Flatline Tag

I own the intellectual copyright for the written tutorial.  What you make is yours, but please do not take my tutorial.  Share only my link.

This tutorial is intended for a beginner to learn about making animation.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

To do this tutorial you will also need Photoshop CS - CS3.  You may download a free trial at Adobe.

Remember to save as a .psd file often!

Download Supplies.

1.  Open up the METoeTag  tube.  Image > Duplicate.  Close the original.

2.  Layer > New > Layer.

3.  Edit > Fill the new layer with black.  Then drag the black layer to the bottom, below the feet.

4.  In the Layer Palette, click on the top layer (feet) and slide the opacity to about 30%

5.  Open up the Flatline2 tube.  Selection > Select All.  Edit > Copy

6.  Click back on the feet image.  Edit > Paste.  With the mover tool, move the flatline into position along the left edge of the image.

7.  Right-click on the flatline layer and choose Duplicate Layer

8.  In the Layer Palette, click down on the first, original flatline layer.

9.  Filter > blur > Gaussian Blur.  Set Radius = 4.

10.  Right-click on that flatline (blurred) layer and choose Duplicate Layer.

11.  Choose the Text tool.  Type in your watermark or text.

12.  Choose the Rectangular Marquee Tool

13.  Hold the CTRL key down and click on the thumbnail for the flatline layer in the Layer Palette.  This will select the flatline shape

14.  Select > Save selection  (this is in case somewhere that you lose the selection)

15.  Right-click on top layer and choose Merge Visible.

16.  Choose the Brush Tool

17. Set the brush tip to 13 px and hardness = 100%.  Set the foreground color = white.

18.  In the Layer Palette, right-click on layer and choose Duplicate layer.

19.  On the new layer, use the paint brush to paint the beginning of the flatline (see pink arrow) -- just a little bit.

20.  HIDE the layer you were working on by clicking on the EYE.  Click on bottom layer.

21.  Right-click on bottom layer and choose Duplicate Layer.

22.  On the Duplicate layer, paint the next section of the flatline (make it about the same width ACROSS as the other one)

23.  Now Repeat Steps 20 - 22 until you have painted all the way to the end of the flatline.

24.  When you have reached the end of the flatline,  click on the bottom layer in the Layer Palette.

25.  Layer > Arrange > Bring to Front (this will put the blank layer at the top)

26.  Select > Deselect

27.  File > Save As - - save this as a PSD.

Note:  For CS 3, you are saving just in case you need to restart the animation steps over.  For Versions CS & CS 2, you are saving so that you can open the file in Image Ready. 

28.  If you have CS or CS 2 -- Open the file in Image Ready.  If you have CS 3, continue in CS 3.

29.  Window > Animation.

30.  In the Animation Window, click on the side menu (pink circle) and choose Make Frames From Layers.

31.  If you look at the frames, you'll notice that the white movement is going backwards.  So click on the side menu (pink circle) and choose Reverse Frames.

32.  Click on the time delay menu in Frame 1 (see pink circle).  Choose 1.0 for the time delay (this is for the blank frame-- and not the same as in the image below, which is for Frame 2).  For Frame 2-- and ALL frames afterwards-- click on the time delay menu and set it to 0.1 seconds.  Set the time delay for all frames.

33.  Now you are ready to save the animation.  File > SAVE for WEB & Devices.  Choose GIF and 128 Dithering.

 Please do not remove this tutorial from my site.  Share my url.