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This lesson demonstrates how to create animated fire text. The fire was created with Eyecandy 5 Nature; however, any Eyecandy filter can be utilised .
My lesson here demonstrates how to create fire from scratch!
Note
There are different ways of creating animations, my tutorial Here explains how to create animation (image-frames) created from layers - thereby leaving the workspace relatively free of clutter. This (animated type) lesson, utilises individual (duplicated) images, and does require a little organisation to keep the workspace neat and tidy.
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. 
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Open a New document and set the following (Transparent) attributes.
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Now, activate the Horizontal Type Tool. 
And apply your choice of text - I have chosen the following attributes. Type Tutorial!
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Then from the toolbar, activate the Move Tool. 
And drag your name to a central position - remembering to leave room for embellishments if using them. If needed, you can download my (transparent) butterfly image Here.
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To give the type presence, I am applying an inner bevel - to do this; click the following Add a layer style, f (fx), icon, at the bottom of the Layers palette. Then from the
drop-down, list choose Bevel and Emboss.
I utilised the settings displayed Here. Additionally, if using one, apply your drop shadow now.
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Open a transparent image onto your workspace (I am using my butterfly), then activate the Move Tool and drag it onto the text image.
Activate their respective layers (in the Layers Palette) and with the Move Tool, drag both the text and butterfly to the bottom of the canvas - this leaves room for the flames.
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When you are satisfied with the final position of the butterfly and type, from the top menu, choose Layer then choose Merge Visible.
Note
At this stage - if you feel your image is too large, you can reduce its size, to do
so, from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Free Transform. Your image will immediately surround with a deformation box - my lesson Here explains how to utilise this tool.
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We need four identical images, therefore, right-click your image’s top menu, and choose Duplicate from the drop-down menu, there is no need to name this layer, click OK. Repeat this twice more and you will have four identical images open on your workspace.
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It is time to apply the fire effect, therefore, activate the first (original) image and from the top menu, choose Filter then from the drop-down menu, choose Eyecandy.
I am using Eyecandy 5 Nature, however settings are very similar for all Eyecandy (fire) filters.
Note
There is a plethora of flames and settings to choose from, and my settings are an example - however, don’t be afraid to play with the flames colour, height and intensity, and make them your own. For the first image I choose the following settings.
 
My first image now has the following fire effect.
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Now, activate the second image and change just the following (Basic) settings.
Click OK and your second image should resemble the following.
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Activate the third image and apply the following (Basic) settings.
Click OK and your third image will resemble the following.
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Now activate the fourth image and set the following (Basic) attributes.
Your fourth flames will resemble the following.
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It is time to drag images two, three and four onto image one, thereby creating four
image-frames ready to animate - therefore, activate the second image then activate the Move Tool.
Tip
If you make an error, from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Step Backwards.
Now, press and hold down the Shift arrow key of your keyboard - then grab the second image and drag it onto the first. Because the Shift arrow key is pressed, the second image is placed exactly onto of the first.
Repeat the same instructions and (Shift) drag the third, (then fourth) images onto the first, then discard images two, three and four. You now have one image (the original image) which has four layers.
Note
Your Layers Palette contains four image-layers.
General optimising/saving animations lesson - CS, CS2, CS3 & Extended - here
13/ Optimising and saving animation image-frames CS and CS2 Only
Open Image Ready by left-clicking the following Edit in ImageReady icon - at the foot of the toolbar.
ImageReady will open, and your (layered) image will open onto its workspace.
To display the Animation palette; from ImageReady’s top menu, choose Window and click a tick before Animation.
ImageReady’s workspace will resemble my screen capture Here - or it will display your image-frames, in a similar way.
Now, left-click the following tiny black arrow at the top-right corner of the Animation palette.
Then click Make Frames from Layers, as highlighted above. Your four frames will be displayed in the Animation palette. Or the number of frames of your animation.
Ensure Forever is selected for the Select Looping Options. 
Then click the tiny black triangle (below) to change the Frame Delay Time.
Then choose 0.1.  Note: Always experiment with these settings.
To preview your animation, click the following Plays/Stops Animation button.
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When you are happy with your animation; from the top menu of ImageReady, choose File then choose Save Optimised As. Enter a name for for animation, then click Save.
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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