HTML & Web Design Resources

There are literally hundreds of HTML guides, primers and tutorials on the Web. Many of them are very similar in style and content. The links on this page are not intended to form a definitive list of the best but those below are better than most.

Beginners Start Here

    HTML School5 Stars
    Superb and comprehensive HTML tutorial, well paced in easy steps. Everything is explained clearly and concisely. A must for beginners.

Book Recommendations

    cover Elizabeth Castro's book is an excellent start for HTML beginners. It assumes nothing and there is lots of context to help you understand how things work even before you start with HTML itself.
    The working sections of the book are simple and clear and slowly build to give the reader lots of confidence. Lots of good examples showing the HTML code and the browser results help you make the conceptual link between the two. For more information, see the companion web site, which contains a full table of contents and a short extract. HTML 4 for the World Wide Web is available at Amazon.co.uk for £10.49.

    cover Using HTML 4 Special Edition also has a beginners section but it may not be suitable for everyone. However, the book scores by being superbly comprehensive and has in-depth sections on topics that go way beyond HTML. This book provides a great resource and reference for the HTML web designer. It covers advanced HTML concepts and includes DHTML, Cascading Style Sheets and JavaScript. Other current and breaking technologies are also covered.
    Using HTML 4 is available from Amazon.co.uk for £23.19.


    cover The Web Style Guide (2nd Ed.) by Patrick J. Lynch and Sarah Horton is a relatively slim volume (just 223 pages) but it packs a lot in. The book is concise and clear and covers all the basic considerations of site and page design. In fact, this is the book you should read first if you are considering building a web site. It covers topics such as site heirarchy, page layout, typography and images to name but a few. The book contains lots of example sites and explanatory diagrams, illustrated in full colour. This book is excellent and it's even available as a HTML version at www.webstyleguide.com. However, should you need a paper copy, you will find it at Amazon.co.uk for £10.00.

Other Useful HTML Tutorials

Web Design

    Web Style Guide5 Stars
    A complete book available on-line for free. This is the HTML version of the Web Style Guide by Patrick J. Lynch and Sarah Horton. You couldn't make a better start to web design, read it!

    Web design for the designer5 Stars
    Lots of good advice, examples and design tips. This site is an absolute must for any would-be web designer. Read everything!

    Glassdog Web Design5 Stars
    Good advice, useful information, great examples. Read it all and then read it again!

    digitalthread4 Stars
    Lots of good stuff including an excellent web gallery. It is also a very well designed site.

    CoolHomePages.com4 Stars
    Great gallery categorised by style. Take a look at these sites to get inspiration for your own. Remember, the best form of flattery…

    Art and the Zen of Web Sites3 Stars
    Amusing useful and true. Although this site is rather playful, it does impart some very good advice.

Web Developer Resources

    Free Webmaster Help5 Stars
    A superb free resource with lots of great tutorials covering many aspects of web development.

    Webmonkey4 Stars
    An excellent technical site covering all aspects of web design for beginners to advanced.

    SitePoint4 Stars
    Great site with sections to help you build, promote and make a profit from your site. Lots of really good advice and excellent articles.

    cnet Builder.com4 Stars
    Another technical and news site, tips & tricks, news, articles and tutorials.

Useful Tools

    Net Mechanic3 Stars
    When your web page is ready to launch, check your links, HTML code etc. for free.