New to web design - image issue

Evening all,
I'm guessing this will be a really simple question to everyone else but not to me! I'm a total beginner to web design and have managed to craft what I think is a fairly good looking site using Microsoft Publisher. My problem is that when the images on my site load you first see a box where the pics are going to be which has a triangle, square and circle in. My question is, this doesn't seem to appear prior to images loading on any other website I visit. How do I get rid of it?

I've managed to reduce the size of the image files (they are jpegs) to as little as possible so this box is only visible for a very short time before the pics load up but ideally I don't want it to show at all prior to the pics loading.

Can anyone help me get rid of this?

Cheers

That's odd. You got a link for us? The only thing I can think of is that it might be an image map.

a url would be useful..

Sure,

Here's the site www.dmwoodwork.co.uk, although like I say bear in mind this is my first crack at design!

Hopefully, you'll see what I am talking about. Briefly, just prior to the pics loading up, a box where they will appear shows up with the circle/triangle/square thing.

I just don't see this kind of thing on anyone else's website and think it makes it look a bit naff.

I see no images or navigation in Safari. Oh my god that coding is horrible. Whatever you progamming sites in, STOP NOW! Get DreamWeaver or better yet, learn to code by hand. Microsoft Publisher should be flushed down the toilet.

Believe me, I am working on it but we all have to start somewhere right?!

Having done a bit of investigating I think I can now sum up the problem better by saying that basically I don't want the picture frames to be visible upon load up.

Is it possible?

This is all I see...

http://ryanfait.com/ss.png

Are you looking to become a serious web designer? If you are, I'll give you some of the best advice you'll ever get. If not, you still need to find something other than Microsoft Publisher to create websites. I don't use Windows, so does anyone here have any suggestions on what's better?

Its not working in opera either, and its aligned in the top left in FF. i am not pro but i never seen a code like that...

Yeah, literally, that is the worst, er, it's not even HTML, that I've ever seen.

There are 381 errors!

If you think I'm kidding when I say you need to flush Microsoft Publisher down the toilet, I have never written a sentence with more absolute conviction.

Oh dear! Looks like it is back to the drawing board . Being new to this kind of thing I hadn't even considered other browsers.

It works okay on IE and Netscape but obviously not on anything else!!

I've managed to get myself a copy of Frontpage in the hope that, with them both being Microsoft, I can take some of the elements of what I have already done and try re-build on that without having to start from scratch.

It's a (very) basic design so hopefully I can rescue it.

Or maybe not!

i like ur idea abot the design. try the trial version of dreamweaver u can use it for 30 days. that is way better than frontpage.

FrontPage isn't the greatest, and you really have to know how to use it to make valid and standards compliant websites, but it's undoubtedly better than Publisher. Good luck to you!

Peterma, get Dreamweaver. It comes with all kinds of tutorials that you can follow. (online). You'll understand it in a day or two and at least your html code will be correct.
From the screenshot Ryan posted, you have an "eye" for design, so don't waste your money on Frontpage or your time.
Linda

Thanks one and all. Looking at the screenshot it isn't actually that far away from what it looks like in IE - just that none of the pictures (including the navbar, which I tried to make of Hyperlinked jpegs) appear to be showing. I guess this must be due to the rubbish code you mentioned.

I've now got dreamweaver trial version and will get cracking with trying to copy across the bits that do work - and changing the bits that don't.

I use dreamweaver and just switched to 8 after mx either or is great. Learn your css and set dreamweaver to help you code in XHTML so its more browser complient.You learn how to do both of those things you should be set. If you need help just AIM me im always on. I'll help you in anyway i can.

Thanks for that, much appreciated.

Am making steady, if a little slow, progress but am at least getting there.

since i wanted to have optimum control of my pages - i learnt everything by hand (takes a long time) but dreamweaver is probably equal or better - funny thing is that i have never tried it.....

The best way is to code by hand. No WYSIWYG program can anticipate what you're intending.

Yes but for those of us who own Dreamweaver, coding in the code view screen is the same. It doesn't add anything for you. You have to enter it all in yourself.

It does offer some nice features when it comes to selecting your css codes.
You can go to a screen and select the code you want for a particular feature and it creates it in a shortcut. It also notifies you of errors if you coded incorrectly and so many other really neat things.

It's also nice to be able to switch views instantly and see if you have your design somewhat right. When you are learning CSS like I am, it's nice to have that immediate feedback.

Thats what i do also in Dw. type the code in by hand and than switch to design view and check it. I am also try to use TopStyle, i like it.