the first impression. The CoffeeCup HTML Editor gives you full control over all the content, code, and style formatting of your website—even where those graphics and images are positioned. But what about the graphics and images themselves?

Used to be, you had to invest loads of money and time in a generic image editor (like Photoshop) that is completely overqualified for the job. Not anymore! The web world needed an image editor built with web graphics in mind and Web Image Studio is its name. It has everything you need for intuitive web graphics editing and nothing you don't. (And it doesn't take 5 minutes to start up either.)

And with both vector and raster editors wrapped up into one, you can pull off quick-but-stunning image edits like this one in a snap:

Pretty amazing right? With the ability to tweak photos into anything you want, you can make them pop in your site. Or have them blend in you design. Or just give them a little of your personal touch. Instead of going with a stock image, you can have the exact effect you want:

And we didn't stop once Web Image Studio was born. We set our designers to work and figured out a way of making amazing web graphics that are easy to customize. Sounds intriguing? It's cool! Backgrounds, icons, buttons, and more, all built with customization in mind. And then we used that approach to build our themes, too.

Every theme retooled to be 100% editable in Web Image Studio, so you can get the most out of everything we make. Now it's only 4 steps from beginning to end when you're customizing your theme graphics:

1. Open a theme file with Web Image Studio. In this case, we've opened the background image of the "Surfing Wave" theme—a cool argyle pattern. But we don't want shades of blue, we want shades of brown!
2. Select and change as many colors or design elements as you want. Each component—the dark blue diamonds, the light blue diamonds, the lines—can be selected individually or in groups. Or, use the unique Color Palette function: select the color you want to change, pick something you like better and your graphic is changed maintaining tints, accents, structures, and everything else that made it feel right! We, for example, just swapped out the blue in our color palette with a brown we liked. The pattern is nicely maintained—zzzzwwweeettt! 

3. Export your brand new customized graphic. When you're satisfied with the way it looks, you're all ready to go. Save the image as a PNG or JPEG into a folder you'll remember (so you can reference it in the next step). Putting it in your website project's folder or saving it directly over the old image are probably the best options.
4. Put it in your HTML! Open the HTML Editor, find where the image is referenced in the code, and replace the old file name with the new one. (You can use the Find tool to help you find the original file name.) Watch the instant preview immediately display your new image! If you can continue to tweak the image, export it to the same location and immediately see the effect your changes have on your design.

Don't stop there! Feel free to move, stretch, or rotate objects. Make enough tweaks and you've just created your own brand new site.

When you are happy you can save and sync/upload your website project for your new design to be visible on the web. Well seriously now, you can do just about anything with Web Image Studio and these smart themes. Recolor, resize, rotate, stretch, redraw any graphic we sell, and every graphic within every theme. Use the image editor to apply quick, cool effects to your photos. Yep, it gives you the power to perform any graphic editing your website needs. 

Wanna know tools we used in this blog post?

The illustrious Web Image Studio: It does everything you just read about—and much, much more.

The HTML Editor: The greatest code editor on planet Earth. Spit-screen preview shows you the results of your code in real-time so you don't have to wonder what it'll look like on the web.

Sweet new themes for The HTML Editor: Just like the ones seen above, they come professional and ready to use. But don't stop there—use Web Image Studio to turn them into anything you want.

Good luck, and have fun with your new web design!

The HTML Editor 12.5: Best Version Ever.

Hey everybody!

We spent half a year refining our already-awesome HTML Editor and made it better. Now version 12.5 is ready to go.

We’ve added snazzy features that give you web coding superpowers and rearranged existing ones for a more efficient workflow. Then we removed some older stuff (it would have slowed you down). Here’s an overview:

• Pop-out preview window (use it next to your code or in a second monitor)
• Real-time preview (see HTML and CSS changes to your page as you make them)
• S-Drive syncing (hands-down, the simplest way to publish)
• Quick Live Preview (your site on the web, fast—for exclusive eyes only)
• Open file tabs are now above the main coding window (browser-like — real sweet!)
• Two toolbars consolidated into one spiffy megabar (nice and clean)
• Dropped the Preview tab in favor of newer, better preview options
• Removed the Visual Component (it was based on stuff Microsoft no longer supports)

Yes, we firmly believe we know that this is the best version of the best HTML editor on planet Earth. Come grab it and get to codin'.

Own The HTML Editor and want to upgrade? 'Course you do! Come get it here.

If you don't own The HTML Editor yet, we highly recommend it. You can get it here.

Enjoy!

New Web Editor and Web Form Builder versions!

We just released new versions of the Web Editor and Web Form Builder! The betas are going very well and the software keeps getting better, thanks to your feedback. (If you haven't joined the OS X beta program and would like to, you can sign up here.)

We're on schedule to release the first full versions of the software in about 4 weeks. And hey, if you haven’t picked up your apps yet, you should get ‘em now because the price will go up before the next update.

Web Editor

For the Web Editor we concentrated on a lot of usability tweaks and improvements. Of course, we'll continue to refine these features, but we wanted to get these things squared away before adding the "big" items that are next on our list: FTP & S-Drive uploading, hardcore code mode, support for plug-ins/helpers, and more.

Here's what we did (as suggested by your feedback):

• Improved project saving: The project state is better maintained
• Improved code completion views
• Improved Open Files dialog—nice!
• Project tree scrolling and file management improvements
• Editor state improvements: Maintain cursor position, selected code, and more when changing views
• Maintain Editor window state: Visual element selection does not open additional editor windows (you're right, it's better)
• Improvement to the behavior of the Preview/Visual Code Selection window: The scroll position is better maintained
• Various improvements and edits to the sample project (for the code purists)

Download the newest version

Web Form Builder

For Web Form Builder we added a few new features and did some serious improvements. The next big things on the list for Web Form Builder are newsletter and payment integration, and a couple other things that you have been asking for, including more CAPTCHA variations!

Here's what we did (as suggested by your feedback and reports):

• Added a Phone Number magic element (for easy phone number validation)
• Added color customization options for radio buttons and checkboxes
• Added the ability to create forms from templates—inspiration guaranteed!
• Improved positioning of the reCAPTCHA element
• Improved control over submit button positioning (we added top and bottom options)
• Improved ordering of the form result fields
• Improved the transparent theme
• Improved form height and width calculations
• Improved data format preservation (MySQL only)
• Updated markup for better form validation
• Miscellaneous text changes and improvements

Download the newest version

And just so you know, there is a Windows version of Web Form Builder as well. Version 1.1 was released this week!

We expect to have a new version of Web Image Studio soon as well. In the meantime, keep the feedback coming!

Note for those of you that haven't picked up your software yet: Now would be a really good time—you’ll get to upgrade to the final release at no extra cost (so you save a ton of money by jumping in now).

The 2011 CoffeeCup Holiday Gift Giveaway

Wow, the holiday season is already here, and as we looked back, we realized what an extraordinary year we’ve had. With the debut of S-Drive and the beta releases of three sweet OS X apps, we knew this year's holiday presents had to be really special.

So this time around we’re handing out a MacBook Air, cool cameras, a Kindle Fire, some cool software, graphics, and CoffeeCup gear (shirts, hats, and more). How’s that for a holiday treat?

Just sign in to your S-Drive account on December 25th and look on your Storage tab to find your holiday present. Yep, that’s all you have to do!

No S-Drive account? No worries, because you can get one for free.

Everyone gets something!

There’s a gift for every single one of you. The question is, “What will you get?”

Will it be the MacBook (loaded with our OS X apps), a SWAG Pack, or the Kindle? To make it all a little more fun, we’re letting you help decide.

Being a customer automatically puts your name in the hat once for the bigger gifts. Every time you share the news about our giveaway, we’ll add your name to the hat again. The more you tweet, like, email, and share our holiday giveaway, the greater your chances of getting a bigger gift! Cool, eh?

Get all the details and start sharing.

Don’t worry though: You don’t have to share to get a gift. But it's that time of year and it helps others get gifts as well!

Happy holidays!

New Site tab features!

Wowee, we just completely revamped S-Drive's Site tab!

Go check it out now to see the new changes! Here's some new stuff that we just implemented:

• Don't have a website yet? Get started by choosing one of the themes shown in the Site tab.

• The Web Image Studio project file for the theme is included in this directory. If you have Web Image Studio, you can load this file up and edit your theme. Or you can get the cool image editor here.

• Edit HTML, CSS, and other text-based languages straight from this spiffy tab.

If you need a quick way to get started on a website, you're only a few clicks away! Seriously, go give it a try!

Direct FTP: Now fueling S-Drive

Hey everybody, we just released a new version of Direct FTP! Here’s some info about this update, and the spectacular S-Drive service that it pairs up with.

Super-charged and tuned for performance

Our developers have spent the last few months locked in the office working on the latest update of Direct FTP, and what they came up with is pretty amazing. While you may not visually see everything we added, it’s all there. These enhancements take place under the hood giving you a leaner, meaner FTP program. The editor is swift and nimble, connection times are quicker, and upload speeds are even faster.

We didn’t stop there. We also added a few little tidbits that will make you very happy. The Transfer Activity window is now dockable and you can drag and drop files from your desktop to the remote pane—yay!

File transfers between Direct FTP and S-Drive are blazing fast! Need a quick download link to share a file? Just throw the file in your S-Drive Storage bin with Direct FTP, then right-click the file and click “Copy URL”. Done!

What is CoffeeCup S-Drive?

Simply put, it’s a re-imagined take on traditional hosting and file management alike. S-Drive is not necessarily intended to replace your hosting provider (but for some of you, it might). Instead, it’s a set of services that supplement what you already have—or, since our software and S-Drive work together like a charm, that help you get started using our software.

Use S-Drive to quickly test and share a site you are working on, to add a Stream (blog) to your site, to publish your very first site without having to configure anything, and to store files. The possibilities are compelling and diverse. Direct FTP helps you to unlock the full power of S-Drive, giving you access to the entire file structure of the Site and Storage sections. Use it to your advantage!

About S-Drive Sites & Storage

S-Drive Sites gives you a cozy home for your websites. Publishing requires nothing but your CoffeeCup login information and it “just works.” Getting your first website up has never been easier using Visual Site Designer or Direct FTP (and HTML Editor integration is coming soon).

S-Drive Storage gives you a slick, easy-to-use view of your photos, documents, and files. Link to them in emails, embed them in webpages, and make them available for customers, friends, family, or yourself—anywhere, in seconds. And because it’s powered by S-Drive, you can be sure the files will be there when you want them.

If you haven’t tried S-Drive yet, you really should, and as a loyal CoffeeCup customer, you can set up your account for free! Use it to store files, publish a site, and much more. What’s even better is the way Direct FTP unlocks the full power of S-Drive by giving you full access to your Site and Storage folders.

Upload, download, edit, and share with ease, all from the comfort of your trusty pal, Direct FTP. While you’re at it, get your own custom domain name. We’ll automagically set it up to point to your S-Drive account. You’ll be up and running in no time—no configuration required!

If you have Direct FTP, go here to download your upgrade, and go here to set up an S-Drive account.

If you don't have Direct FTP, you can buy it here, or you can get it for free when you sign up for 3 months of the S-Drive Webbie service.

Everything is 25% off right now!

So you camped out in your house last Friday and decided to shop online instead? Great! We want to give you the opportunity to get a smashing discount on anything and everything in our store. Just use the coupon code "cybermonday" when you check out.

And hey, if you didn't get everything you wanted today, that coupon will be good tomorrow, too. Come visit our store and get 25% off your entire order!

Happy shopping!

The new Web Form Builder: Powered by HTML5

Our new Web-Standards-based Web Form Builder will be released on a secret date and location next week. All right!

We worked on it for a good year and a half, and now it’s ready. The new Web Form Builder uses open web standards to display and process forms, while the classic Web Form Builder uses Flash.

It’s important to to be aware of a number of similarities and differences between these two applications and the underlying technologies. The key similarity is that both versions make beautiful web forms and process the forms without having to touch any server-side scripts.

The key difference is in the technologies that are used. The classic version of Web Form Builder uses Flash to display forms, which is great for precise element positioning. However, those Flash forms don’t adapt to differing screen resolutions, can’t be accessed by screen readers, and users who don’t have Flash installed can’t see them (mostly mobile users).

By comparison, the new Web Form Builder uses open web standards (HTML, CSS, and Javascript) to display forms. Forms that are powered by HTML5 are more useful, versatile, and accessible—especially on mobile devices. Form elements float into place, and they adapt to a wide variety of screen resolutions. HTML5 gives these forms lots of cool features, such as autofocus, field-specific validation, and hints and placeholder texts. There’s a bit less freedom in placing the form elements, but the form will have a better overall look that way.

The new web forms have some hooks that make filling out forms on mobile devices way easier than before, increasing the completion ratio of your forms. Speaking of ratios, using the the new Web Form Builder together with S-Drive adds a unique feature that allows you to see how many people viewed a form, how many started filling it out, and how many actually completed it. This information is indispensable for those who like to track and improve the effectiveness of their forms. You’ve probably never seen this before, because CoffeeCup is the first in the world to bring it to you!

Bring in the New Web Form Builder!

Web forms are necessary for things like customer contact and visitor feedback. They can even be used for entertaining your audience with quick giveaways, surveys, or contests. But using technologies that range from HTML and CSS to PHP to make them function can definitely be perplexing. They’re a chore to code and hard to design—and then there’s all that tough back-end stuff!

The new Web Form Builder does all that work for you: Just drag elements into place to see your form come to life. There’s no need to configure anything, since form results are displayed automatically in a slick overview (which we call the S-Drive Dashboard). Plus, you can embed forms anywhere—including your shop, blog, forum or website—without uploading any scripts. Want to have full control? You can do that too. Just export the form, tweak it to your heart’s desire, and have your own server do the heavy lifting.

We’ve got a bunch of features in the works too. Expect payment integration (for order forms), cool magical fields (think of them as predesigned and coded form sections), newsletter support (“Sign up for our mailing list!”), and more. We’re really putting our weight behind this program to push the limits of what web forms can do. You can get an overview of existing and coming features on the Form Builder Mega Pack page.

Forms are only becoming more important, and we want you to be prepared with the tools you’ll need to build the best forms around.

Thanks for reading!

Oops! Burned again.

Late yesterday afternoon, around 4:15 PM EST, the monitoring system for our web servers began alerting us that something was going haywire. The issue was limited to one section of our data center, allowing our technicians to jump on the problem and solve the problem quickly.

This resulted in about an hour of downtime for parts of our website, including many S-Drive websites. We received notices from some of our wonderful customers letting us know that something was up!

We take these kind of things very seriously, which is why we’ve swapped out some network equipment that we suspect caused the issue. We’re continuing to monitor these servers to make sure they don’t get out of hand again. And hey, if you notice anything else that’s not working quite right, let us know!

And if you were one of those affected by the outage, hit up Suzie and let her know so we can send you some cool stuff. We've whipped up a quick form using our brand new Web Form Builder so you can easily give us the info we need to make your day.

Thanks for your help—now claim your SWAG!

It's Coffee Day! Get a free Mini-Swag Pack!

Hey everybody, it's National Coffee Day!

You didn't expect us to let a day like this pass without doing something fun, right? Well, we're going to give away a bunch of Mini-Swag Packs! Want one? Here's how it works:

For the rest of the day, at the beginning of every hour, we'll send a Mini-Swag Pack to the people who make the first and seventh posts to our Facebook wall. (Hint: They've gotta be nice posts!)

Here's what you'll get if you're one of the lucky winners:

• A CoffeeCup beach ball
• A CoffeeCup pocket knife
• A CoffeeCup laptop case
• Cool CoffeeCup stickers!

You can visit our Swag Shop to see these items and a whole bunch o' other stuff, too.

Got it? Just leave us a nice little note on our Facebook wall at the top of the hour, and hope you're one of the lucky ones! Remember, if you don't win, you can always try again in an hour. :)

(By the way, we whipped up that image of Suzanne in seconds with Web Image Studio. Get it for 15% off when you use the coupon code COFFEE at checkout.)