Simple Gif Tutorial
as per request, this is a tutorial for a simple gif like
my gifPhotoshop Knowledge 1-10 --1 being a beginner, 10 being a pro: 6 (you have to know a couple of photoshop buttons and icons; for example, frames, layers, animation window... etc)
P.S CLICK THE PICTURES TO ENLARGE AND SEE BETTER
Okay, let's begin!
Step 1: You're going to have to have a video already downloaded. Go to youtube or something, and download a video in .mp4 format. You can download any video on this website.
Step 2: Open photoshop, and click file > import > Video Frames to Layers. Select a video or the video you just downloaded, and wait for it to open.
Step 3: Select "Selected Range Only" and make sure that "Make Frame Animation" is checked.
Step 4: Find a place where you want your gif. Make sure it's a simple part (like just a character). Once you find that part, place your arrows on it, then hold your shift key and drag the arrows to where you want the frames to end. (make sure you do not select a long part because photoshop has a 500 frames limit)
As you can see from my example, I selected a super short part which I'll cut down even further later on.
Step 5: Now, wait for the layers to upload
Step 6: Now, you should have your photoshop open to what you've selected.
In this example, I'm using a quick part of Narcissa which is shown in the Deathly Hallows Part 2 trailer
Step 7: Now, we're going to cut down the size. Click Ctrl-Alt-I or image > image size. When the window pops up, first make sure that the "Constrain Proportions" is checked. In the Width part, write in 500 and make sure that it says "pixels" on the drop down button next to that. Then click okay.
Step 8: Now, you're probably going to have tons of excess frames because it's hard to select a section when you open the video. So, delete the frames you will not need.
In this example, I deleted the first frame (because it was Hogwarts and I want a Narcissa gif)
Click the Trash Icon on the bottom on the animation window and then click okay.
Step 9: Then I did the same for the ending of my gif. It shows Oliver Wood, but I only want Narcissa. Click your first excess frame, hold the shift key, then click the last excess frame to select them all. Then click your Trash Icon again and click okay.
Step 10: Now that you have your gif all ready, click the C key on your keyboard, or click the Crop Tool on your tools bar.
Step 11: Hold your mouse and crop where you want your gif to be cropped. In this example, I just took out the wide black bars on the top and bottom.
Step 12: Now your gif is cropped
Step 13: Click the first frame, hold your shift key, then click the last frame to select all frames. Then click the the time delay on the last frame (in the picture squared in red) and select a good time delay. In thie example, I'm using 0.1 seconds
Step 14: (optional!) If you want to add a colouring or PSD, then add it now. Open your PSD folder, select one, place it in your gif (make sure that it's the first layer!) and edit it the way you'd like.
Step 15: Now, you've either selected a PSD/colouring or waited. My new PSD'ed gif looks like this:
Step 16: (optional!)Now, we're just going to add text to kind of fill in the blank spot in the corner.
-no picture-
Step 17: click new layer, pick a font/colour/size write the name (or whatever you'd like) and place it on the gif.
In this example, I'm going to write her first name first.
Step 18: (optional!) Now, I'm going to write her last name and do the same thing I did with step 17.
Step 19: Now, hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard, select both text layers, and click Ctrl-E to merge both layers (in red) (to make it easier to move and control)
Step 20: (optional!) I'm going to make a fade effect on my text. First since I have 20 frames, I can double the opacity in each two frames.
I'm going to make the text go from 10% opacity to 100% in the gif.
Select the first two frames and write 10% in the opacity. Select the next two frames and write 20%. Do the same thing until you reach the end.
Step 21: Now I have all my frames set with my text's opacity
Step 22: Now click Ctrl-Shift-Alt-S or file > Save for Web & Devices. Then click the menu on the window (squared in a small red) then click Optimize to File Size (also in red)
Step 23: When the little window pops up, write in 500 so the gif will be in the tumblr limit, then click okay
Step 24: After the gif has been in the limit, click save, pick a folder/name and click save again
My finished gif looks like this:
hope this helped! If there are any questions about this or if you would like to request any more tutorials, message me in my ask box
