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Ulead GIF Animator - Creating a Banner Advertisement

Using Text Tool and Split Text

In minutes, you can make a cool banner ad by using simple text objects. You can even animate the letters in your text by splitting it first into individual objects. Then, you can do anything you want with them; for instance, you can make them come out one at a time as if somebody is typing in the words.

Let's say we are to create a banner ad that gives people unique personal e-mail addresses. First, we show them a sample e-mail address, then we invite them to apply for one. Here's a perfect example:

1. First, we create a new project by selecting File>New. Set the canvas size to 480x60 pixels, the standard size for horizontal banners. Select solid color background object (the default color is white - click the color square to select another background color). Then click OK.

2. Now let's draw a thin border around the banner.

Right-click on the workspace and select Selection - All to select the entire working area. Then, using the Selection Tool - Rectangle from the Tool Panel, hold the Alt key down while clicking and dragging your mouse just barely inside the existing selection area, about a pixel off the original selection. Fill the border with a color (I used sage green) using the Fill Tool .

TIP: Pressing the Alt key down as you drag your mouse subtracts from the current selection area. Pressing the Shift key down, on the other hand, adds to the selection.



Using Text Tool and Split Text

3. Next we type in our text. But first, we want to leave the first frame empty and start our text from the second frame. To do this, select Frame>Duplicate Frame (or click Duplicate Frame on the Frame Panel).

4. While in Frame 2, select the Text Tool and click in the workspace where you want to place your text.

5. Enter and format your text in the Text Entry Box. I used a 28-point Courier New font, chose a gradient color, and set the character spacing to "5". Then I selected Anti-aliasing to smooth rough edges. I also added Shadow from the Attribute Toolbar.


Using Text Tool and Split Text

6. Click your text in the workspace, then select Object>Text - Split Text. This breaks the text into individual objects. You'll see a marquee (dotted lines) surrounding each text object.

7. Now let's insert some more frames using the Duplicate Frame button on the Frame Panel. There are 14 characters in all for the text we've just created; so we'll add 13 more frames.

8. On the Object Manager Panel, select all text objects except the one that contains the first letter "h" by clicking the thumbnails as you hold the Ctrl key down.

NOTE: Confirm selection by looking at the workspace. Everything except the letter "h" should be selected by now and should have a marquee around each character.

9. With the objects selected, click the Eye icon to hide them in the workspace. Do not click anywhere in the workspace just yet to avoid making the selections again.

10. Let's move on to the next frame, Frame 3. Going back to our Object Manager Panel, look for the next letter ("a") and, while holding the Ctrl key down, click the Eye icon on any of the selected objects. All the characters except for the first two ("ha") disappear.

11. Repeat the process for the remaining frames until all characters have become visible in the workspace.


Using Text Tool and Split Text

12. Next, let's add a second set of text in the banner ad. Select Frame>Add Frame. Select the Text Tool, click in the workspace and type the following text:

Font type and style: 25-point News Gothic, boldface
Character spacing: 5 With Anti-aliasing

13. On the Attribute Toolbar, click the Style button for more creative options. Add a Shadow to the text. Also apply the Neon effect: choose Outside for the Direction, set the Width to "5", and click the color square to pick a color (I chose white for a bright effect).

14. Now let's create a fading effect for this text. Duplicate 5 frames. Then in each of these frames, select the text in the Object Manager Panel and increase the Transparency setting by "20". But for the last frame, set Transparency to "99".

TIP: You can achieve the same fading effect by tweening the text object's transparency or by creating a fading banner text. See the tutorials, Tweening and Creating a banner advertisement (Using Banner Text) to see how such effects are done and try them out with your text.

15. Create a third set of text for the concluding scene. Add a new frame, select the Text Tool, then click anywhere in the workspace and type the following:


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