How To Use PhotoShop Elements to Create Animated Avatars
Gang,
here is a tutorial how to make an animated avatar using Photoshop Elements. I currently have Elements 4.0 but the procedure should ring a bell in other versions as well as the full PhotoShop program. PS Elements can be found at most retail stores, my wife got mine at Costco for like 60-70 bucks and it's a great program if you like to work with photos.
Follow along and if something doesn't work, please let me know via PM and I'll send the correction to a Mod and it will be fixed.
I tend to do my tutorials (I do a lot for work) if you did not know anything about nothing. For dummies if you will
Let me know how you like it.
Photoshop Elements: Click the Edit and enhance photos button
This is what you get.
Open a new blank file:
Set the size of your avatar: The max for MeguiarsOnline.com is 160 X 220 and 6000 maximum kilobytes.
I leave the resolution alone (or haven't messed with the settings to see what it does yet anyway). I leave the background as white and use the fill as needed. And yeah, name your project.....
This is what you start with:
Some tools you will use. Text, Crop, Fill (like bucket in paint), and the color box. The color on top is the main color, the color below is a background color. I don't mess with the bottom color.....
When you click on color this is what you get:
My first layer will be text, click the text button and make a box, yada yada yada. The background will be white and you can fill it later if you like. Change the color of text, font etc. If you "right click" on the text box you can have other options to have warped text, fish shaped etc. Lots of options. Just remember the fancier the avatar, the larger the file.
I'm going to use a picture next, >File >Place, you know where your pictures are and select one. Each time you use the Place, it makes a new layer. Copy anything makes a new layer too. Using place to add photos places the photo within the size of your project!
See I chose 3 pictures and my text layer. Put the layers in order, the original layer will be first and you just drag and drop. If you notice from my earlier pictures that I deleted the "background" layer. You can delete layers easily by right click and delete.
If you notice the "eyeball" looking thing next to the layers. You can turn off individual layers to make sure they look alright then turn them back on. Leave one layer on at a time to make sure your work is okay. bummer to save it all and have something amiss!
Now the fun part, click >File >Save for Web:
Check the boxes indicated and do a run through manually and make changes in order of layers as needed or whatever(after hitting cancel of course), if you made changes, click file>save for web and come back here
When you click okay, it will save as a .gif, name your file and save it where YOU WILL REMEMBER.....I forget a lot where I put stuff
Make sure your file is below the maximum size and upload your avatar in your USER CP (CP=Control Panel, making sure your logged on of course)
Ta da:
Happy Avataring
Aaron
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Originally Posted by Ryan L.
