Software: Ulead PhotoImpact 8, XL, PRO Author: Ann Storey Home Page: Cumbrian Lass Terms of Use: Please Read Title: Butterfly SigTag Skill Level: Intermediate Additional Files for download: BrockScript Font
Butterfly SigTag, using Photo Impact and Gif Animator

...LET'S GET STARTED

1. Download the BrockScript font and unzip. Double click the font file to open it. Leave the file open until you
   finish this tutorial, there is no need to install the font.
   
   
2. Open a transparent canvas 500 x 200 in PhotoImpact.
   
   
3. Type your name or the text you wish to make into a tag using text size 72 and 2d object color light grey.
   

   
   
   

4. Keeping text selected go to your easy palette fill gallery and select a gradient ( I am using G04 ) double click on the selected gradient to fill your text. Deselect.
   Now type the same text again but this time using text size 70, still 2d object and light grey.
   Whilst the second text is still selected drag and place it over the first name, it will leave a slight border showing.
   Now you can add the same gradient as before.keep selected and go to WEB, Button Designer, Any Shape and select the second button from the left, click OK and deselect. You can now go to Objects, select all objects and merge as a single object.
   You should now have something that looks similar to this.
   
   

5. Now would be a good time to save your work as a UFO.
   
   
6. It's time now to select a butterfly to add to your text, go to your easy palette, stamp gallery, and scroll down to butterflies.
   Double click the butterflies icon. This will have activated your stamp tool. Select your stamp tool and place a butterfly
   just above your first letter. You may have to try one or two before you find one that is the color you require and it
   may also need resizing.
   

   
   
   

7. OK, now it's time to save your work again as a UFO, make sure you save it where you can find it easily as we are now going to
   take the image in to Gif Animator and make that little butterfly move.
   
   
8. Click on Switch in the top right hand corner of Photo Impact and select Ulead Gif Animator.
   When animator opens you will have a choice of options, we are going to choose Open Existing Image File.
   

   
   
   

9. Browse to where you saved your image and open. You will have one frame showing in your panel below and in your layer panel
   you will have two layers showing.
   
   
10. Now we need to duplicate that first frame by using the Duplicate Frame icon. Go ahead and left click once on the icon.
    

    
    
    

11. You now have two frames, keeping just the new second frame selected you are going to move the butterfly slightly up and to the right.
    Compare this example with the one in number 5 and you will see how much to move it.
    

    
    
    

12. Now we need another frame so the same as before click on the duplicate frame icon and make a third frame.
    With frame 3 selected move the butterfly again, this time slightly right and down as shown in the next example.
    

    
    
    

13. I think you will have got the idea now, every time we move the butterfly we then duplicate that frame and move
    it a little more. So continue to duplicate and copy until you get to the end of your signature. Mine took 23 frames, it
    depends on the length of your name as to how many frames you need. It also depends on how little you move the butterfly each time.
    
    
14. Once you reach the end of your signature you can now crop to a better size, click on your selection tool, rectangle and
    leaving enough space for the butterfly to fly, draw a rectangle around your image, then go to Edit, crop canvas. After you crop the canvas go to Edit, Resize Image, make sure Keep aspect ratio is checked and resize to around 100/150 pixels high.
    

    
    
    

15. It's time to let you preview your work now, so go on, click on preview.
    That butterfly is just a bit too fast isn't it ??
    
    
16. Holding down your Ctrl key select ALL your frames and then right click and select Frame Properties and change the delay to 18.
    

    
    
    

17. You can leave it here but it would be nice to see the butterfly flying both ways wouldn't it. With your frames still selected click once
    again on duplicate frame and this time it will duplicate all of the selected frames. Now right click and select Reverse Frame Order
    choose the option of Reverse the order of the selected frames.
    
    
18. Now preview again and I think you will agree it looks much better.

    
    

19. All that remains now is to save your animation so go to File, Optimization Wizard, click Next on the first box, change the number
    of colors to 64 and click next,then next again and finally finish and name and save your work.
    That's it, I hope you enjoyed it.
    
    
    
    
    

    Whilst you are here why not check out the rest of my web pages at www.cumbrianlass.co.uk

    
    Copyright©Ann Storey.
    This document may not be translated, duplicated, redistributed or otherwise appropriated.