Pixelating Text

by kim@pixelbit.com

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Open a new image. Make it big, much bigger than the final image will be.

Activate your Text tool and apply first word of your animation. Be sure to have FLOATING checked at the bottom of the text window. Apply any Inner bevel, etc that you like.

Copy (CTRL + C),  Delete and paste as a new layer (CTRL + L).

This will insure that your text will be in the exact canter of your image.

Do not add a new layer at this point. Click on your image with your text tool still active and add the second word of your animation. Apply the same Inner Bevel effects. While the second word is still selected, copy, delete and paste as a new layer.

Your second word will be directly on top of the first word.

In your Layer palette, you will have 3 layers. The bottom layer is blank. Delete the bottom layer.

Save your image and open Animation Shop.

Click File > Preferences > General Program Preferences.

Click on the Layered Files tab.

Adjust your settings as shown below and click ok. Open your image.

Click on the first frame of your animation. Click Effects > Insert Image Effects

Select the Pixelate effect with the settings shown below.

Click on the last frame of your animation and apply the same effect but check Run Effect in Reverse Direction and click ok.

Slide the bar around at the bottom and select the frame that takes up the most room. Use your crop tool and crop your animation to fit that frame.

Select all (CTRL + A) Activate your arrow tool again and right click on your animation. Select Animation Properties from the drop down menu.

Click Opaque and select the color that would look best with your animation, Click ok.

View your animation. If it moves too fast, select all again, right click and select Frame Properties from the drop down menu. The default number here is 10. Change it to a higher number. View your animation. Keep changing the number her until your animation moves at the speed that you like.

Save your image.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any comments or questions, email me at:

kim@pixelbit.com