How to make an animated icon...
I was asked to explain how I made those animated icons, so here's a tutorial for it.
Be aware, this tutorial is for the bit more advanced of you. But I think I explained it all pretty detailed, so if there's anything, comment and I'll try to help you.
How to make an animated icon with PS CS3
There are a few things you need before you can start. First of all, I should say that this a tutorial for the advanced Photoshop artists. You need to know about layers, Adjustment Layers and some other things. I will try and explain it the best I can, but if I explain every single step, this tutorial will be way too long.
Naturally, you’re going to need screen caps. I usually make mine with the VLC player. Or you can ask someone to make screen caps for you, or you can download them from a website.
So, we have the screen caps now.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
These screen caps were taken from the episode "Plastique" from Smallville.
First of all, you’re going to open a new file in PS. Set the size to 100 per 100 pixels.
Choose your background. You can use a simple backgroundcolor such as black or white, or a texture, or whatever you like. I’m going to choose one of my own textures for this:
Duplicate the layer, you’re going to need this for later. Make the layer on top invisible, by clicking on the eye to the left of the layer.
Now use your selection tool and select a square rectangle. I usually eyeball this, as I know a bit about proportions and see what looks best. But you can also use a ratio, if that makes it easier for you. Then delete that square you just selected.
Open a new layer and move it on top of all layers (even the invisible one). Select the square you just deleted, but with a 1px margin. Then stroke it with a color you like, 1px strong.
Now’s the time that you add brushes, textures, text or something to it. It’s better to do this before you start the animation, because otherwise you can get confused with the frames.
One thing you need to know about making animations with PS CS3 is that the first frame is always the dominant one. If you are in frame 5 and move your brushes around, you only move them in frame 5, not in the rest of the frames. If you move them in frame 1, you move them for the whole animation. Which is why you have to add your brushes and stuff now, so that you don’t get confused.
Now, open the Animation Window (Window – Animation). You might see a window first that confuses you. Then you have to click on the little button on the right lower corner, and you’re where you need to be.
animation window 01 | animation window 02
Now, take your first screen cap / picture, copy and paste it. Resize it and the like until it looks like what you want. Move it to the very bottom of
your layer list, so that it’s behind your background. See, you can spare the cutting and deleting :)
Now use some Adjustment Layers in order to freshen up the color of your pictures a little. It’s always good to use Brightness/Contrast and sometimes Color Balance. Make sure those Layers are under your background as well, but on top of your picture.
Now copy and paste your other pictures, resize them and align them with your first picture. We will get to the organizing and making the animation in a bit.
I have now added five more pictures into my animation. Since we are in our first frame, you’re going to have to make those five pictures invisible.
Add a new frame by clicking the “New” Button in the Animations Window. Since this is Frame 2, you now, for this frame, have to make your second picture visible.
Repeat those steps for the remaining 4 pictures.
Let’s check:
You should now have 11 layers. 6 picture layers, 2 adjustment layers (or less), 2 background layers (one visible, one invisible) and the border layer. Plus any additional brushes/textures/text layers you might have.
You should now have six frames, each frame showing one of your pictures.
frame palette
Now we’ll adjust the time a bit. It now says that each of your layers will show for 10 seconds. That’s a bit long, I usually use 0.2 seconds. Change the time by clicking on it and select a time you want.
Let’s do a test run. You’ll notice, your animation stops at your last frame. To make it run forever, select “Forever” in the bottom left are of your animation Window (instead of “Once”).
Now, this is already a very cool animation and if you want to leave it at that, go ahead :)
But I usually want to show people where my animation begins and stops, so I will use a “finish”. This is why you’re going to need the duplicated background layer.
Make two new frames. Simply select the last frame and click on the new button twice.
Select Frame 7 and set your duplicated background layer on visible (the eye) and 50% Opacity.
Select Frame 8 and set your duplicated background layer on visible (the eye) and 100% Opacity.
Change the time on Frame 7 to 0.1 seconds and the frame time on Frame 8 to 0.5 or 1 second.
You can now add additional frames in order to make that look more smooth. For my final icon, I added another two frames, set the first to 25% opacity, the second to 50% and the third to 75%.
If you now want to add text or brushes now, make sure you have your first frame selected!
Now all you have to do is Save For Web As…
For FanForum.com or Livejournal your avatar can only have a certain size, usually about 39.1kb. In the "Save For Web As" Window you can adjust the amount of colors (less colors means less kb), the dither (depends, play around) and other cute stuff. However, if your icon is a lot bigger than 40kb, you are going to need to take a few frames out. If you take every second frame out, or have only one "finish" frame, you might already be in the limit.
Alright, I hope you all liked it and can use this. If you have questions, comment here and I'll try to answer as quickly as possible.
Be aware, this tutorial is for the bit more advanced of you. But I think I explained it all pretty detailed, so if there's anything, comment and I'll try to help you.
How to make an animated icon with PS CS3
There are a few things you need before you can start. First of all, I should say that this a tutorial for the advanced Photoshop artists. You need to know about layers, Adjustment Layers and some other things. I will try and explain it the best I can, but if I explain every single step, this tutorial will be way too long.
Naturally, you’re going to need screen caps. I usually make mine with the VLC player. Or you can ask someone to make screen caps for you, or you can download them from a website.
So, we have the screen caps now.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
These screen caps were taken from the episode "Plastique" from Smallville.
First of all, you’re going to open a new file in PS. Set the size to 100 per 100 pixels.
Choose your background. You can use a simple backgroundcolor such as black or white, or a texture, or whatever you like. I’m going to choose one of my own textures for this:
Duplicate the layer, you’re going to need this for later. Make the layer on top invisible, by clicking on the eye to the left of the layer.
Now use your selection tool and select a square rectangle. I usually eyeball this, as I know a bit about proportions and see what looks best. But you can also use a ratio, if that makes it easier for you. Then delete that square you just selected.
Open a new layer and move it on top of all layers (even the invisible one). Select the square you just deleted, but with a 1px margin. Then stroke it with a color you like, 1px strong.
Now’s the time that you add brushes, textures, text or something to it. It’s better to do this before you start the animation, because otherwise you can get confused with the frames.
One thing you need to know about making animations with PS CS3 is that the first frame is always the dominant one. If you are in frame 5 and move your brushes around, you only move them in frame 5, not in the rest of the frames. If you move them in frame 1, you move them for the whole animation. Which is why you have to add your brushes and stuff now, so that you don’t get confused.
Now, open the Animation Window (Window – Animation). You might see a window first that confuses you. Then you have to click on the little button on the right lower corner, and you’re where you need to be.
animation window 01 | animation window 02
Now, take your first screen cap / picture, copy and paste it. Resize it and the like until it looks like what you want. Move it to the very bottom of
your layer list, so that it’s behind your background. See, you can spare the cutting and deleting :)
Now use some Adjustment Layers in order to freshen up the color of your pictures a little. It’s always good to use Brightness/Contrast and sometimes Color Balance. Make sure those Layers are under your background as well, but on top of your picture.
Now copy and paste your other pictures, resize them and align them with your first picture. We will get to the organizing and making the animation in a bit.
I have now added five more pictures into my animation. Since we are in our first frame, you’re going to have to make those five pictures invisible.
Add a new frame by clicking the “New” Button in the Animations Window. Since this is Frame 2, you now, for this frame, have to make your second picture visible.
Repeat those steps for the remaining 4 pictures.
Let’s check:
You should now have 11 layers. 6 picture layers, 2 adjustment layers (or less), 2 background layers (one visible, one invisible) and the border layer. Plus any additional brushes/textures/text layers you might have.
You should now have six frames, each frame showing one of your pictures.
frame palette
Now we’ll adjust the time a bit. It now says that each of your layers will show for 10 seconds. That’s a bit long, I usually use 0.2 seconds. Change the time by clicking on it and select a time you want.
Let’s do a test run. You’ll notice, your animation stops at your last frame. To make it run forever, select “Forever” in the bottom left are of your animation Window (instead of “Once”).
Now, this is already a very cool animation and if you want to leave it at that, go ahead :)
But I usually want to show people where my animation begins and stops, so I will use a “finish”. This is why you’re going to need the duplicated background layer.
Make two new frames. Simply select the last frame and click on the new button twice.
Select Frame 7 and set your duplicated background layer on visible (the eye) and 50% Opacity.
Select Frame 8 and set your duplicated background layer on visible (the eye) and 100% Opacity.
Change the time on Frame 7 to 0.1 seconds and the frame time on Frame 8 to 0.5 or 1 second.
You can now add additional frames in order to make that look more smooth. For my final icon, I added another two frames, set the first to 25% opacity, the second to 50% and the third to 75%.
If you now want to add text or brushes now, make sure you have your first frame selected!
Now all you have to do is Save For Web As…
For FanForum.com or Livejournal your avatar can only have a certain size, usually about 39.1kb. In the "Save For Web As" Window you can adjust the amount of colors (less colors means less kb), the dither (depends, play around) and other cute stuff. However, if your icon is a lot bigger than 40kb, you are going to need to take a few frames out. If you take every second frame out, or have only one "finish" frame, you might already be in the limit.
Alright, I hope you all liked it and can use this. If you have questions, comment here and I'll try to answer as quickly as possible.