Animated Name
This tutorial was written by Pam Drake, January, 2009
You are not allowed to copy or send through e-mail. However, you may print it up for your own personal use.
This tutorial has been created from my own ideas. Resemblance to any other tutorial is purely coincidental.
Supplies Needed
- PSP--this tutorial was written using PSP X2.
- Adjustments for earlier versions in green
- Any tube of your choice.
- Any font of your choice
Notes
All settings remain the same unless otherwise noted.
I will refer to the image you're creating as your "working image"
Open the image of your choice.
On your keyboard, press Shift + D to duplicate the image.
Close the original.
Image>Resize (only if needed)
I resized mine to 30%.
Tools toolbar...select the Dropper tool and move over to your image.
Left-click to select a foreground color.
Right-click to select a lighter background color.
1. File>New
Units: Pixels, Width: 500, Height: 200, Raster Background selected, Color Depth: RGB-8 bits/channel earlier versions: Color Depth: 16 Millions Colors (24 bit), Transparent checked
Click "OK"
2. Tools toolbar...select the Text tool.
These are the settings I used, but you will most likely need to adjust your settings to fit your selected font.
Font: CK Holiday Spirit, Units: Pixels, Alignment: Align Center, Direction: Text Flow, Anti-alias: Sharp, Stroke width: 1, Create as: Vector (important), Line style: solid
Left-click on your working image to bring up the Text Entry dialog box.
Type in your name or other wording of choice
click "Apply"
3. Layers palette...right-click on Vector 1 and select "Rename"
Type in "Wording"
Left-click the little "+" sign next to "Wording"
Still on the Layers palette, right-click on the text layer...
...and select Convert Text to Curves>As Character Shapes
There will be another little "+" sign next to your name or other wording.
If you click on the "+" sign, you'll see all the letters listed individually.
4. Click on the title bar of your tube to make it active.
From the Layers palette, left click right on the tube layer, drag it over to your working image and drop it.
It will be centered on your image and on its own layer.
You can now close your tube image. We're done with it.
On the Layers palette, drag the tube layer and place it where you want on your image (above or below your wording).
Tools toolbar...click on the Move tool.
On your working image, position your tube wherever you like it best.
Here is my image so far.
5. Tools toolbar...click on the Crop tool
Tool Options palette...Snap crop rectangle to: Merged Opaque
Click "Apply" or double-click on your working image to apply the crop.
6. Layers palette...click on the eye next to each letter of your wording so only your tube is visible on your image.
Edit>Copy Special>Copy Merged
Earlier versions: Edit>Copy>Copy Merged, or Edit>Copy Merged depending on which version you're using.
7. Open Animation Shop
Tip: At this point I like to make both programs visible (side by side) on my screen for ease and speed.
Paste as New Animation
8. PSP...Layers palette...click on the eye next to the first letter of your wording to make it visible.
Edit>Copy Special>Copy Merged
Edit>Copy>Copy Merged, or Edit>Copy Merged
9. AS...Paste After Current
10. PSP...click the eye next to the second letter of your name to make it visible.
AS...Paste After Current
You will continue in this way until each of your letters has been made visible, copied and pasted into your new animation.
By the time you have finished copying and pasting your frames in AS, you should have 1 frame more than the number of letters in your wording. In other words, if your wording has six letters, you should have a total of 7 frames.
11. AS...Edit>Select All
Animation>Frame Properties
Display time: 25
Click "OK"
12. Click on the arrow tool if it isn't already the active tool.
Click on the last frame of your animation (the completed wording).
Animation>Frame Properties
Display time: 300
Click "OK"
13. View your animation
If all looks good, go to File>Save
Give your animation a unique name and click "Save"
Keep in mind we have a transparent background with this animation so on the next screen, click on Customize.
Click on the Partial Transparency tab
Under "Would you like to blend the partially transparent pixels?" click "Yes, blend with this color" and select the color background your image will most likely be used on. I almost always have mine set to white.
Click "OK" and continue saving your animation.
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