Shadow Text Animation - by Spacific Designs.com

SHADOW TEXT ANIMATION

This Tutorial will explain the process of animating Shadow.

1.) Go to the Samples folder for this CD and Open it. Double-Click on the file named Shadow Text.psd and it will Open in Photoshop. (I have prepared the backdrop for you to use, so that we may concentrate mainly on the Shadow and Animation Techniques.)

2.) Select the Horizontal Type tool

. Go to the Options bar and Select the font. I used Impact Regular 72 pt Crisp. Next, click the Color swatch on the Right to Open the Color-Picker. Enter #CC0000 at the Bottom input box, then click OK to apply.

Click on the work area and type your Text. Select the Move tool

to commit and Drag Text into position as shown.

3.) In the Layers palette... Click the Create a new layer button

to Create a New blank layer. Now, Ctrl+Click on the Type layer to Create a Selection. Press D on the keyboard to set Foreground Color to Black and use Alt+Backspace to Fill.

Go to Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical. Now, use Ctrl+D to Deselect Selection.

Using the keyboard, Tap the Down arrow to move Text as shown.

4.) Click the arrow tab to the Right of the Fill input box to Open the Slider. Adjust Fill to 30%, then click the blue bar at Top of palette to apply. (This will be the Opacity of the Shadow and allow detail to show through later.)

5.) Next, go to Edit > Transform > Skew. The Transform bounding box will appear. Drag the Lower Left square a little to the Right, then Drag the Lower Right square All the way to the Right as shown. Press Enter on the keyboard to Commit. (Our Light source will be illuminating from the left, so we pull the Shadow to the Right.)

6.) Drag this layer Down to the Create a new layer button

to Duplicate layer.

Repeat this procedure for a Total of 5 "Copy" layers. Now, click Layer 1 to Select and turn Off All Eye icons

to remaining layers Above to turn Off their visibility.

7.) Press Ctrl+T to bring up the Free Transform bounding box. Drag the Center square Upward to reduce shadow toward the horizon line as shown. Press Enter to Commit.

Click the Eye icon

to turn Off visibility to this layer.

8.) Now, click the Next layer Up to Select. Repeat Step 7, this time leave the shadow wider.

Repeat procedure for the Next 3 "Copy" layers, expanding the shadow wider each time. Do not adjust Top layer. Now, click the Background layer to Select. Next, Alt+Click it's Eye icon to turn Off visibility to All other layers. (Image will turn to sky.)

9.) Go to Layer > New > Layer. A dialog box will appear. Name this layer Light, then click OK to Create.

The Layers palette should now look like this:

10.) Press X on the keyboard to switch the Foreground Color to White. Select the Brush tool

. Go to the Options bar and click the Downward triangle (next to the brush preview) to Open the Brush Library. Select the Soft Round 100 px brush, then press Enter to close the library.

(If the library is different than the one shown, click the blue arrow

at the Top Right and a pop-up menu will appear. Select Reset Brushes. A dialog box will appear, just click OK and the correct library will load.)

11.) Go to the work area and click once at the location shown. Now, Select the Move tool

Click on the Eye icons shown below. (Notice, we have now added the Effects to the Plains layer.)

12.) Using the keyboard, Tap the Downward arrow to move the Light Down out of view.

This will be the First Frame of the Animation.

We are now ready to move to ImageReady...

13.) Click on the Edit in ImageReady button

. (Located at the bottom of the Tool palette.) Once the image loads, be sure the Move tool

is still Selected.

14.) Go to the Animation palette and click the Duplicate Frame button

to Create Next Frame.

In the Layers palette now, we need to set up the View for Frame 2. (Leaving the Light layer Selected) click on the Eye icon to the Next layer Up to turn on the First shadow. Watching the Document Window, Tap the Up arrow on the keyboard to edge Light as shown below. (Box indicates placement.)

15.) Go to the Animation palette and click the Duplicate Frame button

to Create Next Frame.

Using the Layers palette, set up Frame 3 by turning On and Off visibility as needed and Tapping the Up arrow on the keyboard to edge the Light higher again as shown.

Keep Duplicating Frames and adjusting Document Window as needed to expand shadow and raise Light each Frame as you go.

16.) There will be a Total of 7 Frames to the Animation. Click the 0 at the Bottom of Frame 1 and set Delay time to 1 Sec. and set Delay time to Frame 7 to 2 Sec. as shown below.

17.) Animation is now ready to play by hitting the play button. (For a more precise animation speed) click the Preview in Browser button

, to view in a browser.

18.) Optimize and Save the file with File > Save Optimized As... Images Only (*.gif) (Optimizing at 64 Colors created the neat ball Sun Effect.)