Make Moving Icons in Photoshop
An icon is a piece of artwork. In the computer world it is often associated with those small pictures that are used to replace a word or command. It is possible to make an icon that moves by using the animation feature in Photoshop. This is based on the same principle applied to making moving pictures. Several similar images are created, with slight differences between each image. The images are then projected, one after another, which gives the illusion of movement.
Instructions
1. Decide what you want the icon to do. If the icon is a picture of a dog, perhaps you want it to appear as if it is jumping up and down. Let's assume this is the moving icon you want to create.
2. Create three digital images of your dog. The first image will be of your dog standing on the ground. You will create two more digital images, exactly the same size as the first. But, in the second image you will move the dog up to the middle of the picture. On the third image you will move the dog up to the top of the picture.
3. Open all three digital images in Photoshop, and minimize them for a moment in order to do the next step. To minimize, click on the minus sign on the upper right hand corner of each image. This will put the images into the tray at the bottom of the screen.
4. Create a brand new file, the same size as the images you created in step 2. To do this click on "File" and then "New" in the upper left hand corner. In the window that opens name the new file, and set the height and width, choose RGB as the color mode, and transparent as the background content.
5. Restore one of the images you dropped down in the tray in step 3. Begin with the image of the dog on the ground. Do this by clicking on the upper right hand corner, "Restore Up".
6. Select and then copy the image you just restored, and then minimize it again. Do this by clicking on "Select", then "All", and then "Edit" and "Copy". Paste the image onto the blank image file you created, by clicking "Edit" and "Copy". Repeat with the other two files in the tray, beginning with the dog in the middle of the picture.
7. Notice that the three images are each on a separate layer. Look at the lower right hand corner of the screen and click on the "Layers" tab to view. If the eye is unchecked, that layer will be turned off.
8. Click on "Window" in the top menu bar, and then choose "Animation". An animation menu storyboard will open. There will be one picture displayed.
9. Uncheck two of the eyes, in the layer menu. The only picture that should be checked is the picture of the dog on the ground. Notice that when you do this, the picture in the story board is the same as the picture that has the eye displayed.
10. Duplicate the frame, by clicking on one of the icons at the bottom of the menu storyboard. A second picture of the dog on the ground will appear. Go to the layer menu, and uncheck the picture of the dog on the ground, and turn the eye on by the dog in the middle. Notice that the second picture now appears in the story board.
11. Duplicate the second frame as you did in the previous step. Go to the "Layer" menu, and uncheck the picture of the dog in the middle, and turn the eye on by the dog at the top. Notice that there are now three different pictures in the story board.
12. Decide how fast you want each picture to change. Adjust the seconds by clicking on the arrow at the lower right hand corner of each image in the storyboard.
13. Go to "File" and then "Save for web". A new menu will pop up, and you can save your image (as a gif file) by clicking the "Save" link and naming the new file.
