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This lesson demonstrates how to create an animated rain signature. To work along, you can download the start images Here. Unzip the file and open the contents onto Photoshop’s workspace.
Saving Animations using ImageReady CS and CS2
Saving Animations using Photoshop CS2 - without ImageReady
Saving Animations using Photoshop CS3 - ImageReady is not included with CS3
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards. Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
Open your images onto Photoshop’s workspace.
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And press your keyboard’s D key to set the Foreground and Background (default black and white) colours.
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Then from the top menu, choose Layer then choose New then again choose Layer. There is no need to name the new layer (unless you wish to). Click OK. Your Layers palette will resemble the following.
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Ensuring the new layer (Layer 1), is active; from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Fill. In the subsequent Fill dialogue box, ensure the Use tab is changed to Foreground Colour.
Click OK, and your image will be filled with solid black.
And the Layers palette now resembles the following.
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Ensure you are working on the top (filled with black) layer; then from the top menu, choose Image then Duplicate and in the Duplicate Image dialogue box.
Accept the default settings and click OK.
Duplicate the image twice more, and you will have four identical images on your workspace, each retaining their (two) layers.
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We will now apply a different Add Noise setting to each image. Therefore, activate the first (top) image, and from the top menu, choose Filter then choose Noise then choose Add Noise. In the subsequent Add Noise dialogue box, set the following attributes.
Then click OK. Your first image will change to the following.
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Now, activate image two, and apply the Add Noise filter to it. This time, change the Add Noise Amount to 45. Leave the other settings untouched.
Click OK, and your second image will resemble the following.
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Now, activate the third image and apply an Add Noise Amount of 75. Then, activate the fourth image and apply an Add Noise Amount of 50. Your four images should now resemble the following.
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It is time to convert the noise to rain. Therefore, activate the first (top) image, and from the top menu, choose Filter then choose Blur then choose Motion Blur. In the Motion Blur dialogue box, set the following attributes.
Click OK. Your first image will change to the following rain effect.
Important!
For a successful animated rain effect, change just the Add Noise settings for each image. This means, you will be applying identical Motion Blur settings to all four images.
Tip
The Angle setting controls the rain’s direction, and is worth experimenting with. However, ensure it (and the Distance) are the same for each image. My house signature, for example, has an Angle of Minus (-34).
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Now, activate images two, three and four, (consecutively), and apply the same Motion Blur settings to each. After you have completed this, your four images will then resemble the following.
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The following steps are applied to all four images.
Activate the first (top) image, then from the Layers palette, change the Blending Mode to Overlay. Ensure you are working on the top layer, it should already be active.
The Overlay Blend Mode changes your rain effect to the following.
Different Layer Blend Modes
Experiment with Layer Blend Modes; to show the rain at its best - different coloured backgrounds require different Blend Modes. My house signature, for example, has a Screen Blend Mode. Blend Modes Explained Here!
Tip
Depending on your choice of Blend Mode, you may wish to reduce the Layer Opacity. My house signature - for example, has a Screen Blend Mode, and I reduced its Layer Opacity to 51%. 
However, for my cat and lightning signature, I am happy with an Opacity of 100%.
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Still working on the first (top) image, from the top menu, choose Layer then choose Flatten Image. Your first image-frame is complete.
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Now, activate (consecutively) images two, three and four - and change each of their Layer Blend Modes to Overlay, or to a Blend Mode that works best for your image.
After you have changed the remaining Blend Modes, and have Flattened the Layers, your four image-frames should resemble the following.
 
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It is time to drag images two, three and four onto the first image. Therefore, from the toolbar, activate the Move Tool. 
Then double left-click on the second image, and you will see the following Move icon.
Now press (and hold down) your keyboard’s Shift Arrow Key - and simultaneously drag image two onto image one.
Note
Shift-dragging automatically centralises your images.
As soon as you release the mouse button, image two is automatically centred onto image one.
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Now, double-left-click and drag images three and four onto image one. When this is complete, you will have one image that contains four frames.
To save PC resources (RAM), close images two, three and four. Your four image-frames are ready to animate, and instructions are slightly different for CS, CS2 and CS3.
General Saving Animations Photoshop CS, CS2 and CS3 Here!
The Animation Palette in Photoshop CS2
In Photoshop CS2 you can access the Animation palette from its top menu - without involving Image Ready. Animating Instructions (and animation palettes) are identical for both Image Ready and Photoshop CS2; however when you are ready to save your animation; from the top menu of Photoshop CS2, choose File then choose Save for web, and save your animation as a Gif.
Saving animations with CS3
Photoshop CS3 does not include ImageReady. Therefore, to save your animation; create it in Photoshop CS3 as usual, then from its top menu, choose File then choose Save for web and devices. In the subsequent dialogue box, optimise your animation to blend with the background you are displaying it over, then save it. Note: It is important to save your animation as a Gif.
16/ Photoshop CS and CS2 Saving/Optimising Animations Instructions
From the foot of Photoshop’s toolbar, click the following Edit in ImageReady button.
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Your layered image will then open in Image Ready. Now, from its top menu, choose Window then click a tick before Animation, and the Animation palette will open on ImageReady’s workspace.
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From the Animation palette, left-click the tiny black triangle circled below - and a fly out menu will appear. From the fly out menu, left-click Make Frames From Layers.
Your Animation palette will now display all four frames.
From the bottom of the Animation palette, left-click the following Plays/Stop Animation icon
And your rain will animate; your animation is complete and ready to save. From the top menu of Image Ready, choose File then Save Optimised As, enter a name for your animation, and save it.
Important
Before saving your animation, (from the Optimise tab), ensure the Format is set to Gif.
Final notes
After your animation has begun, to stop it, click the icon highlighted above.
You can change the animation’s attributes by activating the following black triangles, Forever and No Delay worked best for this (animated rain) animation, however, for personal results, you must experiment.
 
 
Wendi E. M. Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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