Photoshop CS Timesaving Techniques For Dummies [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Making Text Fade In and Out

You can use ImageReady to create animations that make text fade in and fade out. The way to do this animation is to set the opacity for the text using two frames. Using the following steps, the first frame opacity is set to 0% and the second frame opacity is set to 100%. Then using the Tween dialog box, add frames between the two frames that step the opacity first up, and then back down.

Create a new image that you will use to make the text fade in and out or open an image that you want to add text to.





Using the Text tool, add type to the image.

When you create the type, it appears in the Layers palette on its own type layer. In this example, I added type around the teakettle, as shown in Figure 60-5.




Figure 60-5: I added type on either side of the teakettle.







With the type layer selected in the Layers palette, set the layer’s opacity to 0%.

When you set the type layer opacity to 0%, the type becomes invisible. Notice that type in the Frame 1 thumbnail in the Animation palette updates also become invisible.





With the type layer still selected, click the Duplicate Current Frame button on the Animation palette.

You now have two frames in the Animation palette with invisible text with Frame 2 currently selected.





In the Layers palette, set the type layer’s opacity to 100% to make the type visible.

The Frame 2 thumbnail updates, showing the text, as shown in Figure 60-6.




Figure 60-6: You now have two frames in the Animation palette. The type in Frame 1 is invisible and the type in Frame 2 is visible.






With Frame 2 still selected, click the Tween button at the bottom of the Animation palette.

Use the Tween dialog box to create the frames in between selected frames in the Animation palette. In this example, I added three frames between Frame 1 and Frame 2.





Use the Tween With drop-down list to select Previous Frame. This option sets ImageReady to create frames with progressive opacity from invisible to visible.





Enter a number of frames in the animation in the Frames to Add text box. In the Layers area, select whether to copy All Layers (even layers that don’t change) or to copy Selected Layers to copy pixels from the currently selected layers.





In the Parameters area, select the items that the frames in between will modify: Position, Opacity, and/or Effects. (Effects are layer styles applied to the image. For more about applying layer styles to an image, turn to Technique 20.) For this example, I made sure that Opacity is checked.







Click OK to close the Tween dialog box.

ImageReady automatically generates the frames in between Frame 1 and Frame 2. In this example, I added three frames, so Frame 2 is automatically renumbered as Frame 5, as shown in Figure 60-7. Notice that the type becomes more visible as the frames progress.




Figure 60-7: As the frames progress, the type becomes more opaque and visible.


Great work! You’ve created the fade in for the first part of the animation. For the second part of the animation, you need to add more frames to make the type fade out again. Using the Tween dialog box makes this task easy.





With the last frame still selected, click the Tween button at the bottom of the Animation palette.

In the Tween dialog box, use the Tween With drop-down list to select First Frame. Enter the number of frames you want to add after the selected frame.





Click OK to close the Tween dialog box.

ImageReady automatically generates frames and places them after the selected frames. Notice that the new frames fade out the type, as shown in Figure 60-8.




Figure 60-8: After adding the final set of frames, the type fades out again.





Check out your fading type by clicking the Play button at the bottom of the Animation palette or by clicking the Preview in Browser button in the Toolbox to preview the animation in a browser.







Tip

Another great text effect is creating warped text. To create a warped text animation, create the regular type as the first frame, and then warp the type for the second frame. Use the Tween dialog box to add frames between the two frames and, voil! You have an animation using warped text.