eSports » Tutorials and Articles » Shining effect (animated)

Shining effect (animated)

Step 1:

Here you can learn how to add a animated font to your banner.
WARNING: This effect only works with dark font colors.

Here is my example we are working with:

Step 2:

Create a new layer.

For beginners: There are several ways to create a new layer. Maybe it's not bad to learn what ways there are.

Possibility 1:
In menu -> Layer -> New -> Layer ...

Possibility 2:
Click on the little symbol in your "Layerwindow" (2nd symbol from right)

Possibility 3:
Key: CTRL + SHIFT + N

Step 3:

Select the "Gradient Tool" from your toolbox:

(If the "Gradient Tool" is not visible click with the right mouse on the "Paint Bucket Tool" and select the "Gradient Tool")

Step 4:

Open the gradienttoptions with a click on the symbol:



To keep this easy i created the gradient already, you can dowload it here. After downloading you only have to load it into your gradientoptions.
More experianced users can create there own gradient. It should be transparent left and right with a white stripe in the middle.

Step 5:

Now do your gradient!
Try a little, if something went wrong, you can undo it with CTRL + Z.
For me it looks like this:

Step 6:

Now you see the gradient on the hole picture/banner and it should only be on the text...
This we can reach with the "Clipping Mask". Just press CTRL + ALT + G and the grandientlayer should disappear in the banner.
In the layerwindow it should look like this:



Now move the layer from left to right and see how nice the lighteffect on the text is.

Step 7:

Switch to Imageready (Last Button in the Toolbox)
We need the animation and optimizing window. You can activate them: Menu -> Window

In the animationwindow duplicate your picture:



In the "new" frame drag your gradient from left to right until it isn't visiable anymore.
Then click on the button near "Duplicates current frame".
Here you can play with the settings until you like your effect.
I took this options:



Now you can click the "play" key in your animationwindow and see your effect.
Save the banner but have a look at optimizing options. You need to save the
picture as .gif or it isn't animated.

Here is my final image: