Microsoft
GIF Animator (Freeware)
Window
95, 98 & NT Greeting Card
Construction
Purpose: Transparency, different size images animated |
Page 2 of 3 Animator
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| MS
Paint Program |
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Directory | Disclaimer |
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Create Animated
Card with Transparency, odd sizes Click Here
for web Copy Instruction
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Best
to start with good gif image.
This gif
image was created with another program. MS
Paint was unsatisfactory in creating a gif
picture of this quality by converting a jpg or
bmp picture format to a gif format. Try
it, you may like the effect but I didn't. |
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Two
text images created in MS Paint and saved
a gif files.
1. Top image, first layer was black
text, second layer was yellow laid over
the black to form a black shadow that
helps define the letters when laid over a
picture that may have areas that would
wash the text definition without the
border.
2. White was chosen for the transparency
color, and therefore the lettering could
not be white. If white letters necessary,
chose a different background color and
make that the transparent color.
3. Second image as the first except I used
red lettering over black border. |
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Images
of odd sizes need to be spaced in the
animation.
1.
Frame #2 has a left margin of 30 pixels
and a top margin of 150 pixels with a
width of 250 pixels wide and 50 pixels in
height.
2. Frame #3 has a left margin of 25 pixels
and a top margin of 200 pixels so it will
display under the first text of "Hi,
it's just me." with a duration of 3
seconds or numerically 300 value. Again
transparency color is white.
Note:
Transparency selection process: Check
"Transparency" box,
"Transparent Color" with box on
the right has a color, click the box with
a color in it, give you a palette to
select the color you want to be
transparent, click "OK"
Click
Diamond Icon next to the question mark
icon will preview the animation. With
preview, check alignment placing of each
frame as it appears. Stop animation and
correct as necessary for satisfaction.
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| View
of finished animated Birthday Card. Copy, Save and
open in MS Gif Animator, Review and change
the settings and then preview to see the
effects of the settings.
Ready to
insert picture in Stationary, html and web
page
Note:
the smaller size text images reduce the
total size of the combined file and speeds
downloading the picture on the recipient's
computer.
Note:
You can make a simple card by opening the
gif image of the kitty, Adding text over
the top of the image, move completed text
while selected to a satisfactory location
on the picture and save as a gif file.
jpg and bmp pictures
converted to a gif format in MS Paint is
not satisfactory in my opinion. If gif
file is used, the lettering color is
restricted to the colors of the gif file.
Pick letter color using "Eyedropper
Tool" selecting the color in the
picture you want for your text color.
Other colors chosen will revert to the
closest color used in the gif picture.
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Practice:
Copy, Save any of these gif examples. Open it with
MS Paint or MS Gif Animator and practice adding
text and/or settings
If you want better
looking lettering, you will have to produce
these images in a better paint program that has
anti-aliasing, a technique or filter that allows
shading of the text to the background thus
reducing the jaggy effect of non-aliasing
text. The same is true of other format
conversions to a gif format. If the original is
a gif picture and it is of good quality, the
method above is satisfactory. |
| Click
Here
for instructions to copy and save art.
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