By 2021, animation images have improved even more than before. They are used in ads, social media, educational infographics, YouTube, and TV commercials. The applications are very large. If you are a graphic designer or UI you certainly understand the importance of motion graphics and know that you will benefit from learning how to do it. While animation is a skill and took years to master, this simple animation and conversion is easy to learn and you don’t even need dedicated software: it can be done in Adobe Photoshop!
Timeline is a Photoshop functionality that allows for the creation of animated images and animation images. To make it visible, you must select the menu option Window> Timeline. This makes the timeline visible at the bottom of the Photoshop workspace. At first, it is empty. Click the video time button and you will see a timeline full of project layers.
First time: A small rotating square
The left side of the timeline, there is a red vertical line. This is the present tense.
When you click the arrow next to any layer name, the layer properties – Position, Opacity, and style – are fully displayed with the stopwatch icon.
Clicking on a layer asset structure will set the properties to the first key frame.
To retrieve the first keyword, put the items in the desired location on the canvas. Click the stopwatch for all layers to set the current location of each item in the first frame key. You will notice that the formation of the yellow diamond appears in the stopwatch left and below the current time indicator, indicating the presence of the Keyframe Line. I will not have details on what Linear Keyframe is, or other keyframe because that is not required in this tutorial. If you want to get deeper into this subject, Photoshop documentation has everything you need to know.
You may have noticed that the first keyword should not include small squares and typography. Therefore, we need to set another corresponding layer property: Opacity. These are now available for:
1. Set the light of these three objects (Both squares and typography) to zero;
2. Click the Opacity stopwatch of the corresponding layers to set the light of the first key frame.
And that’s the first key! The first animation we want to do makes two visible objects move around in the same place.
You may already have noticed that we do not have any preparation for this. So, here is the first important trick you will learn: to make a change such as resizing or rotating, you have to turn the right layers into smart objects.
For our project, we need to turn these layers into smart objects. After this, you will see that the Position property has been replaced by the Transform’s property in the property list, within the time panel.
The sixth rule in motion graphics will never start animation from scratch (e.g., 00s instant). Instead, move the current time indicator to 05f instant. You may need to adjust the zoom line to achieve this. Once you have found the guide correctly, click the stopwatch icon to set the Transform property at this time. Perform this procedure on both types now visible on canvas.
Prepared for your first animation?
Now, follow these steps in both layers:
1. Move the current time indicator to the time or frame in which the layer should be rotated. Let’s say 10 frames later.
2.Click the key frames of the key (diamond icon to the left of the Transform stopwatch) to add a new layer of frame key
3. Change the layer directly to the canvas, either by using a free conversion tool or by accessing the Edit menu> Change> Rotate 180º
At this point, you can see how your motion graphics project is moving by moving the current time indicator to the timeline or by using the player controls on the timeline and your animation is complete.
FAQ
Can Photoshop be used for Motion Graphics?
Yes, photoshop can be used for animation and if you want to create a simple animation do it with photoshop. It’s easy to understand.
Is Photoshop good for Motion Graphics?
Photoshop is still far from being able to create high-quality cartoons and motion graphics. In Photoshop, you use the time frame to create photo frames.
Which software is best for Motion Graphics?
Computer software is now able to create hand-created and computer-generated animation and the best software for 2D motion graphics is Adobe After Effects.
How do I make frames in Photoshop layers?
Open the time window. In the time window, click “Create an Animated Frame.” Create a new layer for each new frame. Open the same menu icon on the right, then select “Create Frames From Layers.