Celebration Frame
Sidebar and Animation Instructions.
1. Close all layers except your background layer and Blinkie Layer 1.
2. Make sure that Blinkie Layer 1 is highlighted.
3. Selection Tool/then at the top of your page click on the Custom Selection Icon
4. Insert the following measurements and OK:-
5. You should now have this:
6. Edit/Copy
7. Edit/Paste as New Image
8. Layers/New Raster Layer
9. Selections/Select All
10. Highlight your main frame image and close Blinkie Layer 1 and open and highlight Blinkie Layer 2. Leave all other layers the same.
11. Edit/Copy
12. Highlight your sidebar image and Edit/Paste/Paste into Selection.
13. Layers/New Raster Layer (keep selected)
14. Highlight your main frame image and close Blinkie Layer 2 and open and highlight Blinkie Layer 3. Leave all other layers the same.
15. Edit/Copy
16. Highlight your sidebar image and Edit/Paste/Paste into Selection.
17. Deselect. (You can now also deselect your main frame image and minimize while we quickly complete the sidebars.)
18. Image/Canvas Size/Increase width to 1007/height 344/Placement Centre Left Button
19. Layer Palette/Close your top two layers and highlight your bottom Raster 1 Layer.
20. Layer/Duplicate.
21. Image Mirror
22. Layers/Merge/Merge Visible
23. Close the merged layer and open and highlight Raster 2 Layer.
24. Layer/Duplicate.
25. Image Mirror
26. Layers/Merge/Merge Visible
27. Close the merged layer and open and highlight Raster 3 Layer.
28. Layer/Duplicate.
29. Image Mirror
30. Layers/Merge/Merge Visible
31. Close the merged layer
You should now have 3 merged layers.
32. Layers/New Raster Layer
33. Layers/Arrange/Send to Bottom
34. Flood Fill Tool/Flood fill with the same background colour as your main frame image.
OK. We are now ready to start saving both of our images ready to transfer to Animation Shop. So with your sidebar image open we will begin with that one.
35. Your background layer should already be open so open and highlight the layer above it (your first merged layer) make sure that both other merged layers are closed.
36. Export as a Jpeg. using the Jpeg Optimiser to a folder on your computer with the compression at 25. Name it BG1
Note: If you have used a very bright colour for your background you may have to set the compression lower to prevent ghosting and blurring. Keep trying until you get the result you want.
37. Now close your first merged layer and open and highlight the one above it. (Your second merged layer). Keep the background layer open.
38. Export as a Jpeg. using the Jpeg Optimiser to the same folder using the same compression values. Name it BG 2.
39. Close your Second merged layer and open and highlight the top layer. (Your third merged layer). Keep the background layer open.
40. Export as a Jpeg. using the Jpeg Optimiser to the same folder using the same compression values. Name it BG 3
All done? You can now minimize your background image, or save it as a PSP file until you are sure all is well with it or if you are positive it's OK then you can close it.
41. Maximize your main frame image.
42. Open all layers apart from Blinkie Layer 2 and Blinkie Layer 3.
43. Export as a Jpeg. using the Jpeg Optimiser to the same folder as your BG using the same compression value. Name it Frame 1.
44. Close Blinkie Layer 1 and open and highlight Blinkie Layer 2. Leave all other layers the same.
45. Export as a Jpeg. using the Jpeg Optimiser using the same folder and values. Name it Frame 2
46. Close Blinkie Layer 2 and open and highlight Blinkie Layer 3. Leave all other layers the same.
47. Export as a Jpeg. using the Jpeg Optimiser using the same folder and values. Name it Frame 3.
OK your done with PSP. Save, minimise or close your main image and let's open Animation Shop.
48. In AS click on File/Animation Wizard
49. On the box that pops up click/Next/Next/Next/Next
You should now see this:
50. Click on the Add Image Button and browse to the folder where you saved your Jpegs.
51. Hold down the Ctrl. Button on your keyboard select Frame 3 then Frame 2 then Frame 1. This will bring them into the box in the correct order 1,2,3.(not too important you can arrange them in the box but it just saves a little time).
52. If you have them as above click Next and then click Finish.
Your three frames should now be showing in your workspace.
53. Edit/Select All
54. Animation/Frame Properties
55. Take the Display Time to 20
56. Now look at your toolbar along the top of Animation Shop and find this Icon. It's near the end.
57. Click on it and your animation should run.
Look OK. Great Job.
58. Close the running animation leaving your three frames open in your workspace.
59. File/Optimization Wizard/follow the screenshots below.
Next
Next
Next
Next
Finish
60. Now run your animation to check it by
clicking on the
icon again.
If everything looks OK and it hasn't corrupted
in optimization stop the animation by clicking the
icon again and leaving just your three frames showing and save it by clicking on
File/Save As. It will save as a Gif. to a folder of your choice. If it doesn't
look as good as you want it click the undo button on your top toolbar and it
will undo the optimization. Now redo the optimization process but when you get
to Screen shot 2 move the slider to the top to save at 255 colours. See below:
This will create a bigger file size but the quality will be better and depending on which tube you have used and how much text you have added the file size will vary enormously from stat to stat so don't worry if yours is different to mine.
OK. That's your main frame image animated, optimized and saved. You now repeat Steps 48 - 60 using exactly the same process with the background and sidebar images. Remember that if you changed the Optimization level from 127 to 255 on the Main Frame you must also change it for the sidebars.
So that's it. You should now have both images saved as Gifs and you can assemble them in Letter Creator in exactly the same way as you would any other images. Add the Sidebar image to the Body Section, Adjust your text to 75 Left and Right and place the Main Frame in the Header Section placed Centre.
If you would like to add a link to this site in your footer it is www.force50.co.uk
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.
If you have any comments or questions please contact me here
© Tricia 08/01/2007
This tutorial is entirely my own work and any resemblance to any other is purely coincidental. The images I have used were either obtained from the www. or through group shares and I claim no ownership or copyright to any of them. If they belong to you and you do not wish them to be used then please contact me and I will remove them.